Free Wonderlic Syllogisms and Deductive Reasoning Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: All chefs are good cooks. Maria is a good cook. What can be concluded?
- Maria is a chef.
- Maria is not a chef.
- Some good cooks are not chefs.
- Nothing can be concluded about whether Maria is a chef. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Nothing can be concluded about whether Maria is a chef.
The first statement says that being a chef guarantees you are a good cook, but it does not say that all good cooks are chefs. Maria is a good cook, but she may or may not be a chef. Therefore, no conclusion can be drawn about her profession.
Question 2: No birds are mammals. All bats are mammals. Therefore...
- No bats are birds. (Correct answer)
- Some birds are bats.
- All mammals are bats.
- No mammals are birds.
Correct answer: No bats are birds.
This is a valid deductive argument. If no birds belong to the group 'mammals', and all bats do belong to the group 'mammals', then the two groups (birds and bats) must be mutually exclusive. Therefore, no bats can be birds.
Question 3: All squares are rectangles. All rectangles have four sides. Therefore...
- All rectangles are squares.
- Some squares do not have four sides.
- All shapes with four sides are rectangles.
- All squares have four sides. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: All squares have four sides.
This is a transitive relationship. If group A (squares) is a subset of group B (rectangles), and group B is a subset of group C (things with four sides), then group A must also be a subset of group C. Thus, all squares have four sides.
Question 4: If it is raining, the ground is wet. The ground is not wet. Therefore...
- The ground is wet.
- It is raining.
- It is not raining. (Correct answer)
- It might be raining.
Correct answer: It is not raining.
This is a logical form known as 'modus tollens'. The first premise establishes a condition (If P, then Q). The second premise denies the consequence (not Q). The valid conclusion is to deny the antecedent (not P). If the ground isn't wet, it cannot be raining.
Question 5: All employees received a bonus. John is an employee. What can be concluded?
- John did not receive a bonus.
- Some employees did not receive a bonus.
- John received a bonus. (Correct answer)
- John is not an employee.
Correct answer: John received a bonus.
This is a direct application of the first premise. Since all employees received a bonus and John is an employee, it logically follows that John must have received a bonus. This is a form of reasoning called 'modus ponens'.
Question 6: Some A are B. All B are C. Therefore...
- All A are C.
- Some A are C. (Correct answer)
- No A are C.
- All C are A.
Correct answer: Some A are C.
If at least one 'A' is also a 'B', and every single 'B' is also a 'C', then it must be true that the 'A' that is a 'B' is also a 'C'. This means that at least some 'A' must also be 'C'.
Question 7: Some cars are red. Some red things are fast. Therefore...
- Some cars are fast.
- All red cars are fast.
- No conclusion can be logically drawn. (Correct answer)
- Some fast things are not red.
Correct answer: No conclusion can be logically drawn.
We know there is an overlap between 'cars' and 'red things', and a separate overlap between 'red things' and 'fast things'. However, we don't know if the red cars are the same red things that are fast. The two groups could be completely separate.
Free Wonderlic Syllogisms and Deductive Reasoning Questions and Answers 1
All chefs are good cooks.
Maria is a good cook.
What can be concluded?