CAT Syllogism: Tricks, Questions & Easy Explanation

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What is Syllogism?

Syllogism is a type of logical reasoning question where conclusions are drawn from given statements. It is an important topic in CAT and other MBA entrance exams.

A syllogism typically consists of:

• Statements (Premises)
• Conclusions

👉 Example:
Statements:
All cats are animals.
All animals are living beings.

Conclusion:
All cats are living beings. ✅

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Types of Syllogism

There are mainly three types:

1. Universal Statements

• All A are B
• No A are B

2. Particular Statements

• Some A are B
• Some A are not B

3. Conditional Syllogism

• If A then B
• If B then C

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Basic Rules & Concepts

To solve syllogism questions correctly, follow these rules:

• Rule 1: “All” can be converted → Some
  👉 All A are B → Some B are A
• Rule 2: “Some” cannot be converted always
• Rule 3: Two negative statements → No conclusion
• Rule 4: If one statement is negative → conclusion is negative
• Rule 5: Always check possibility vs certainty

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CAT Syllogism Tricks (Shortcuts)

🔥 Trick 1: Use Venn Diagrams

Draw circles to represent relationships between terms.

🔥 Trick 2: Focus on Keywords

• All → Universal
• Some → Particular
• No → Negative

🔥 Trick 3: Elimination Method

Reject wrong options quickly instead of solving fully.

🔥 Trick 4: Practice Standard Patterns

Most CAT questions follow repeated logic patterns.

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Solved Examples

✅ Example 1:

Statements:
All apples are fruits.
Some fruits are sweet.

Conclusion:
Some apples are sweet ❌ (Not definite)

👉 Explanation: No direct link between apples and sweet.

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✅ Example 2:

Statements:
All dogs are animals.
All animals are mammals.

Conclusion:
All dogs are mammals ✅

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Practice Questions

📝 Question 1:

All pens are books.
All books are papers.

Conclusion: All pens are papers
👉 Answer: ✅ True

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📝 Question 2:

Some cars are bikes.
Some bikes are trucks.

Conclusion: Some cars are trucks
👉 Answer: ❌ Not definite

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📝 Question 3:

No students are teachers.
Some teachers are writers.

Conclusion: Some students are writers
👉 Answer: ❌ False

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Common Mistakes

❌ Assuming conclusions without proof
❌ Ignoring “some” vs “all”
❌ Not using diagrams
❌ Confusing possibility with certainty

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Conclusion

Syllogism is a scoring topic in CAT if practiced properly. By understanding basic rules, using Venn diagrams, and applying shortcuts, you can solve questions quickly and accurately.

Regular practice and concept clarity are the keys to mastering syllogism for CAT and other competitive exams.

CAT Syllogism Example

Statement 1: All cats have whiskers. Statement 2: Fluffy is a cat.

Conclusion: What can we infer from the given statements?

Answer: Fluffy has whiskers.

Explanation: The syllogism question presents two statements: “All cats have whiskers” and “Fluffy is a cat.” By combining these statements, we can draw the logical conclusion that Fluffy, being a cat, would also possess whiskers. This inference is based on the fact that all cats, according to the first statement, have whiskers. Therefore, the answer to the syllogism question is that Fluffy has whiskers.

 

Important rules to solve the problem of Syllogism for CAT Logical Reasoning:

• All +All=All
• All +No=No
• All +Some=No conclusion
• Some +All=Some
• Some +No= Some Not
• Some +Some= No Conclusion
• No +All = Some Not(Reversed)
• No +Some=Some Not (Reversed)
• No +No=No Conclusion

Question Statements:

(1) No mouse is dog.

(2) All the dogs are cats.

Conclusions:

(A) No mouse is cat.

(B) No cat is mouse.

(C) Some cats are dogs.

(D) All the cats are dogs.

Answer options:

1. Only (B) and (D)
2. Only (A) and (C)
3. Only (C) and (D)
4. Only (C)
5. All the four

 

No tree is a flower. Some trees are fruits.

Conclusions:

(I) Fruits that are trees are not flowers.

(II) No fruit is a flower.

1. The only conclusion I follow
2. Only conclusion II follows
3. Either conclusion I or II follows
4. Neither conclusion I nor II follows

 

Ques: Statements:

Lady’s Finger is tastier than cabbage

Cauliflower is tastier than Lady’s Finger

Cabbage is not tastier than peas

1. Peas are as tasty as lady’s finger
2. Peas are as tasty as cauliflower and lady’s finger
3. Peas are not tastier than lady’s finger
4. Cauliflower is tastier than cabbage
5. None of the above options

 

 

 

sample questions: