IntroductionThere are two main types of Syllogism question2-Statements3-Statements

Question Statement:I. All cats are dogsII. All dogs are birdsConclusion:I. Some cats are birdsII. Some birds are cats.Question StatementA. All cats are dogsB. some pigs are catsC. no dogs are birdsConclusionI. some cats are dogsII. no birds are catsIII. some pigs are birdsIV. some pigs are not birds

2 Statement Syllogism questions are usually found in IBPS (Bank) and SSC exams. UPSC CSAT 2012 exam had quite a few questions on 3 Statement Syllogism. In CAT exams, they ask 2 Statement Syllogism but they pack 3-4 such 2-statement syllogism questions inside one question to make it very time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn how to solve the 2 Statement syllogism questions. 3 Statement syllogism syllogism is explained in separate article (CLICK ME). (Theyre mere anextensionof the concepts explained in this article, so first master the 2-statement technique here.)There are three methods to solve 2-statement Syllogism questions.1. Venn Diagram In the exam, Have to think of all possible Venn-Diagram situation and draw them to check every statement.= time consuming in the exam hall.

1. AEIO (analytical Method) Have to mugup some rules, and spend some hours @home to master the AEIO conversion in your head. But once done, it is easy as a walk in the park.

1. Distribution of terms (Tick method) Usually taught in CAT coaching classes and study material. Technique is very fast but It excludes the concept of Conversion and Complementary cases, hence sometimes makes it difficult to solve non-CAT questions.

The technique explained in this article, is a modified version of AEIO method combined with the Tick Method. Lets call it U.P.-U.N. method.BasicsSubject vs PredicateConsider this question statement1. All cats are dogs2. Some dogs are birds3. No bird is a pig4. Some pigs are not birds.In all such statements, first-term is called subject and second is called predicate.It doesnt matter what word is given: Table, Chair, Raja, Kalmadi, Kanimozhi or Madhu Koda first term is subject and second term is predicate.Lets relook at those question statementsSubjectPredicate

1. All cats are dogsCatsDogs

2. Some dogs are birdsDogsBirds

3. No bird is a pigBirdPig

4. Some pigs are not birds.PigsBirds

I hope the Subject vs. Predicate is clear now. Lets move to second thingClassification of statementIn syllogism, each statement usually has following formatxyz subject is/are (not) predicate.For example,XyzSubjectIs/are (+/-not)Predicate

AllCatsAreDogs

SomePigsAre notbirds

Based on xyz and not, we classify the statements as followingStatementTypeCodename

1. All cats are dogsUniversal PositiveUP

2. Some dogs are birdsParticular PositivePP

3. No bird is a pigUniversal NegativeUN

4. Some pigs are not birds.Particular NegativePN

Please remember following words. Whenever they come, you classify the statement accordingly.All, every, any, none, not a single, only etc.Universal (positive or negative)

Some, many, a few, quite a few, not many, very little, most of, almost, generally, often, freqently, etc.Particular (positive or negative)

Standard format: conversionThe standard 2-statement syllogism question format is following:1. (xyz) A is/are (+/- not) B2. (xyz) B is/are (+/- not) CSo basically it is1. A>B2. B>C(read as A to B then B to C)What does this tell us?Question statements must have ONLY three terms. (A, B and C).In the exam, if they give you two question statements with four terms then your time is saved! Just tick the answer no conclusion can be drawn.For exampleQuestion statementsAnswer

1. All cats are Dogs2. Some birds are pigsNo conclusion can be drawn. Because it has four terms (cats, dogs, birds, pigs)A>BC>D

Anyways back to the topic,The standard format for question statements is:1. A>B2. B>C1. First term>Middle Term2. Middle Term>Third term

But if the given question statements are not given in this format, then we must convert them into above format. Otherwise we cannot proceed with answer. For exampleGiven question statements are1. A>B2. C>BThis must be converted into1. A>B2. B>C

Given question statements are1. B>A2. B>CThis must be converted into1. A>B2. B>C

Ok, so how to convert the statements?Universal Positive (UP)Given StatementValid conversionsType

Given Statement: All Cats are DogsSome Cats are dogsParticular Positive (PP)

