UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B and C give core structural rules of valid categorical syllogisms, and E and F correctly name the fallacies arising from breaking the first two rules. D is false because two particular premises do not guarantee a valid conclusion in general. Therefore A, B, C, E and F only forms the correct combination of true statements.

Option A:
Option A is correct since it includes all the true rules and their associated fallacies, and excludes D.

Option B:
Option B is incomplete as it omits F, leaving out illicit major/minor.

Option C:
Option C is incomplete because it omits A (distribution of middle term).

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since it includes D, which is false.

The fallacy of undistributed middle occurs when the middle term in a syllogism is never taken to refer to all members of its class in any premise. As a result, the premises fail to establish a necessary connection between the major and minor terms. Without a properly distributed middle, the conclusion does not logically follow. Thus the situation described in the stem is the fallacy of undistributed middle.

Option A:
Option A is correct because the defining error is precisely that the middle term is left undistributed in both premises. This allows the argument to illegitimately treat partially overlapping sets as if they were fully connected. Recognising this flaw is essential to testing categorical syllogisms.

Option B:
Option B, illicit major, arises when the major term is undistributed in the premise but distributed in the conclusion, which is a different kind of distribution error. While serious, it is not the same problem as the middle term never being distributed.

Option C:
Option C, illicit minor, similarly involves the minor term being distributed in the conclusion without being distributed in the minor premise. Again, this concerns a different term than the one described in the stem.

Option D:
Option D, four terms, describes a fallacy where a syllogism effectively involves more than three distinct terms, often due to ambiguity. It does not depend on the distribution status of the middle term in the way indicated in the question.

The only wrong statement here is D; all of A, B, C and E are correct. In any valid categorical syllogism, the middle term must be distributed at least once; otherwise the fallacy of undistributed middle occurs.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it isolates D as the single wrong statement.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it wrongly treats A as wrong even though A correctly describes first-figure placement.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it wrongly treats B as wrong even though B correctly states distribution for “All S are P”.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it wrongly treats C as wrong even though “No S are P” distributes both terms.