Syllogism

What you'll learn

Understand SSC-CGL Syllogism using the Venn-diagram method, the four statement types, combination rules, the Either-Or trick, a fully worked example, and a practice quiz.

This chapter has

Syllogism — solved practice questions

8 SSC / Banking General Intelligence & Reasoning questions with step-by-step solutions. Attempt each, then reveal the answer.

1. Q1easy

   Statements: All cats are dogs. All dogs are animals. Conclusion: All cats are animals.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   • CUncertain
   • DPartial
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) True

   All cats → dogs → animals. The chain holds. Conclusion follows.

2. Q2medium

   Statements: Some birds are fish. All fish are reptiles. Conclusion: Some birds are reptiles.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   • CUncertain
   • DCannot be determined
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) True

   Some birds are fish → those birds are also reptiles (since all fish are reptiles). Conclusion follows.

3. Q3medium

   Statements: No men are women. All women are humans. Conclusion: No men are humans.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   • CUncertain
   • DPartial
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) False

   We know no men are women, but men can still be humans (human is the broader category). Conclusion does NOT follow.

4. Q4medium

   Statements: All pens are books. No books are pencils. Conclusion: No pens are pencils.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   • CUncertain
   • DPartial
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) True

   Pens ⊆ Books. Books ∩ Pencils = ∅. Therefore Pens ∩ Pencils = ∅. Conclusion follows.

5. Q5hard

   Statements: Some apples are oranges. Some oranges are grapes. Conclusion: Some apples are grapes.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   • CUncertain
   • DCannot determine
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) False

   Some-Some gives no definite conclusion. We don't know if the 'some apples' that are oranges overlap with the 'some oranges' that are grapes.

6. Q6medium

   Statements: All flowers are trees. All trees are mountains. Conclusion I: All flowers are mountains. Conclusion II: All mountains are flowers.

   • AOnly I follows
   • BOnly II follows
   • CBoth follow
   • DNeither follows
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) Only I follows

   Flowers ⊆ Trees ⊆ Mountains → Conclusion I follows. But mountains can include non-flower things → II does not follow.

7. Q7medium

   Statements: Some boxes are toys. All toys are blocks. Conclusion: All boxes are blocks.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   • CUncertain
   • DPartial
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) False

   Only SOME boxes are toys; those particular boxes are blocks. But not ALL boxes are toys → not all boxes are blocks.

8. Q8hard

   Statements: No dog is a cat. Some cats are tigers. Conclusion: No dog is a tiger.

   • ATrue
   • BFalse
   • CUncertain
   • DCannot say
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) False

   We know no dog is a cat, but tigers might still be dogs through some other connection not ruled out. Conclusion does NOT necessarily follow.

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