Some dogs are catsParticular Positive (PP)

It means UP can be converted into PP.Please note: if the statement is Only Dogs are cats, then better convert it into All cats are dogs. (Only A is B > All B are A)Universal Negative (UN)Given StatementValid conversionsType

Given Statement: No Cats are DogsSome dogs are not catsParticular Negative (PN)

No dogs are catsUniversal Negative (UN)

It means UN can be converted into PN or UN.Particular Positive (PP)Given StatementValid conversionsType

Some Cats are DogsSome dogs are catsParticular Positive (PP)

It means PP can be converted into PP only.Particular NegativeExample: Some Cats are not Dogs. In Particular negative statements (PN), no conversion can be made.So PN=cant convert.To sum up the conversion rulesTypeValid Conversion

Universal Positive (UP)Only PP

Universal Negative (UN)PN or UN

Particular Positive (PP)Only PP

Particular Negative (PN)Not possible.

Please note:In some lower level exams, sometimes they directly ask about conversion. For exampleQ. What can be concluded from the given statement: Some Politicians are honest men.Answer choices1. Some Honest men are not Politicians.2. All Honest men are not politician3. Some Honest men are politicians.4. None of Above.(Please donot read further, without solving above question.)Solutionwell, the given statement Some Politicians are honest men. is a particular positive statement (PP).Hence according to our table, it can be converted into PP only. ThereforeGiven answer choiceThought process

1. Some Honest men are not Politicians.Particular negative (PN), hence eliminate.

1. No Honest men are politicians.Universal Negative, hence eliminate

1. Some Honest men are politicians.PP hence this is correct answer.

1. None of Above.not applicable because C is the correct answer.

In case you are wondering,Q. Some politicians are honest men.In above case, cant the answer be A: Some honest men are not politicians?Well, if you go by Venn Diagram method, itll lead to two cases hence it is doubtful.Case #1Data

Subject (Politicians)1. Sardar Patel2. Lal Bahadur Shastri3. Raja4. Kalmadi

Predicate (Honest Men)1. Sardar Patel2. Lal Bahadur Shastri

In above situation, can you say Some honest men are not politicians?Well you cant say that. Because both Honest men (Sardar and Shastri) are in politician set.Case #2Data

Subject (Politicians)1. Sardar Patel2. Lal Bahadur Shastri3. Raja4. Kalmadi

Predicate (Honest Men)1. Sardar Patel2. Lal Bahadur Shastri3. Bhagat Singh4. ChandraSekhar Azad

In above situation, can you say Some honest men are not politicians? Yes you can. Because two Honest men (Bhagat Singh and Azad) are not in politician set. The point is, whenever two cases are possible, you cannot safely conclude one statement.Hence, if the statement is Some A are B> it doesnt mean Some B are not A. The only valid conclusion in above case is :Some B are A.Therefore Particular Positive (PP) statement can be converted into Particular Positive (PP) statement only.SimilarlyTypeValid Conversion

Universal Positive (UP)Only PP

Universal Negative (UN)PN or UN

Particular Positive (PP)Only PP

Particular Negative (PN)Not possible.

Anyways back to the topic, what are we discussing?1. Topic of discussion is: How to solve 2 statement syllogism question2. Subject vs predicate3. Type of statements (UP, UN, PP, PN)4. Standard format and conversion.The standard question format isA>BB>CIf the given question doesnt have statements in ^above standard format, then we must convert them into standard format. Only then we can proceed further.So far, We constructed our shortcut table on how to convert the statements. Nowlets try some examplesQuestion statementsConversion?

1. All Cats are dogs(B)2. Some dogs(B) are not pigs.Already in standard format (A to B and then B to C)hence no need to convert.

1. Some dogs(B) are not pigs.2. All Cats are dogs(B)No need to convert any statement.Just exchange the position of first and second statement.1. All Cats are dogs(B)2. Some dogs(B) are not pigs.

