Discussion Forum

In the following question, three statements are given followed by four conclusions numbered I, II, III and IV. You have to take the given statements to be true even if they seem at variance with commonly known facts and then decide which of the given conclusions logically follows from the given statements disregarding commonly known facts.

Statements: Some uniforms are covers. All covers are papers. All papers are bags. 

Conclusions: I. All covers are bags.  II. Some bags are covers, papers and uniforms.  III. Some uniforms are not paper.

Answer:

Explanation:

 Some uniforms are covers. All covers are papers.

Since one premise is particular, the conclusion must be particular and should not contain the middle term. So, it follows that 'Some uniforms are papers'.

All covers are papers. All papers are bags.

Since both the premises are universal and affirmative, the conclusion must be universal affirmative (A-type) and should not contain the middle term. So, it follows that 'All covers are bags'. Thus, I follow. The converse of this conclusion i.e.' Some bags are covers' also hold.

Some uniforms are covers. All covers are bags.

Since one premise is particular, the conclusion must be particular and should not contain the middle term. So, it follows that 'Some uniforms are bags'. The converse of this conclusion i.e. 'Some bags are uniforms' also holds. Further, the converse of the third premise i.e. 'Some bags are papers' holds. Now, II is the cumulative result of the conclusions 'Some bags are covers', 'Some bags are papers' and 'Some bags are uniforms'. Thus, II follows.