Logical Reasoning MCQ Questions for UGC-NET

A. The middle term appears as the predicate in both premises — Correct: In the second figure, the middle term M occupies the predicate position in both premises: P–M and S–M.

B. It commits the fallacy of the undistributed middle term — Correct: In an A-proposition, the predicate is undistributed, and in an I-proposition, neither term is distributed. Therefore, M is not distributed in either premise, causing the fallacy of the undistributed middle.

C. The middle term is distributed in the major premise — Incorrect: The major premise is “All P are M.” In an A-proposition, the subject P is distributed, but the predicate M is undistributed.

D. It draws a negative conclusion from affirmative premises — Incorrect: Both premises and the conclusion are affirmative. The conclusion “Some S are P” is an I-proposition and is not negative.

E. The conclusion distributes neither of its terms — Correct: The conclusion is an I-proposition—“Some S are P.” In a particular affirmative proposition, neither the subject nor the predicate is distributed.

Synonymous definition — Incorrect:
A synonymous definition explains an unfamiliar term by providing another word with the same or nearly the same meaning. For example, “physician” means “doctor.”

Operational definition — Correct:
It defines a term through specified operations and the observable or measurable result produced by those operations. This is exactly what the question describes.

Ostensive definition — Incorrect:
An ostensive definition explains the meaning of a term by directly pointing to or showing an example of it. For example, explaining “red” by pointing to a red object.

Quasi-ostensive definition — Incorrect:
A quasi-ostensive definition combines pointing to an example with a descriptive phrase that identifies the relevant feature. For example, pointing to an object and saying, “This colour is red.”