1. All Cats are dogs (B)2. All pigs are dogs(B)Have to convert, because not in standard format.1.All cats(A) are dogs(B)2.Some dogs(B) are pigs(C). (Rule UP-> only PP)

Now coming to the heart of the matter: how to solve the (stupid) 2 statement syllogism question?No conclusion CombosHere are the non-conclusion combos when two question statements are in following format.First statement (A to B)Second statement (B to C)Answer

Universal Positive (UP)Particular Positive (PP)No conclusion

Particular Negative (PN)No conclusion

Universal Negative (UN)Universal Negative (UN)No conclusion

Particular Negative (PN)No conclusion

Particular Positive (PP)Particular Positive (PP)No conclusion

Particular Negative (PN)No conclusion

Particular Negative (PN)Any other (UP, UN, PP, PN)No conclusion

^does it look difficult?Not really. Lets condense this table into mug-up rules.1. UPs politicians hate giving particular statements (both positive and negative). E.g. they donot reveal their clear position on FDI in retail until the 11th hour.2. United Nations hates negativity. (both Universal and particular)3. Pritish Nandy hates everybody.4. Two-negatives=no conclusion. (although implicit in 2+3)5. Two particulars=no conclusion. (although implicit in 1+3)Please note: in ^above situationsdefiniteconclusion is impossible. However, sometimes two answer choices are still possible either a or b.That concept is called Complimentary pairs.Well learn about it at the bottom of this article.For the moment, lets not complicate the matters with complimentary pairs.Ok back to topic, when you face a Two-statement syllogism question? youll follow these steps:1. first, make sure it contains only three terms (ABC) (else no conclusion.)2. Make sure question statements are in standard format (A to B then B to C). If not in standard format, then re-arrange.3. Classify the question statements. (UP, UN, PP, PN)4. Check if the question statements have no conclusion combos (^Above rules)if above things donot yield an answer, then weve to think about what will be the conclusion(s)?Conclusive-CombosIf youve followed above steps, then question statements in the format A to B and then B to C.First statement (A to B)Second statement (B to C)Conclusion

Universal Positive (UP)Universal Positive (UP)Universal Positive (UP) (A to C)

Universal Negative (UN)Universal Negative (UN) (A to C)

Universal Negative (UN)Universal positive (UP)Particular Negative (PN). (C to A)

Particular Positive (PP)

Particular Positive (PP)Universal Positive (UP)Particular Positive (PP) (A to C)

Universal Negative (UN)Particular Negative (PN) (A to C)

As you can see from above table,The answer statement is usually in the format of A to C. with exception when first question statement is Universal Negative (UN).Lets condense this table into mug-up rules as well.Conclusive-CombosIn your head,visualize

1. UP+UP=UPIf Uttar Pradesh meets Uttar Pradesh, then its size doesnt increase.

1. UP+UN=UNIf Uttar Pradesh meets United Nations then its size increases and it becomes United Nations.

1. UN+ (UP/PP)=PNUnited Nations Secretary Ban Ki Moon is in very positive mood. But he meets another positive person, and his attitude is totally reversed- he becomes particularly negative! (reversed =C to A)

1. PP+ (UP/UN)=PP/PNWhen Mr.PP observes the universe via NASA telescope, his mood becomes positive or negative depending on the mood of universe.

Try a question from SSC-CGL (Tier-I, 2010) exam,DemoQ: Crazy men and WomenQuestion Statements1. All men are women.2. All women are crazy.Conclusion1. All Men are crazy2. All the crazy are men3. Some of the crazy are men4. Some of the crazy are womenAnswera. None of the conclusion followsb. All conclusions followc. Only 1, 3 and 4 followd. Only 2 and 3 follow(I suggest you pause here. First try to solve it on your own, without directly reading the solution. If youve difficulty, re-read rules given above)SolutionOur standard operating procedure (SOP)Question Statements1. All men are women.2. All women are crazy.First step: make sure four terms are not given = check. Only three terms (men, women, crazy)Second step, make sure theyre in standard format (A to B and then B to C): Check yes theyre.Hence conversion is not required.1. All men(A) are women. (B) (UP)

1. All women(B) are crazy.(C) (UP)

Third step, classify the statements.1. All men are women.Universal Positive (UP)

1. All women are crazy.Universal Positive (UP)

Fourth step: check the combo for question statements. Well, since it is UP+UP= its size doesnt increase. Hence conclusion should be UP. (A to C) meaning All men(A) are crazy.(C)Check the answer statements.1. All Men are crazyCorrect.

