Read the following statements and conclusions carefully. Assuming that the information given in the statements is true, even if it seems to be at variance with commonly known facts, decide which of the given conclusions logically follows from the given statements.

Statements

• Some houses are buildings.
• All buildings are trucks.

Conclusions

• All buildings are houses.
• Some trucks are buildings.

1. A

   Neither conclusion (i) nor (ii) follows.

2. B

   Only conclusion (ii) follows.

3. C

   Only conclusion (i) follows.

4. D

   Both conclusions (i) and (ii) follow.

Appeared in: DSSSB 6 September 2024

Explanation

• The question requires evaluating two conclusions based on two given statements.
• Statement 2, "All buildings are trucks," establishes that the entire category of 'buildings' is a subset of 'trucks'.
• From this, it is a valid logical deduction that if all buildings are trucks, then at least some trucks must be buildings.
• This is a standard conversion of a universal affirmative statement ('All A are B' implies 'Some B are A').
• Therefore, conclusion (ii), "Some trucks are buildings," logically follows from the statements.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: This option claims that neither conclusion follows. This is incorrect because conclusion (ii) is a logically valid deduction from Statement 2.
• Option C: This option claims only conclusion (i) follows. Conclusion (i), "All buildings are houses," is an invalid inference from Statement 1, "Some houses are buildings." We only know some, not all, buildings are houses.
• Option D: This option claims both conclusions follow. This is incorrect because conclusion (i) is logically flawed. Only conclusion (ii) is valid.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Syllogistic Reasoning as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• Logical reasoning is a critical skill for nursing entrance exams, often appearing in the General Intelligence or Aptitude sections.
• This skill helps in analyzing information, identifying patterns, and making sound judgments, which are essential abilities for a nurse when interpreting patient data and making clinical decisions.
• What if? If Statement 1 was "All houses are buildings," would conclusion (i) be correct? No. Even then, we could not conclude "All buildings are houses." The set of buildings could be larger than the set of houses.

How to Approach the Question

• First, carefully read and understand the given statements. Treat them as absolute truths for the purpose of the question.
• Translate the statements into relationships between categories. 'Some A are B' means there is an overlap. 'All A are B' means A is a subset of B.
• A helpful strategy is to draw a Venn diagram to visually represent these relationships.
• Examine each conclusion one by one and test its validity against the diagram or the logical rules derived from the statements.
• Conclusion (i): Does the diagram force all of 'Buildings' to be inside 'Houses'? No. So, it does not follow.
• Conclusion (ii): Does the diagram show that some part of 'Trucks' is also 'Buildings'? Yes, the entire 'Buildings' circle is within 'Trucks'. So, it follows.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Syllogistic Reasoning
• Stem keywords: Some houses are buildings, All buildings are trucks, Statements, Conclusions
• Lead-in keywords: logically follows

Question ID

Qy6AJn2MITKpk68lVyfYcQ

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 2 p. 67-69