Syllogism with a universal negative — identify the necessary outcomes Statements: • Some books are pens. • No pen is pencil. Conclusions to evaluate: I. Some pens are books. II. Some pencils are books. III. Some books are not pencils. IV. All pencils are books.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Only I and III follow

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question mixes a particular affirmative with a universal negative. The goal is to see how an explicit exclusion (no pen is pencil) interacts with an overlap (some books are pens).



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Bk = books, Pe = pens, Pc = pencils.
  • Some Bk are Pe.
  • No Pe is Pc.


Concept / Approach:
The statement some Bk are Pe is symmetric for the some-conclusion: if some books are pens, then some pens are books. Also, combining the existence of book-pen items with no pen is pencil immediately yields that at least one book is not a pencil.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Conclusion I: From some Bk are Pe, we can equivalently state some Pe are Bk. Hence I follows.Conclusion II: Nothing in the premises links pencils to books; thus II does not follow.Conclusion III: Consider a book that is a pen (guaranteed by the first premise). Since no pen is a pencil, that book cannot be a pencil. Therefore some books are not pencils. III follows.Conclusion IV: We cannot upgrade to all pencils are books; there is no such universal information. IV does not follow.


Verification / Alternative check:
Example: Let Bk = {b1, b2}, Pe = {b1}, Pc = {c1}. The premises hold. I and III are true (b1 is a pen-book and not a pencil). II and IV remain unprovable.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Only I follows: misses the necessary exclusion in III.
  • Only II and III / Only I and II: each includes a conclusion not supported by the premises.
  • None of these: option C already states the correct pair.


Common Pitfalls:
Forgetting that some A are B immediately implies some B are A; trying to infer relations to pencils without any link.



Final Answer:
Only I and III follow

More Questions from Logical Deduction

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion