Study the given statements and conclusions carefully. Assuming that the information given in the statement is true, even if it seems to be at variance with common facts, decide which of the given conclusions best follows from the given statements.

Statements:

• Some bags are trees.
• All chickens are trees.

Conclusions:

• (I) Some bags are chickens.
• (II) All trees are chickens.

1. A

   Only conclusion (II) follows.

2. B

   Both conclusions (I) and (II) follow.

3. C

   Only conclusion (I) follows.

4. D

   Neither conclusion (I) nor (II) follows.

Appeared in: DSSSB 12 August 2024

Explanation

• The statements establish that 'Chickens' are a subset of 'Trees', and 'Bags' have some overlap with 'Trees'.
• Conclusion I ('Some bags are chickens') is not certain because the overlap between bags and trees might not include any chickens.
• Conclusion II ('All trees are chickens') is an invalid conversion of the statement 'All chickens are trees'. Just because all members of set A are in set B, it does not mean all members of set B are in set A.
• Since neither conclusion can be proven to be true in all cases, neither follows logically from the statements.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: Conclusion (II) is incorrect. The statement 'All chickens are trees' does not imply its converse, 'All trees are chickens'. There can be trees that are not chickens.
• Option B: Both conclusions are logically invalid. Conclusion (I) is a possibility but not a certainty, and Conclusion (II) is an incorrect logical inference.
• Option C: Conclusion (I) is not a definite conclusion. While some bags are trees and all chickens are trees, the set of bags that are trees might be completely separate from the set of chickens.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Syllogism and Logical Deduction as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• Logical reasoning is a critical skill for nurses, forming the basis of the nursing process (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation).
• Nurses must make sound clinical judgments based on evidence (statements) without making unsafe assumptions (invalid conclusions). For example, just because 'all patients with condition X have symptom Y' does not mean 'all patients with symptom Y have condition X'.
• What if? If the second statement was 'All trees are chickens', then Conclusion (I) 'Some bags are chickens' would still not be definite, but Conclusion (II) would be true by restatement. The answer would change.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the subject and predicate in each statement and conclusion.
• Translate the statements into a visual format, such as a Venn diagram. 'All A are B' means circle A is inside circle B. 'Some A are B' means circles A and B overlap.
• Draw the diagram representing the given statements. Draw a large circle for 'Trees' and place a smaller circle for 'Chickens' inside it. Then, draw a circle for 'Bags' that overlaps with the 'Trees' circle.
• Examine each conclusion against your diagram. A conclusion is only valid if it holds true for ALL possible ways of drawing the diagram according to the statements.
• For Conclusion I, see if the 'Bags' circle MUST overlap the 'Chickens' circle. It doesn't have to.
• For Conclusion II, see if the 'Trees' circle MUST be entirely inside the 'Chickens' circle. It is the other way around.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Syllogism and Logical Deduction
• Stem keywords: Syllogism, Statements, Conclusions, Logical Reasoning
• Lead-in keywords: decide which of the given conclusions best follows

Question ID

Q9bjNpaAGxc_C6CNR507Sk

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