Syllogisms Guide & Practice
Understand Syllogism Venn Diagram representations, categorical statements (Some/All/No), solved exam questions, and online tests. Explore dynamic solver blueprints, master fundamental equations, examine step-by-step solved examples, and practice with real exam-grade mock test sets.
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Foundation & Concepts
Syllogism is a form of deductive reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two or more given propositions (premises).
1. Parts of a Proposition
Standard form: Quantifier + Subject + Copula + Predicate
- Quantifier: Specifies quantity (All, No, Some).
- Subject: The word about which something is said.
- Predicate: What is affirmed or denied about the subject.
- Copula: Relationship between subject and predicate (is, are, are not).
2. Four-fold Classification (A, E, I, O)
| Symbol | Proposition | Quantity | Quality | Venn Diagram Hint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | All A are B | Universal | Affirmative | A is entirely inside B |
| E | No A is B | Universal | Negative | A and B are disjoint |
| I | Some A are B | Particular | Affirmative | A and B overlap |
| O | Some A are not B | Particular | Negative | Part of A is outside B |
Patterns/Rules
1. Immediate Inferences (Single Statement)
- All A are B (A) → Implies: Some A are B; Converts to: Some B are A.
- No A is B (E) → Implies: Some A are not B; Converts to: No B is A.
- Some A are B (I) → Converts to: Some B are A.
- Some A are not B (O) → No definite immediate inference.
2. Mediate Inferences (Two+ Statements)
- Positive + Positive = Positive Conclusion.
- Positive + Negative = Negative Conclusion.
- Negative + Negative = No definite conclusion.
- Particular + Particular = No definite conclusion.
- Alignment: The "Middle Term" (term common to both premises) must be distributed at least once.
3. Complementary Pairs (Either-Or Case)
"Either I or II follows" applies when:
- Both individual conclusions are false/uncertain.
- The subject and predicate are the same in both.
- They form a pair: (I + O), (A + O), or (I + E).
4. Possibility
- If no definite relation exists between two terms, any "Possibility" between them is True.
- If a definite relation exists, a contradicting "Possibility" is False.
Typical Exam Weightage
| Exam | Typical Questions |
|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | 1–2 questions |
| Banking (IBPS / SBI) | 3–5 questions |
One of the highest-weightage Banking reasoning topics — the Venn-diagram method is faster and more reliable than verbal elimination for complex statement sets.
Figures are typical ranges based on recent-year patterns, not a guarantee for any specific upcoming paper — always cross-check against the latest official syllabus and previous-year papers for Syllogisms.
Solved Examples
Q1. Statements:
- All gardens are schools.
- All schools are colleges. Conclusions: I. All gardens are colleges. II. Some gardens are colleges.
View Detailed Solution & ExplanationHide Explanation
(A + A = A). All gardens -> Schools -> Colleges. Both follow.
- Answer: Both I and II follow.
Q2. Statements:
- Some cups are spoons.
- Some spoons are saucers. Conclusions: I. Some cups are saucers. II. No cup is saucer.
- Solution: Both premises are Particular (I). No definite relation between cups and saucers. However, since they form an (I + E) pair with the same terms, "Either/Or" applies.
- Answer: Either I or II follows.
Q3. Statements:
- Some boys are students.
- All students are teenagers. Conclusions: I. All teenagers are students. II. Some boys are teenagers.
View Detailed Solution & ExplanationHide Explanation
- I: "All teenagers are students" is the reverse of A-type, not necessarily true.
- II: Some boys (who are students) must be teenagers.
- Answer: Only II follows.
Q4. Statements:
- All Lotus are flowers.
- No Lily is a Lotus. Conclusions: I. No Lily is a flower. II. Some Lilies are flowers.
- Solution: Lily is excluded from Lotus, but not necessarily from the entire "flower" category. Lily could overlap with the "flower" area outside "Lotus".
- Answer: Either I or II follows (Complementary pair E+I).
Q5. Statements:
- Some birds are trees.
- Some trees are hens. Conclusions: I. Some birds being hens is a possibility. II. All trees being hens is a possibility.
View Detailed Solution & ExplanationHide Explanation
- I: No direct relation between birds and hens, so possibility is true.
- II: "Some trees are hens" allows for the possibility that all trees are hens.
- Answer: Both I and II follow.
Q6. Statements:
- Only Post-graduates are officers.
- All officers are sincere. Conclusions: I. Some sincere people are Post-graduates. II. All Post-graduates are sincere.
- Solution: "Only A are B" means "All B are A". So, "All officers are Post-graduates".
- Since All officers are sincere and All officers are Post-graduates, they overlap. I follows.
- II is not necessarily true as there could be Post-graduates who are not officers and thus not necessarily sincere.
- Answer: Only I follows.