Premise order in syllogism – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B, C and E are correct, whereas D is wrong. A standard categorical syllogism uses two premises and one conclusion, and validity is determined by logical form, not by the physical order of premises. The major premise contains the major term, but it may or may not be written first in exam questions. UGC NET items often shuffle the order, so insisting that the major premise must always appear first, as D does, is mistaken.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits E, which highlights the exam practice of presenting premises in different orders. A, B, C only therefore does not entirely answer the question as framed.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it leaves out C, losing the information about what the major premise normally expresses, and so A, B, E only misses an important conceptual detail.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it omits A, failing to mention the basic structure of a syllogism as involving two premises and one conclusion. B, C, E only therefore does not provide the full set of correct statements.

Option D:
Option D is correct as it gathers all the true statements and excludes D, which wrongly ties validity to the written order of premises. This option reflects how exam questions actually present syllogistic arguments.