Learn How to Solve New Pattern Syllogism: Concept & Tricks

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In the recent Banking and Insurance exams, In reasoning section 4 to 5 questions are asked from the syllogism, generally in the prelims phase of the examination. Thus it is utmost important to learn and understand the concepts of syllogism to score the full marks in the exam.

Introduction:

The syllogism has been described as A form of reasoning in which a conclusion is deduced from the two or more given statements.  The syllogism is the part of the verbal reasoning. These types of questions have two or more statements and these are followed by a number of conclusions, mostly 2 or 3 conclusions. You have to figure out which conclusions logically follows from the given statements. Therefore, It is more of deductive reasoning than inductive reasoning.

Venn Diagram Approach:

With the Venn Diagram approach, you can easily solve complex syllogism problems. This is approach is really fast and accurate and can solve questions with any number of statement easily. 

Let us understand the concept with some example:

1. Direction: In the question below are given three statements followed by two conclusions numbered I, and II. You must take the given statements to be true even if they seem to be at variance with commonly known facts. Read all the conclusions and then decide which of the given conclusions logically follows from the given statements disregarding commonly known facts.

Statements:
Only bags are cans.
No bag is a cage.
Only a few walls are cages.

Conclusions:
I. All walls can be cages.
II. Some walls are not bags.

A. If only conclusion I follow
B. If only conclusion II follows
C. If either conclusion I or conclusion II follows
D. If both conclusions I and II follow
E. If neither conclusion I nor conclusion II follows

Answer: B

Solution: 

'Only A are B' does not mean that B cannot be anything else but A. It is just a different way so saying that 'all cans are bags'.

The least possible Venn diagram for the given statements will be as shown:

Conclusions:

I. All walls can be cages – Only a few walls are cages means some walls are cages and some walls are not cages. So, all walls can never be cages. Hence, the possibility is false.

II. Some walls are not bags – some walls are cages and no bag is a cage. So, some walls which are cages can’t be bags. Hence, it is true.

Hence, only conclusion II follows.

Now, let's take a look at another example;

2. Direction: In the question below are given three statements followed by two conclusions numbered I, and II. You must take the given statements to be true even if they seem to be at variance with commonly known facts. Read all the conclusions and then decide which of the given conclusions logically follows from the given statements disregarding commonly known facts. 

Statements:
Only a few rings are roses.
Only a few rats are roses.
Only a few rats are roads.

Conclusions:
I. All rats can be roses.
II. All rats can be roads.

A. If only conclusion I follows
B. If only conclusion II follows
C. If either conclusion I or conclusion II follows
D. If both conclusions I and II follow
E. If neither conclusion I nor conclusion II follows

Answer: E

Solution:

Only a few A are B means that some A are B and some A are not B. Therefore, the least possible Venn diagram for the given statements will be as shown:

Conclusions:

I. All rats can be roses – Only few rats are roses means, some rats are roses and some rats are not roses. So, all rats can never be roses. Hence, the possibility is not true.

II. All rats can be roads – Only a few rats are roads means, some rats are roads and some rats are not roads. Hence, all rats can never be roads. Hence, the possibility is not true.

Hence, neither I nor II follows.

Let us look at another example to understand syllogism further.