1. All the crazy are menRecall that conversion table.Universal Positive (UP) can be converted only into Particular Positive (PP).Since All men are crazy => Some Crazy are men.But we cannot say All crazy are men. So this option is false.If you apply common sense at this stage: well, 1st statement correct, and 2nd statement is false, hence answer is (C): only 1, 3 and 4 follow!

1. Some of the crazy are menCorrect because of conversion table

1. Some of the crazy are womenGiven question statement : All women are crazy. (Universal positive). If we apply conversion table (UP=> PP) then Some Crazy are women. Hence this statement is also correct.

Final answer (C): only 1, 3 and 4 followIf youre still staggering, I suggest you go through those rules again, note them down in a diary in your own words and language, revise a few times. Then try next questionDemoQ: Intelligent Poets and singersQuestion Statements (SSC-CPO exam)1. All poets are intelligent2. All singers are intelligent.Conclusion1. all singers are poets2. some intelligent persons are not singersAnswer choicesa. only conclusion one followsb. only conclusion two followsc. either conclusion one or conclusion two followsd. neither followssolutionfirst step: does the question statements have only three terms? Check: Yes. Singers, poets, intelligent. Good, proceed with next step.Second step: Are the question statements given in standard format (A to B then B to C)?Check. Nope1. All poets (A) are intelligent (B)2. All singers (C) are intelligent. (B)Then we have to convert it into standard format. And since both statements are universal positive, we dont need to worry about which statement to convert first? (that priority order, more about it, explained at the bottom of this article.)Second statement is universal positive (UP), according to our table, we can only convert it into particular positive (PP) thereforeAll singers (C) are intelligent. (B)==> Some intelligent persons(B) are singers.(C)Now the new question statements, in the standard format (A to B then B to C) are1. All poets are intelligent (B)2. Some intelligent persons(B) are singers.Third step, classify the question statementsquestion statementtype

1. All poets(A) are intelligent (B)Universal positive (UP)

2. Some intelligent persons(B) are singers.(C)Particular positive (PP)

Fourth step, apply the combo rules.Since UPs politicians hate particular statements (both positive and negative), hence no conclusion can be drawn. That means we cannot connect A to C or C to A.Now check the Answer statementsi. all singers(C) are poets (A) False. UP+PP=no conclusion, as explained above.

ii. some intelligent persons are not singers Check the second original question statement : All singers are intelligent. (Universal positive UP). According to our conversion table, UP can be converted into particular positive (PP) only. But this answer statement (II) is a particular negative statement. Hence this is also false.

Final answer: (D) neither follows.CAT-levelSame UP-UN Concept but they pack 3-4 or more syllogism questions into one question to test your speed, not just your understanding. for example:DemoQ: Sweet Testing Apples (CAT)given question has five statements followed by options containing three statements put together in a specific order. Choose the option which indicates a valid argument, where the third statement is a conclusion drawn from the preceding two statements.Question statements (CAT 1999)a. Apples are not sweetb. Some apples are sweetc. All sweets are tastyd. Some apples are not tastye. No apple is tastyanswer choices1. cea2. bdc3. cbd4. eacsolution and approachweve to check the given options one by one.Option (i). CEA. Meaning weve to take C as our statement (I), E as our Statement (II) and then observe, if statement (A) can be concluded from C and E.CAll sweets are tastyUniversal positive

ENo apple is tasty.Universal negative

AApples are not sweetUniversal negative

In the actual CAT exam, we cannot afford to waste time in actually converting all statements and checking them.Here is the fast approach1. three terms?= yes2. in standard format? No. but we can convert second (UN) into another UN and then combo rule is UP+UN=UN.Hence this answer choice (CEA) is correct.Final answer (i) CEADemoQ: Working mother nurses (CAT)question statementanswer choices

a. No mother is a nurse.b. Some Nurses like to workc. No woman is pruded. Some prude are also nursese. Some nurses are womenf. All women like to work1. ABE2. CED3. FEB4. BEF

Check the answer choices one by one.i. ABEA (Statement I)No mother is a nurse. (UN)

B (Statement II)Some Nurses like to work

E (Conclusion)Some Nurses are women.

