Tricks to solve Syllogism Questions Quickly - PDF

Syllogism is an important chapter for every competitive exam in which there is Reasoning ability section. In IBPS PO Prelims 2015, there were 5 questions from Syllogism. Many candidates face problem in solving these simple questions so I decided to write a detailed tutorial on this chapter.

Types of conditions

As I always try to make things simple so instead of writing formulae and all that bulky stuffs, here I am explaining the technique using simple examples.

1) All pigs are animals. Some animals are mammals

In this example, there are two sub-conditions.

Condition 1 - All pigs are animals. So circle Pig will be covered by circle Animals.

Conditions 2 - Some animals are mammals. This sub-conditions give two situations :- 1) Some pigs are mammals 2) No Pig is mammal. 

2) All pigs are animals. All animals are mammals

This example is bit simple. All pigs are part of category animal and all animals are part of category mammals.

3) Some pigs are animals. All animals are mammals

In this example there are two conditions. There is no proper order to apply these conditions. Some pigs are animals.  All animals are mammals so Animals circle is covered Mammals circle. 

Conclusion is some but not all pigs are mammals.

In exam, try to make circles for every syllogism question. These questions take hardly 20-30 seconds to solve with this method. This year these type of questions replaced mirror image questions, so never skip these marks rich questions.

Practice Questions

Today we are sharing Practice Sets of Syllogism. Try out these and share your marks. Keep Practicing !

SET 1

In these questions two/three statements followed by two conclusions numbered I and II  have been given. You have to decide which of the given conclusions logically follows from the given statements disregarding commonly known facts.

Statement 1:

All fishes are birds.
No Bird is an animal.
All animals are mammals.

Conclusions A:

I   At least some birds are mammals.
II All mammals being birds is a possibility.

1) Only conclusion II is true
2) Neither conclusion I or II is true
3) Both conclusion I and II are true
4) Either conclusion I or II is true
5) Only conclusion I is true

Conclusions B

I No fish is an animal
II All fishes being mammals is a possibility

1) Only conclusion II is true
2) Neither conclusion I or II is true
3) Both conclusion I and II are true
4) Either conclusion I or II is true
5) Only conclusion I is true

Statement 2:

Some forces are groups
All groups are powers
All powers are growth

Conclusions A

I At least some forces are growth
II All groups are growth

1) Only conclusion II is true
2) Either conclusion I or II is true
3) Only conclusion I is true
4) Neither conclusion I or II is true
5) Both conclusion I and II are true

Conclusions B

I All forces being powers is possibility
II All powers are group

1) Only conclusion II is true
2) Either conclusion I or II is true
3) Only conclusion I is true
4) Neither conclusion I or II is true
5) Both conclusion I and II are true

Statement 3:

Some triangle are circles
All squares are circles

Conclusions:

I  At least some squares are triangle
II All circles are triangles

1) Only conclusion I is true
2) Either conclusion I or II is true
3) Both conclusion I and II are true
4) Only conclusion II is true
5) Neither conclusion I or II is true

Statement 4:

All airways are trains
No train is a station
Some stations are airports

Conclusions:

I  All airways being airports is a possibility
II No airway is a station

1) Only conclusion I follows
2) Only conclusion II follows
3) Both conclusion I and II follows
4) Either conclusion I or II follows
5) Neither conclusion I or II follows

Statement 5:

All books are scales
All scales are pencils
Some scales are pens

Conclusions A:

I  No book is pen
II All pencils are scales

1) Only conclusion I follows
2) Only conclusion II follows
3) Either conclusion I or II follows
4) Neither conclusion I or II follows

5) Both conclusion I and II follows

Conclusions B:

I At least some scales are pen
II No scale is a pen

1) Only conclusion I follows
2) Only conclusion II follows
3) Either conclusion I or II follows
4) Neither conclusion I or II follows

5) Both conclusion I and II follows

Statement 6:

All rainy are summers

Some summers are springs

No spring is sunny

Conclusion A

I  At least some rainy are springs

II Some sunny being summers is a possibility

1) Either conclusion I or II follows

2) Both conclusion I and II follows

3) Neither conclusion I or II follows

4) Only conclusion I follows

5) Only conclusion II follows

Conclusion B

I  All summers can never be sunny

II No spring is a sunny

1) Either conclusion I or II follows

2) Both conclusion I and II follows

3) Neither conclusion I or II follows

4) Only conclusion I follows

5) Only conclusion II follows

SET 2

In the questions given below four statements followed by five conclusions, one of which definitely does not logically follow ( or is not possibility of occurrence) from the given statements. That conclusion is your answer.

Statement 1:

No toy is a doll

All boxes are toys

All bears are dolls

All dolls are baskets

Conclusions

1) All baskets are toys

2) No box is a bear

3) All boxes being baskets is a possibility

4) All bears are baskets

5) No doll is a box

Statement 2:

Some logics are answers

All answers are arguments

All arguments are fights

No fight is a meaning

Conclusions

1) All meanings being logic is possibility

2) No meaning is an argument

3) All logics being meaning is a possibility

4) All answers are fights

5) No answer is a meaning

Statement 3:

All references are letters

All contacts are references

All comments are contacts

No letter is confirmation

Conclusions

1) No reference is a confirmation

2) All comments are letters

3) No contact is confirmation

4) All confirmations being comments is a possibility

5) At least some letters are contacts

Statement 4:

Some moments are memories

All moments are minutes

All memories are instances

No instance is an hour

Conclusions

1) All hours being minutes is a possibility

2) No minute is a memory

3) No hour is a memory

4) At least some seconds are instances

5) At least some minutes are instances

Statement 5:

All circles are spheres

All spheres are rectangles

No rectangle is a pyramid

No pyramid is a triangle

Conclusions:

1) At least some circles are pyramid

2) All triangles being circles is a possibility

3) All rectangles being triangles is a possibility

4) At least some  rectangles are circles

5) No pyramid is a sphere

Statement 6:

No hotel is a motel

All motels are apartments

All apartments are inns

No inn is a guest house

Conclusions

1) All hotels being inns is a possibility

2) No hotel is a guest house

3) All hotels being apartments is a possibility

4) No motel is an inn

5) No guest house is an apartment

ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS

SET 1

1) Conclusion A -

Ans - 2) Neither conclusion I or II is true

Conclusion B -

Ans - 3) Both conclusion I and II are true

2) Conclusion A -

Ans - 5) Both conclusion I and II are true

Conclusion B -

Ans - 3) Only conclusion I is true

3) Ans - 4) Neither conclusion I or II is true

4)

5) Conclusion A:

Ans - 4) Neither conclusion I or II follows

Conclusion B:
Ans - 3) Either conclusion I or II follows

6)  Conclusion A:

Ans - 5) Only conclusion II follows

Conclusion B:

Ans - 2) Both conclusion I and II follows

SET 2

1) Ans - 1) All baskets are toys

2) Ans - 3) All logics being meaning is a possibility

3) Ans - 4) All confirmations being comments is a possibility

4) Ans - 2) No minute is a memory

5) Ans - 1) At least some circles are pyramid

6) Ans - 4) No motel is an inn

Updated on 7 November 2015