Conditional argument forms basics – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B, D, E and F correctly describe standard conditional argument forms, whereas C is false. Modus ponens and modus tollens are canonical valid patterns used widely in logical reasoning. Affirming the consequent and denying the antecedent match the invalid forms described and are classified as formal fallacies. Recognising these contrasts is exactly what many UGC NET items on conditionals are testing. Option A therefore includes all and only the correct statements.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it collects the two valid forms, identifies the two formal fallacies and notes their exam relevance while excluding the mistaken claim in C. It captures how conditional reasoning is structured in formal logic. By omitting C, it avoids treating the invalid pattern affirming the consequent as valid. Thus this option aligns perfectly with textbook accounts of conditional argument forms.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes C, which wrongly calls affirming the consequent a valid argument form. Once q is known, we cannot simply infer p on that basis without additional information. Including this invalid form among correct ones means the combination cannot be accepted.

Option C:
Option C is wrong since it omits A and adds C, treating the invalid pattern as correct while losing the explicit description of modus ponens. This distorts the central distinction between valid and fallacious reasoning with conditionals. As a result, the option fails to represent the set of true statements.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it leaves out F, ignoring the practical point about how exam questions use these forms, and it still includes only a subset of the true statements. Without F, the role of these patterns in UGC NET reasoning is not fully reflected. Hence this option is incomplete.