Categorical Syllogisms quiz questions

Question: Given the following syllogism: Premises: All unicorns are horses. No tigers are horses. No tigers are unicorns.

Answer Choices: a. Valid from the Aristotelian standpoint only. b. Invalid from both the Boolean and the Aristotelian standpoints. c. Valid from the Boolean standpoint only. d. Valid from both the Boolean and the Aristotelian standpoints. e. Conditionally valid from the Aristotelian standpoint.

Answer: d. Valid from both the Boolean and the Aristotelian standpoints.

Question: Given the following syllogism: Premises: All sharks are fish. All sharks are mammals. Some mammals are fish.

Answer Choices: a. Commits the existential fallacy from the Aristotelian standpoint only. b. Valid from the Aristotelian standpoint only. c. Valid from both the Boolean and the Aristotelian standpoints. d. Conditionally valid from the Boolean standpoint. e. Commits the existential fallacy from both standpoints.

Answer: e. Commits the existential fallacy from both standpoints.

Question: After reducing the number of terms in Syllogism 1F, the conclusion is:

Answer Choices: a. Some drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are not sober drivers. b. Some drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are not sober drivers. c. Some drinkers are not sober drivers. d. Some sober drivers are not drinkers. e. All drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are drinkers.

Answer: c. Some drinkers are not sober drivers.

Question: For Syllogism 1F, the major premise is:

Answer Choices: a. Some sober drivers are not nondrinkers. b. All drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are drinkers. c. Some drinkers are not sober drivers. d. All nondrinkers are drivers unafraid of sobriety checkpoints. e. Some drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are not sober drivers.

Answer: e. Some drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are not sober drivers.

Question: For Syllogism 1F, the minor premise is:

Answer Choices: a. No drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are drinkers. b. All drinkers are drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints. c. All drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are drinkers. d. Some drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are not sober drivers. e. All nondrinkers are drivers unafraid of sobriety checkpoints.

Answer: c. All drivers afraid of sobriety checkpoints are drinkers.

Question: After reducing the number of terms in Syllogism 2F, the conclusion is:

Answer Choices: a. Some individuals with a sense of humor are not friendly companions. b. Some individuals with a sense of humor are friendly companions. c. Some friendly companions are people easy to get along with. d. Some friendly companions are not individuals with a sense of humor. e. All people easy to get along with are individuals with a sense of humor.

Answer: a. Some individuals with a sense of humor are not friendly companions.

Question: For Syllogism 2F, the major premise is:

Answer Choices: a. All people easy to get along with are individuals with a sense of humor. b. Some friendly companions are people easy to get along with. c. No individuals without a sense of humor are people easy to get along with. d. Some friendly companions are not people hard to get along with. e. Some individuals with a sense of humor are not friendly companions.

Answer: b. Some friendly companions are people easy to get along with.

Question: For Syllogism 2F, the minor premise is:

Answer Choices: a. All individuals with a sense of humor are people easy to get along with. b. All people easy to get along with are individuals with a sense of humor. c. Some individuals with a sense of humor are not friendly companions. d. Some friendly companions are people easy to get along with. e. No people easy to get along with are individuals with a sense of humor.

Answer: b. All people easy to get along with are individuals with a sense of humor.

Question: After translating Syllogism 3F into standard form, the conclusion is:

Answer Choices: a. All accomplished musicians are musicians who practice. b. All persons identical to Claire are not accomplished musicians. c. No persons identical to Claire are accomplished musicians. d. No persons identical to Claire are musicians who practice. e. Some persons identical to Claire are not accomplished musicians.

Answer: c. No persons identical to Claire are accomplished musicians.

Question: For Syllogism 3F, the major premise is:

Answer Choices: a. All accomplished musicians are musicians who practice. b. No accomplished musicians are musicians who do not practice. c. No persons identical to Claire are accomplished musicians. d. No persons identical to Claire are musicians who practice. e. All musicians who practice are accomplished musicians.

Answer: a. All accomplished musicians are musicians who practice.

Question: For Syllogism 3F, the minor premise is:

Answer Choices: a. All persons identical to Claire are not musicians who practice. b. All persons identical to Claire are musicians who do not practice. c. No persons identical to Claire are accomplished musicians. d. No persons identical to Claire are musicians who practice. e. All accomplished musicians are musicians who practice.

Answer: d. No persons identical to Claire are musicians who practice.

