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Mrunal (Reasoning) Three-Statement Syllogism - Technique, Method, Shortcuts For IBPS, SSC, CSAT, CAT, CMAT Mrunal
Mrunal (Reasoning) Three-Statement Syllogism - Technique, Method, Shortcuts For IBPS, SSC, CSAT, CAT, CMAT Mrunal
Don’t read further, until and unless you’ve mastered the 2-statement syllogism
technique explained in previous article (click ME)
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Mrunal [Reasoning] Three-Statement Syllogism: technique, method, sh... http://mrunal.org/2013/01/reasoning-statement-syllogism-technique-m...
5. (rarely required): if no-conclusion and “either or” given in answer, then check for
Complimentary case.
Now we’ll see how to solve three-statement syllogism.
Parent Statements
The crux of 2-statement syllogism was
(or we may get the conclusion in form of “C to A”, in case the question statements
were in the format of UN+(UP/PP). Recall the Ban-ki-Moon’s mood reversal).
In case of three statement syllogism, we accept the conclusion statement (A to C) as
valid, then try to find out its parents (those question statements A to B then B to C).
Then, we try to get a valid conclusion out of those two-question statements and see if it
matches with the given conclusion state in answer.
No need to get confused, let’s try with a simple scenario.
Answer choices
a. Only 1 and 2
b. Only 1, 2 and 3
c. All follow
d. None Follow
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Q.statement Type
Chain formula
ii) some pigs are tigers
Question statements
Chain
(CHAIN)
2. All cats(B1) are Pig to Cat, cat to dog and finally dog to tiger. Let’s see if
dogs(B2) we connect pig to tiger.
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We’ll take two statements at time and try to get an intermediate conclusion.
Statement Type
Question-statements Type
Some pigs(A) are dogs(B2) Particular positive (PP) (derived)
All dogs(B2) are tigers(C) Universal positive (UP) (given in question).
while we were checking the first conclusion statement, we had found that “All cats are
tigers (UP)”. Therefore, given conclusion statement is not possible.
Final answer: only 1, 2 and 3 are correct. (option b)
Which one of the conclusions can be drawn from the above statements?
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Mrunal [Reasoning] Three-Statement Syllogism: technique, method, sh... http://mrunal.org/2013/01/reasoning-statement-syllogism-technique-m...
Ok now what?
We’ve to pick up the answer statement one by one and test them.
longcut method
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Mrunal [Reasoning] Three-Statement Syllogism: technique, method, sh... http://mrunal.org/2013/01/reasoning-statement-syllogism-technique-m...
Ok now they’re in standard format. Apply the combo rule. PP+UP=PP (NASA Mood
change)
Some married are students. This is our intermediate conclusion. Now pair it up with
third question statement from the chain rule
Shortcut
You see the conclusion statement says “all students are invited for Dance.”
(univ.positive statement).
When do we get “universal positive” statement as conclusion.?
Only when UP+UP=UP.
If we apply the chain-rule, we’ll encounter one particular positive (PP). And
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Mrunal [Reasoning] Three-Statement Syllogism: technique, method, sh... http://mrunal.org/2013/01/reasoning-statement-syllogism-technique-m...
that’ll ruin the mood (because whenever particular positive statement comes, the
conclusion is either
Hence we can never get a Universal positive (UP) type of conclusion, in either
case! Means this answer choice is invalid by default! No need to manully apply
chain rule here. Anyways, Move to the next answer choice
1. Married
2. Student
3. Dance
Wait a minute! Our syllogism conclusions contain only two terms (e.g. All dogs are
cats.)
So, how can we apply syllogism here?
Well, if you observe carefully, the syllogism rules are still applicable in this conclusion
statement containing three terms.
From the “longcut” method in previous option, we’ve found that “Some students are
invited for dance. (PP)”
Question: which students are invited? Well, we eliminated the middle-term (B2)
“Married”. Means all married students are invited for dance. (this represents the
intersecting area between two Venn Diagram circles).
Therefore, we can say “All married students are invited for dance.” Hence
Answer is (B).
The second question statement says, “Some clubmembers are married.” (PP).
A particular positive statement can be converted into only PP. Hence we cannot say for
sure that all club members are married. Hence this answer choice is incorrect.
Conclusion statements
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Solution
b. (all) air
Question statement #2 says “Some air travellers are sick.”
travellers are
(PP). can’t convert to UP.Hence this option is also incorrect.
sick
Q.If this is the conclusion statement, then who are its parents?
Ans. Those question statements which contain the terms “rich”, “sick”, along with a
common middle term.
From the given question statements, following two fit the bill
Approach #1 (shortcut)
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Approach #2 (longcut)
1. All air-travellers(B) are rich.(A) UP
2. Some air travellers(B) are sick.(C) PP
As you can see, there is one middle term (air travellers). But the question statements
are not in standard format (A to B then B to C).
It means, we must convert anyone statement. But priority for conversion is
PP>UN>UP.
So we will convert second statement.
Some air-travellers are sick (PP)==convert==> Some sick are air-travellers(B)
But they are still not in standard format (A to B then B to C). well no problem, just
exchange position of question statements
Statement 3 says “Frustrated people are prone to become drug addicts.” For our
purpose this is a “Particular positive (PP)” statement. Let’s simplify it to “Some
frustrated people are drug addicts” Now start with answer (A)
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Although this in not in “standard format”, but even when we convert one of them
(PP->PP), we’ll be left with PP+PP=no conclusion.
Hence move to next option.
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