Syllogism MCQ — 5 Practice Questions with Answers

Explanation

From the statements, some newspapers are books, and all books are spoons. Therefore, those newspapers that are books must also be spoons, so the conclusion that some newspapers are spoons follows. The statement that no magazine is a newspaper gives only a separation between magazines and newspapers. It does not create any definite link between magazines and books. Hence, the conclusion that some magazines are books does not follow, while the conclusion about some newspapers being spoons does follow.

Explanation

All digits are fractions, and no number is a digit. So the fraction group contains digits that are certainly not numbers; hence it is not possible that all fractions are numbers, so conclusion I follows. The statement that some fractions are integers only creates an overlap between fractions and integers. It does not prove that those integers are the same fractions that are digits, nor that any integer is outside the number group. Therefore conclusion II does not definitely follow. The answer retaining only conclusion I is correct.

Explanation

The first statement says wisdom is necessary for being a good wrangler, so every good wrangler is wise; it does not say every wise person becomes a good wrangler. The second statement says good wranglers are talkative and boring. This allows good wranglers to be boring, but it gives no rule about all wise persons. Hence neither “all wise persons are boring” nor “all wise persons are good wranglers” follows. The alternatives claiming one or both conclusions follow overextend the statements.

Explanation

From the statements, every doctor belongs to the class of good people. Since some women are doctors, those particular women must also be good. Therefore, the conclusion that some women are good follows. The claim that all good doctors are women does not follow, because the statements only say some women are doctors; they do not say all doctors, or all good doctors, are women. Hence the alternatives saying only conclusion I, both conclusions, or neither conclusion follows are not logically supported.

Explanation

The statements only fix one negative relation: apples are not bananas. They also say that some bananas are grapes. Nothing definite is said about the relation between apples and grapes. Therefore, the conclusion that no apple is a grape is not forced; apples may or may not overlap with grapes. Since apples are separate from bananas, and grapes are not shown to be wholly inside bananas, it remains possible that all apples are grapes. Hence only the possibility conclusion is valid, while the definite negative conclusion is not.