This is invalid. Because Statement I and II have three terms (Mother, Nurse and work) while given conclusion statement adds fourth new term womenMove to next choice.ii. CEDStatementType

C (Statement I)No woman is prudeUniversal negative

E (Statement II)Some nurses are womenParticular positive

D (conclusion)Some prude are also nursesParticular positive

Question statements have three terms? Yes (women, prude, nurses)Are they in standard format (A to B then B to C?) nope.No woman(B) is prudeUniversal negative

Some nurses are women(B)Particular positive

change position of first and second statement.1. Some nurses(A) are women(B)2. No woman(B) is prude(C)question statementtype

1. Some nurses(A) are women(B)Particular positive (PP)

2. No woman(B) is prude(C)Universal negative (UN)

Apply the combo rulesPP+UN=?? When Mr.PP observes the universe via NASA telescope, his mood becomes particularly negative or positive depending on the mood of universe. Hence PP+UN=PN.(A to C) So legitimate conclusion is Some Prune arenot nurses. But Check the given conclusion statement: Some prude are also nurses. It is Particular positive (PP). But According to conversion table, PN cannot be converted. So we cannot say that since Some prune are not nurses, that means some prunes are nurses! Therefore given answer choice(ii) CED is false because D cannot be concluded from C+E. Move to the next answer choice.Actual thought process: three terms =yes. Standard form=no. rearrange. But PP+UN=PN, cant be converted to PP. Hence false.iii.FEBStatementType

F (Statement I)All women like to workUniversal positive UP

E (Statement II)Some nurses are womenParticular positive PP

B (conclusion)Some nurses like to workParticular positive PP

three terms =yes. Standard form=no. but no need to convert, just exchange position of statement I and II.Some nurses(A) are women(B)Particular positive PP

All women(B) like to work (C)Universal positive UP

Apply combo rule, again same situationWhen Mr.PP observes the universe via NASA telescope, his mood becomes particularly positive or negative depending on the mood of universe. Hence PP+UP=PP.(A to C).Some nurses(A) like to work(C). Done! This is same as the given conclusion (B)Therefore, final answer is (iii) FEB.DemoQ: 4 questions in 1!This one is from CAT-1999.Each of the given question statement as three segments. Choose the alternative where third segment of the statement can be logically be used using the both preceding two but not just from one of themQuestion statementsa. all dinosaurs are prehistoric creatures. Water buffaloes are not dinosaurs. Water buffaloes are not prehistoric creaturesb. all politicians are frank. No frank people are crocodiles. No crocodiles are politiciansc. no diamond is quartz. No opal is quartz. Diamonds are opals.d. All monkeys like bananas. Some Joes like bananas. Some Joes are monkeys.Answer choicei. Only Cii. Only Biii. Only A and Div. Only B and CApproachC.Diamonds, Quartz, Opals.Three terms yes. Standard format =No.Both question statements are Universal negative. We can convert either of them, into UN or PN. But in any case, both question statements will remain negative. And Two negatives=no conclusion. So C is not possible. Hence answer choice (i) and (iv) eliminated.

B. Frank politicians and crocodilesAlready in three terms standard format.UP+UN=size enlarged and becomes UN.So conclusion should be No crocodile is politician so this statement is correct. Hence answer choice (ii).

Final answer: (ii) only B.The End?No. Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost: just three more concepts before concluding the Two-Statement SyllogismSpecial ConversionsRecall that when question statements are not in standard format (A to B then B to C), in that case weve to convert them according to conversion table. Here are some special cases.Given Question statementConversion (all applicable to all given question statements)Type

None but Politicians are honest. No one else but Politicians are honest. Only politicians are honest. Politicians alone are honest1. All honest(people) are politiciansUP

1. No non-politician is honest.1. No honest (people) are non-politicians.UN

1. Some politicians are honestPP

Second concept:Complimentary pairsEarlier we saw there are five no-conclusion combos1. UPs politicians hate giving particular statements (both positive and negative). E.g. they donot reveal their clear position on FDI in retail until the 11th hour.2. United Nations hates negativity of any type. (both Universal and particular)3. Pritish Nandy hates everybody.4. Two-negatives=no conclusion.5. Two particulars=no conclusion.For exampleQuestion statement1. Some Politicians are male.2. Some males are honest.

