Syllogism Questions With Answers: Venn Method Explained

6 min read · IQ Tester

Syllogism questions with answers are easiest to solve with a Venn diagram: draw one circle per group, place them so they match each statement, and then check whether the conclusion is true in every possible drawing. If even one valid drawing breaks the conclusion, the answer is "does not follow." Below are 12 practice questions, from easy to hard, with every answer explained.

If you keep getting logic questions wrong but can't tell why, IQ Tester finds whether logic chains, rushing or attention is the real weak spot: Find my weak spots.

What a syllogism is (syllogism meaning)

A syllogism is a tiny argument: two statements (premises) and one conclusion. You decide if the conclusion must follow.

• All dogs are animals.
• All animals need water.
• Conclusion: All dogs need water. ✔ Follows.

Syllogism logic goes back to Aristotle, and it's still a staple of aptitude tests, school entrance exams and logical reasoning sections today.

Deductive reasoning vs syllogism

A syllogism is one specific form of deductive reasoning. All syllogisms are deductive, but not all deduction is a syllogism. "If-then" chains and logic grids are deduction too. If you want the bigger picture, read how to improve deductive reasoning.

All, some, none: the three syllogism rules you need

Almost every syllogism question uses three words. Know exactly what each one allows.

The trap is "some." In logic, "some" means "at least one." It does not mean "not all." If some students are tall, it's possible every student is tall.

The Venn method: how to solve syllogism with Venn diagram

Here is the step-by-step method for how to solve syllogism questions.

1. Draw the first premise. Use the simplest drawing that fits.
2. Add the second premise. Place the new circle so both statements are true.
3. Read the conclusion. Is it true in your drawing?
4. Try to break it. Redraw the circles in any other way that still fits both premises. If the conclusion fails in any version, it does not follow.
5. Decide. True in every possible drawing means it follows. False in even one means it doesn't.

Step 4 is where most people give up points. The first drawing you make is just one possibility. Syllogism tricks on tests are built to catch people who stop there.

Worked example

• Some books are red.
• All red things are bright.
• Conclusion: Some books are bright.

Draw "books" overlapping "red." Draw "bright" around all of "red." The overlap of books and red now sits inside bright, so some books are bright in every drawing. ✔ Follows.

Spotting which step you skip is the hard part, because on your own you only see the final wrong answer. IQ Tester's 16 questions point to the habit behind it, like rushing then freezing or logic chains, and each day's 10-minute drill leans toward that spot. Find my weak spots

Easy set: syllogism questions for beginners

Try these first. Write "follows" or "does not follow."

1. All cats are mammals. All mammals are animals. → All cats are animals.
2. No fish are birds. All sharks are fish. → No sharks are birds.
3. Some teens are gamers. All gamers own a controller. → Some teens own a controller.
4. All pens are tools. Some tools are sharp. → Some pens are sharp.
5. No apples are vegetables. Some fruits are apples. → Some fruits are not vegetables.
6. All singers are performers. Maya is a singer. → Maya is a performer.

Harder set: hard syllogism questions

These use tougher combinations and two conclusions.

7. Some doctors are runners. Some runners are chefs. → Some doctors are chefs.
8. All squares are shapes. No shapes are sounds. → No squares are sounds.
9. No rivers are deserts. Some deserts are hot. → Some hot things are not rivers.
10. All coaches are adults. Some adults are not teachers. → Some coaches are not teachers.
11. Some keys are metal. No metal is soft.
    • I: Some keys are not soft.
    • II: No keys are soft.
12. All planets are round. Some round things are balls.
    • I: Some planets are balls.
    • II: Some balls are round.

Answers explained

Easy set answers

1. Follows. Cats inside mammals inside animals.
2. Follows. Sharks sit inside fish, and fish share nothing with birds.
3. Follows. The teens who are gamers sit inside "owns a controller."
4. Does not follow. The sharp tools might all be knives. Draw "sharp" overlapping tools but outside pens, and the conclusion breaks.
5. Follows. The fruits that are apples can't be vegetables.
6. Follows. Maya is inside singers, which is inside performers.

Harder set answers

7. Does not follow. Two "some" premises almost never give a certain conclusion. The runner-doctors and runner-chefs can be different people.
8. Follows. Squares are inside shapes, and shapes and sounds never touch.
9. Follows. The hot deserts are deserts, and no desert is a river. So those hot things are not rivers.
10. Does not follow. The adults who aren't teachers could all be non-coaches. Every coach might be a teacher.
11. I follows, II does not. The metal keys can't be soft. But keys that aren't metal might be soft, so "no keys are soft" isn't forced.
12. I does not follow, II follows. Planets might sit in the part of "round" away from balls. But "some round things are balls" flips to "some balls are round," which is always allowed for "some."

Syllogism tricks to remember

• Two "some" premises: usually no definite conclusion.
• "Some" flips; "all" does not. "Some A are B" means "some B are A." "All A are B" does not mean "all B are A."
• "No" flips too. "No A are B" means "no B are A."
• Ignore real-world facts. If it says "all planets are balls," go with it.

Where syllogism practice shows up

You'll meet syllogism questions on aptitude tests, some job assessments, school entrance exams and IQ-style logic sections. You don't need a syllogism questions with answers PDF to get good. You need a pen, three circles and the habit of trying to break your first drawing. Five questions a day for two weeks will make the method automatic.

Get daily logic practice beyond syllogism questions with answers

Syllogisms train one link of logic. In about two minutes, IQ Tester checks you across 16 questions, gives you a reasoning tier and names which of seven weak spots to work on, logic chains included. Then you get one tip and one 10-minute drill a day, with pattern, number, verbal and logic problems.

Find my weak spots

FAQ

How do you solve syllogism questions quickly?

Learn the four statement shapes (all, some, no, some not) and their Venn drawings until you don't have to think about them. Then use two shortcuts: two "some" premises usually give no conclusion, and "some" and "no" statements can be flipped.

What is an example of a syllogism?

"All birds have feathers. A robin is a bird. So a robin has feathers." Two premises lead to a conclusion that must be true if they are.

Is there a syllogism questions with answers PDF?

Many exam-prep sites offer PDFs, but you can make your own. Copy the 12 questions above onto paper, solve them with circles, and check them against the answers here. Redo the ones you missed a few days later.

What is the Venn diagram method for syllogisms?

You draw one circle for each group and arrange them to match both premises. Then you try every other arrangement that also fits. A conclusion follows only if it holds in all of them.

Are syllogism questions on IQ tests?

Some IQ-style and aptitude tests include syllogisms or similar logic questions. They test whether you can stick to what's given and avoid adding assumptions.