Phrasal Verbs | Courage Library

1. What is Syllogism?

Syllogism is a form of reasoning where conclusions are drawn from given statements using logical rules. It tests your ability to derive valid conclusions from premises.

Logical Reasoning

Derives Conclusions

Based on Given Statements

Uses Logical Rules

Simple Definition: Syllogism is a logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at conclusions based on given premises.

Types of Statements

Standard Statement Forms

Type	Format	Example	Code
Universal Positive	All A are B	All dogs are animals	A → B
Universal Negative	No A is B	No cat is dog	A ≠ B
Particular Positive	Some A are B	Some birds can fly	Some A → B
Particular Negative	Some A are not B	Some apples are not red	Some A ≠ B

2. Key Concepts in Syllogism

Important Rules & Terms

Premise

Given statements or facts

Example: "All men are mortal"

Conclusion

Derived result from premises

Example: "Socrates is mortal"

Middle Term

Common term in both premises

Connects major and minor terms

Venn Diagrams

Visual representation method

Used to solve syllogism problems

3. Important Rules

Golden Rules of Syllogism

1

Two Particular premises → No conclusion

If both statements start with "Some", no valid conclusion

2

Two Negative premises → No conclusion

If both statements are negative, no valid conclusion

3

Middle term must be distributed at least once

The common term should appear in "All" or "No" form

4

Conclusion follows the weaker premise

"Some" is weaker than "All", "Negative" weaker than "Positive"

4. How to Solve Syllogism?

Follow these step-by-step methods to solve syllogism questions:

1

Identify Statement Types

Check if Universal/Particular, Positive/Negative

2

Check Validity Rules

Apply golden rules to check if conclusion possible

3

Draw Venn Diagrams

Visual representation of relationships

4

Derive Conclusion

Find logical conclusion from the diagrams

5. Solved Examples

Example 1: Basic Syllogism

Statements: All roses are flowers. All flowers are plants.

Step 1: Identify types - Both Universal Positive

Step 2: Check rules - Valid combination

Step 3: Draw relationship: Roses → Flowers → Plants

Conclusion: All roses are plants

Example 2: With "Some" Statement

Statements: Some dogs are animals. All animals are living beings.

Step 1: Types - Particular Positive + Universal Positive

Step 2: Check rules - Valid combination

Step 3: Relationship: Some dogs → animals → living beings

Conclusion: Some dogs are living beings

Example 3: Invalid Case

Statements: Some cats are black. Some black are dogs.

Step 1: Both are Particular Positive

Step 2: Apply Rule 1: Two Particular → No conclusion

Conclusion: No definite conclusion possible

6. Statements & Conclusions

Types of Conclusions

Definite Conclusions

Follows Definitely

100% true based on statements

Example

All A are B, All B are C → All A are C

Possible Conclusions

May or May Not Follow

Could be true but not definite

Example

Some A are B → Some B are A (possible)

7. Quick Recap

Concept	Key Point	Example
Universal Positive	All A are B	All humans are mortal
Universal Negative	No A is B	No cat is dog
Particular Positive	Some A are B	Some birds can fly
Particular Negative	Some A are not B	Some apples are not red
Golden Rules	4 main rules for validity	Two particular = No conclusion

8. Delhi Police Exam Tips

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Memorize the 4 golden rules - they solve 80% of questions

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Practice Venn diagrams for visual understanding

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Identify statement types quickly - saves time

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Check for "definite" vs "possible" conclusions

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Skip if confused - don't waste time on very complex ones

Syllogism, Statements & Conclusions