SYLLOGISM

1) What is a syllogism?
A syllogism is a logical argument composed of three parts: the major premise, the minor
premise and the conclusion inferred from the premises.
The following steps will make you crack questions based on syllogism:

I)

KNOW THAE BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE SYLLOGISM:

A syllogism has three parts: major premise, minor premise, and conclusion. Each
part is composed of two categorical terms, linked in the form "Some/all A is/are
[not] B." Each of the premises has one term in common with the conclusion:
the major term in the major premise, which forms the predicate of the conclusion,
and the minor term in the minor premise, which forms the subject of the
conclusion. The categorical term in common in the premises is called the "middle
term". For example:
Major premise: All birds are animals.
Minor premise: All parrots are birds.
Conclusion: All parrots are animals.
In this example, "animal" is the major term and predicate of the conclusion,
"parrot" is the minor term and subject of the conclusion, and "bird" is the middle
term.

II)

THINK OF EACH TERM AS REPRESENTING CATEGORY:

For example, "Birds" is a category composed of everything that can be described
as a bird.

III)

DETERMINE THE FIGURE OF THE SYLLOGISM:

Depending on whether the middle term serves as subject or predicate in the premises, a
syllogism may be classified as one of four possible figures:
First figure: The middle term serves as subject in the major premise and predicate in the minor
premise. Thus, first figure take the form:
Major premise: M-P..........e.g., "All birds are animals"
Minor premise: S-M..........e.g., "All parrots are birds"
Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "All parrots are animals".
Second figure: The middle term serves as predicate in the major premise and predicate in the
minor premise. Thus, first figure take the form:

Major premise: P-M..........e.g., "No foxes are birds"

Minor premise: S-M..........e.g., "All parrots are birds"
Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "No parrots are foxes".
Third figure: The middle term serves as subject in the major premise and subject in the minor
premise. Thus, first figure take the form:
Major premise: M-P..........e.g., "All birds are animals"
Minor premise: M-S..........e.g., "All birds are mortals"
Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "Some mortals are animals".
Fourth figure: The middle term serves as predicate in the major premise and subject in the
minor premise. Thus, first figure take the form:
Major premise: P-M..........e.g., "No birds are cows"
Minor premise: M-S..........e.g., "All cows are animals"
Conclusion:......S-P..........e.g., "Some animals are not birds".

TIPS TO SOLVE SYLLOGISM

Understand the distribution of terms. A categorical term is said to be distributed if all
individual members of that category are accounted for, for example, in "all men are
mortal", the term "men" is distributed because every member belonging to that category
is accounted for, in this case, as mortal. Note how each of the four variations distributes
(or not) the terms
Drawing out or visualising Venn Diagrams can help in understanding distribution of
terms in determining whether a given syllogism is valid or not.
In order for a valid conclusion to be made, the middle term must be distributed in at least
one of the premises, to allow the major and minor terms be linked. Avoid the fallacy of
the undistributed middle. For example, from "All dogs love food", and "John loves food",
it does not follow that "John is a dog".
In order for a syllogism to be valid, at least one of the two premises must contain a
universal form. If both premises are particulars, then no valid conclusion can follow. For
example, if "some cats are black" and "some black things are tables", it does not follow
that "some cats are tables".
In order for a syllogism to be valid, at least one of the two premises must be affirmative.
If both premises are negative, then no valid conclusion can follow. If both premises are
negative, the middle cannot establish any link between the major and minor terms.

QUESTIONS
DIRCTIONS:
In each of the following questions two statements are given and these statements are
followed by two conclusions numbered (1) and (2). You have to take the given two
statements to be true even if they seem to be at variance from commonly known facts.
Read the conclusions and then decide which of the given conclusions logically follows
from the two given statements, disregarding commonly known facts.

Give answer:

(A) If only (1) conclusion follows

(B) If only (2) conclusion follows
(C) If either (1) or (2) follows
(D) If neither (1) nor (2) follows and
(E) If both (1) and (2) follow.

1) Statements: Some actors are singers. All the singers are dancers.
Conclusions:
1. Some actors are dancers.
2. No singer is actor.
A.

Only (1) conclusion follows

B.

Only (2) conclusion follows

C.

Either (1) or (2) follows

D.

Neither (1) nor (2) follows

E.

Both (1) and (2) follow

2) Statements: All the harmoniums are instruments. All the instruments are flutes.
Conclusions:
1. All the flutes are instruments.
2. All the harmoniums are flutes.
A.

Only (1) conclusion follows

B.

Only (2) conclusion follows

C.

Either (1) or (2) follows

D.

Neither (1) nor (2) follows

E.

Both (1) and (2) follow

3) Statements: Some mangoes are yellow. Some tixo are mangoes.

Conclusions:
1. Some mangoes are green.
2. Tixo is a yellow.
A.

Only (1) conclusion follows

B.

Only (2) conclusion follows

C.

Either (1) or (2) follows

D.

Neither (1) nor (2) follows

E.

Both (1) and (2) follow

3) Statements: Some ants are parrots. All the parrots are apples.
Conclusions:
1. All the apples are parrots.
2. Some ants are apples.
A.

Only (1) conclusion follows

B.

Only (2) conclusion follows

C.

Either (1) or (2) follows

D.

Neither (1) nor (2) follows

E.

Both (1) and (2) follow

4) Statements: Some papers are pens. All the pencils are pens.
Conclusions:
1. Some pens are pencils.
2. Some pens are papers.
A.

Only (1) conclusion follows

B.

Only (2) conclusion follows

C.

Either (1) or (2) follows

D.

Neither (1) nor (2) follows

E.

Both (1) and (2) follow

5) Statements: All the actors are girls. All the girls are beautiful.
Conclusions:
1. All the actors are beautiful.
2. Some girls are actors.
A.

Only (1) conclusion follows

B.

Only (2) conclusion follows

C.

Either (1) or (2) follows

D.

Neither (1) nor (2) follows

E.

Both (1) and (2) follow

6) Statements: All cups are books. All books are shirts.

Conclusions:
1. Some cups are not shirts.
2. Some shirts are cups.
A.

Only (1) conclusion follows

B.

Only (2) conclusion follows

C.

Either (1) or (2) follows

D.

Neither (1) nor (2) follows

E.

Both (1) and (2) follow