Syllogism for SSC CGL
Master Logical Deduction and Conclusions
1. Introduction
Syllogism is a crucial topic in SSC CGL reasoning. These questions test your ability to deduce conclusions logically from given statements.
They are scoring because once you understand the basic rules and symbols, solving becomes fast and precise.
2. Definition
A syllogism consists of two or more statements followed by one or more conclusions. Your task is to determine which conclusions logically follow from the statements.
Example: Statements: All cats are animals. All animals are living beings.
Conclusions: I. All cats are living beings. II. Some living beings are cats.
Solution: From the statements: Cats ⊂ Animals ⊂ Living beings
Answer: Both conclusions follow
3. Types of Syllogism Questions
Direct Syllogism:
Statements are given, find which conclusions follow.
Example: "All A are B. All B are C. Conclusion: All A are C?" → Yes
Indirect / Coded Syllogism:
Statements use coded words or symbols instead of direct terms.
Example: '@' means 'is', '#' means 'all', etc.
Venn Diagram-Based Syllogism:
Use diagrams to visualize relationships and deduce conclusions.
Positive / Negative Statements:
All, Some, No — key words to determine conclusions.
4. Previous Year SSC CGL Examples
2018 Tier I: All dogs are animals. All animals are living beings.
Answer: Both conclusions follow
2019 Tier I: Some fruits are apples. All apples are sweet.
Answer: Only I follows (Some fruits are sweet)
2020 Tier I: No cat is a dog. All dogs are animals.
Answer: Only II follows (Some animals are not cats)
Practicing past year syllogism questions improves logical deduction and visualization skills.
5. Strategy to Approach Syllogism Questions
- Identify key terms: Note words like All, Some, No
- Use Venn diagrams: Helps in visualizing logical relations
- Check each conclusion: Determine if it definitely follows from the statements
- Avoid assumptions: Only consider what is given in the statements
- Practice regularly: 5–10 questions daily improves accuracy
6. Quick Recap
- Syllogism questions test logical deduction from statements
- Key words: All, Some, No
- Use Venn diagrams for clarity
- Avoid adding assumptions
- Regular practice builds speed and confidence
7. Practice Questions
Try solving these to test your understanding:
1. Statements: All cats are animals. All animals are living beings.
Conclusions: I. All cats are living beings. II. Some living beings are cats.
2. Statements: Some flowers are roses. All roses are fragrant.
Conclusions: I. Some flowers are fragrant. II. All fragrant things are roses.
3. Statements: No pen is a pencil. All pencils are stationery.
Conclusions: I. No pen is stationery. II. Some stationery are not pens.
4. Statements: All birds are animals. Some animals are pets.
Conclusions: I. Some birds are pets. II. All pets are birds.
5. Statements: Some trees are mangoes. All mangoes are fruits.
Conclusions: I. Some trees are fruits. II. All fruits are mangoes.
Click for Answers
1. Both follow (Cats ⊂ Animals ⊂ Living beings)
2. Only I follows (Some flowers are fragrant, but not all fragrant things are roses)
3. Only II follows (Some stationery are not pens, but pens could be stationery)
4. Only I may follow (Some birds could be pets, but not necessarily)
5. Only I follows (Some trees are fruits, but not all fruits are mangoes)
Draw diagrams to visualize relationships and decide which conclusions follow.
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