UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A is correct as a valid categorical syllogism uses exactly three distinct terms: major, minor and middle. B is true because the middle term must be distributed at least once to connect the extremes properly. C is correct since two negative premises provide no positive linkage, and D is true because two particular premises cannot logically support a universal conclusion. E is false because these are necessary but not sufficient conditions; a syllogism can meet them yet still be invalid for other reasons. Hence A, B, C and D only are correct.

Option A:
Option A omits D and thus fails to mention the important constraint on drawing universal conclusions from particular premises. While A, B and C are true, the omission of D makes the set incomplete.

Option B:
Option B ignores A, so it does not mention the three-term requirement; although B, C and D are true, this omission leaves out a central structural rule for syllogisms.

Option C:
Option C drops B and therefore fails to highlight the distribution requirement of the middle term, which is crucial for testing validity. Even with A, C and D present, missing B leaves the account incomplete.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it collects all the true structural rules while excluding E, which overstates their sufficiency. This matches how NET questions test necessary conditions for syllogistic validity.

Statements A, B, C and E correctly summarise the requirement that a categorical syllogism use exactly three terms and how violations occur, while D is false. Four distinct terms, whether through outright multiplication or ambiguity of a term, break the three-term rule and generate the fallacy of four terms. A two-term argument is not automatically valid; it may fail other rules. UGC NET questions do ask candidates to detect such fallacies, so E is also true. Hence A, B, C, E only constitutes the right set.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits E, failing to mention the explicit exam relevance that the question highlights. A, B, C only therefore does not fully answer the stem.

Option B:
Option B is wrong as it leaves out C, ignoring that ambiguity of the middle term can effectively produce four terms even if the same word is used. A, B, E only thus misses an important mechanism of the fallacy.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it collects all true descriptive and exam-related statements and excludes D, which incorrectly declares any two-term syllogism valid. This matches standard treatments of syllogistic structure.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since it includes D, the false claim about two-term syllogisms, and so B, C, D, E only mixes correct and incorrect information. It therefore cannot be accepted as the correct option.