Conclusion1. Some Politicians are honest.2. No Politicians are honest.

Answer choicea. Only 1 followsb. Only 2 followsc. Either 1 or 2 followsd. Neither followsApply the standard operating procedure:Three terms? Check: yesAre they in standard format? A to B then B to C? check. YesThen classify the statements1. Some Politicians(A) are males(B)Particular positive.

2. Some males(B) are honest(C)Particular positive.

From the given rules, Two particulars = No conclusion!But please observe one of the answer choice (C)= Either 1 or 2 follows.Consider these casesCase#2PoliticiansMaleshonest

1. Sardar Patel1. Lal Bahadur Shastri1. Raja1. Kalmadi1. Sheila1. Sardar Patel2. Lal Bahadur Shastri3. Raja4. Kalmadi5. Bhagat Singh6. ChandraSekhar Azad1. Sardar Patel2. Lal Bahadur Shastri3. Bhagat Singh4. ChandraSekhar Azad5. Sarojini Naidu6. Mother Teresa

In this case#1: some politicians (Sardar and Shastri) are honest.So conclusion (1) may be possible.Case#2PoliticiansMaleshonest

1. Raja2. Kalmadi3. Sheila1. Raja2. Kalmadi3. Bhagat Singh4. ChandraSekhar Azad1. Bhagat Singh2. ChandraSekhar Azad3. Sarojini Naidu4. Mother Teresa

In this case, No politician is honest.So conclusion (2) may be possible.Therefore answer becomes Either 1 or 2 followsSuch syllogism-situations are called complementary.Youve to check following things, before thinking about complementary cases.1. Two statements with three terms? Yes2. Question statements are given in standard format (A to B Then B to C). if not, then rearrange or convert them.3. Classify the statements (UP, UN, PP, PN)4. Apply the rules. Get the answer.5. If Step #4 gives No conclusion AND one of the answer choice is in the format of Either I or II follows, only then check for complemantary case.Checklist: complementary case1. Two answer choices have same subject and predicate.ApplicableNot applicable

1. Some Politicians are honest.2. No Politicians are honestBecause both have common subject (politician) and common predicate (honest)1. Some Politicians are honest.2. No Honest are Politicians.In first statement, subject=Politician but in second statement, subject= Honest. Hence complemantary case not possible.

2). The answer choice combo must be either of these threeAnswer choice comboexample

Uttar Pradesh (UP) + Pritish Nandy (PN)1. All Politicians are honest.2. Some Politicians arenot honest

PP + Pritish Nandy (PN)1. Some Politicians are honest.2. Some Politicians arenot honest

PP + United Nations (UN)1. Some Politicians are honest.2. No Politicians are honest

When these two conditions are met, then answer would be Either (I) or (II) follows.Priority orderYou know that when Question statements are not in standard format (A to B Then B to C), we must convert them. But here is a thing to keep in mind. Consider these statementsQuestion statements:1. All Dogs are Cats.2. Some Dogs are Pigs.Common term or middle term is Dogs. So thats our B.1. All Dogs(B) are Cats.2. Some Dogs(B) are Pigs.We can convert it via two routesRoute #1Route #2

Just convert the first statement.1. Some Cats are dogs. (Rule: UP to PP)2. Some Dogs are pigs.Well re-order the statements. (that is interchange thee position of both statements)1. Some dogs(B) are pigs2. All Dogs(B) are CatsNow well convert the first statement.1. Some pigs are Dogs (B) (Rule: PP to PP)2. All dogs (B) are cats.

