Read the following statements and determine which inference(s) logically…
2026
Read the following statements and determine which inference(s) logically follow.
Statements:
All scientists are researchers.
Some researchers are smart.
Inference I: All scientists are smart.
Inference II: Some scientists are smart.
Inference III: Some smart people are researchers.
Inference IV: Some researchers are scientists.
- A.
Only III and IV follow.
- B.
Only inference III follows.
- C.
Both inferences IV and II follow.
- D.
All follow
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Correct answer: A
Premises:
All scientists are researchers.
Some researchers are smart.
Inference I — All scientists are smart: Does not follow. The fact that some researchers are smart does not mean every scientist is smart.
Inference II — Some scientists are smart: Does not follow. The smart researchers need not be scientists.
Inference III — Some smart people are researchers: Follows. “Some researchers are smart” can be converted to “Some smart people are researchers.”
Inference IV — Some researchers are scientists: Follows under the standard aptitude-syllogism/Venn-diagram convention. If all scientists are researchers, then scientists are contained within researchers, so some researchers are scientists.
Therefore, only inferences III and IV follow. Hence, Option A is correct.