Question: After translating Syllogism 4F into standard form, the conclusion is:

Answer Choices: a. All students going to the party are students who were invited. b. Some freshmen are not students who were invited. c. All students who were invited are students going to the party. d. Some freshmen are not students going to the party. e. Some freshmen are students who were invited.

Answer: d. Some freshmen are not students going to the party.

Question: For Syllogism 4F, the major premise is:

Answer Choices: a. All students who were invited are students going to the party. b. Some freshmen are students who were invited. c. Some freshmen are not students who were invited. d. Some freshmen are not students going to the party. e. All students going to the party are students who were invited.

Answer: e. All students going to the party are students who were invited.

Question: For Syllogism 4F, the minor premise is:

Answer Choices: a. Some freshmen were students who were invited. b. Some freshmen are not students going to the party. c. Some freshmen are not students who were invited. d. All students who were invited are students going to the party. e. All students going to the party are students who were invited.

Answer: c. Some freshmen are not students who were invited.

Question: Given the following enthymeme: “Chewing tobacco is not a safe substitute for cigarettes. After all, it causes cancer of the mouth.” The statement needed to convert the enthymeme into a valid syllogism is:

Answer Choices: a. There is no form of tobacco that is safe to use. (Conclusion) b. Cigarettes cause lung cancer and emphysema. (Conclusion) c. No product that causes cancer of the mouth is a product that anyone should use. (Premise) d. Users of chewing tobacco are not required to go outdoors to use it. (Premise) e. Any product that causes cancer of the mouth is not a safe substitute for cigarettes. (Premise)

Answer: e. Any product that causes cancer of the mouth is not a safe substitute for cigarettes.

Question: The statement needed to convert the enthymeme into a valid syllogism is: “Steroid use is thought to be rampant in professional baseball.”

Answer Choices: a. There is no proof that steroids lead to suicide. (Premise) b. Any drug that can lead to suicide is dangerous. (Premise) c. Steroid use is thought to be rampant in professional baseball. (Conclusion) d. Any drug that can lead to suicide should be avoided. (Conclusion) e. The use of steroids can improve performance in competitive sports. (Premise)

Answer: b. Any drug that can lead to suicide is dangerous. (Premise)

Question: Given the following enthymeme: “Wherever guns are readily available, senseless killings occur, and guns are readily available in the U.S.” The statement needed to convert the enthymeme into a valid syllogism is:

Answer Choices: a. The ownership and transfer of handguns in the U.S. should be banned. (Premise) b. Handguns are readily available in many countries. (Premise) c. Senseless killings occur in the U.S. (Conclusion) d. Handguns inevitably lead to senseless killings. (Premise) e. The ownership of handguns is not protected by the Constitution. (Conclusion)

Answer: c. Senseless killings occur in the U.S. (Conclusion)

Question: For Sorites 1F, the correct standard form is:

Answer Choices: a. All L are B. All E are L. No K are B. Some Q are K. Some Q are not E. b. Some Q are K. No K are B. All E are L. All L are B. Some Q are not E. c. No K are B. All L are B. All E are L. Some Q are K. Some Q are not E. d. All E are L. All L are B. No K are B. Some Q are K. Some Q are not E. e. All L are B. No K are B. Some Q are K. All E are L. Some Q are not E.

Answer: d. All E are L. All L are B. No K are B. Some Q are K. Some Q are not E.

Question: For Sorites 1F, the first intermediate conclusion is:

Answer Choices: a. All E are B. b. All L are B. c. All B are E. d. No K are L. e. Some Q are not B.

Answer: a. All E are B.

Question: For Sorites 1F, the second intermediate conclusion is:

Answer Choices: a. Some Q are not B. b. Some Q are not L. c. No K are E. d. All E are B. e. No B are E.

Answer: c. No K are E.

Question: For Sorites 1F, the correct answer is:

Answer Choices: a. Strong b. Cogent c. Sound d. Unsound e. Valid

Answer: e. Valid

Question: Given the following sorites: “All N are P. Some N are F. All F are R. All R are A. Some A are not P.” This sorites is:

Answer Choices: a. Invalid because one of the middle terms is undistributed. b. Invalid because it has affirmative premises and a negative conclusion. c. Invalid because it has three universal premises and a particular conclusion. d. Valid because a particular premise requires a particular conclusion. e. Valid because no rules are broken.

Answer: b. Invalid because it has affirmative premises and a negative conclusion.