Both routes are valid.Now the question is, which route should be preferred?The priority order is:1) Particular positive (PP) >> 2) Universal Negative (UN) >> 3) Universal Positive (UP)Note: weve not included Particular Negative (PN) in this order because PN cannot be converted. So according to this priority order PP>UN>UP, route #2 is the more suitable approach. (although such complications dont usually arise in most of the questions).Tricky Situations: Priority orderConsider this scenarioQuestion statementsConclusion

1. All women(B) are birds2. Some women(B) are tree1. Some birds are tree2. All trees are bird.

As you can see, the question statements are not in standard format (A to B then B to C).So, which question statement to convert?First the wrong approach.WRONGSince question statements are not in standard format (A to B then B to C), hence well convert first statement. (UP to PP)After conversion1. Some birds(A) are women (B)2. Some women(B) are treeBoth question statements are particular, hence final answer=No conclusion. (please note: this approach is wrong, because weve not followed the priority order).

Now the correct approachCORRECTThe priority order for Statement conversion is PP>UN>UP.Meaning, if there are two question statements, and weve to convert one of them to make it a standard format=> then well convert Particular positive statement first.So in the given case1. All women(B) are birds2. Some women(B) are treeConvert second statement. (PP to PP)1. All women(B) are birds.2. Some trees are women(B).Now exchange positions of question statements1. Some trees are women(B). (PP)2. All women(B) are birds. (UP)Now theyre in standard format, apply combo rule: PP+UP=PP (Nasa telescope rule!)Hence conclusion isSome trees are birds. (PP)We can also say that Some birds are trees. (PP to PP conversion). Therefore answer is (1)

Moral of the story: Conversion priority: PP>UN>UP. Especially when youre getting PP+PP= no conclusion after conversion.Tricky Situations: 1-Statement ConclusionQuestion statementsConclusion

1. All the flowers are leaves.(B) (UP)2. Some leaves(B) are birds (PP)1. Some birds are flowers2. Some leaves are flowers

Question statement contains only three terms=yes.Are they in standard format? (A To B then B to C?) =Yes.Apply combo rules: UP+PP=No conclusion because Uttar Pradeshs politicians hate particular statements.But heres the catch. Observe the conclusion statements carefullyConclusion statementThought process

1. Some birds are flowersNot possible because combo rule.

1. Some leaves are flowersfirst question statement says All flowers are leaves. If you apply the conversion rule UP->PP, thenAll flowers are leaves=> Some leaves are flowers. Hence this conclusion is correct, although it did not employ both question statements.

Moral of the story: Read terms (subject-predicate) of conclusion statements.SummaryWhat to do when 2-statement syllogism question is given?1. They must have only three terms (A, B and C)2. Are the question statements in standard format (A to B then B to C)? if no, then refer to following conversion table. (important: priority order for conversion is PP>UN>UP.)TypeValid Conversion

Universal Positive (UP)Only PP

Universal Negative (UN)PN or UN

Particular Positive (PP)Only PP

Particular Negative (PN)Cant do.

3. Classify the Question statement (UP, UN, PP, PN)4. Apply the combo rules on Question statements.No conclusionYes conclusion

1. UPs politicians hate giving particular statements (both positive and negative). E.g. they donot reveal their clear position on FDI in retail until the 11th hour. (UP+PP/PN=NO)2. United Nations hates negativity. (both Universal and particular)(UN+UN/PN=NO)3. Pritish Nandy hates everybody. (first statement is PN=NO, Irrespective of second statement.)4. Two-negatives=no conclusion.5. Two particulars=no conclusion.1. If Uttar Pradesh meets Uttar Pradesh, then its size doesnt increase. (UP+UP=UP)2. If Uttar Pradesh meets United Nations then size increases and it becomes United Nations. (UP+UN=UN)3. United Nations Secretary Ban Ki Moon is in very positive mood. But he meets another positive person, and his attitude is totally reversed- he becomes particularly negative! (reversed =C to A). (UN+UP/PP=PN)4. When Mr.PP observes the universe via NASA telescope, his mood becomes particularly positive or negative depending on the mood of universe.(PP+UP/UN=PP/PN)

5. (rarely required): if no-conclusion and either or given in answer, then check for Complimentary case.This concludes the discussion on 2 statement Syllogism question.In later article, well see the 3-statement syllogism. It is basically extention of the same UP-UN method that we learned here. However, to quickly solve 3-statements, first you must become a master of 2-statement.