In each question below is given a statement followed by two conclusions…
2023
In each question below is given a statement followed by two conclusions numbered I and II. You have to assume everything in the statement to be true, then consider the two conclusions together and decide which of them logically follows beyond a reasonable doubt from the information given in the statement.
Statements: The President of XYZ Party indicated that 25 independent Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) are seriously considering various options of joining some political party. But in any case all of them collectively will join one party only.
Conclusions:
I. The 25 independent MLAs will join XYZ party in a short period of time.
II. The 25 independent MLAs will join some other political party in a short period of time.
- A.
Only conclusion I follows
- B.
Only conclusion II follows
- C.
Either I or II follows
- D.
Neither I nor II follows
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept: In statement-and-conclusion reasoning, when two conclusions form a complementary pair — together covering every possibility with no overlap — and the statement itself guarantees that one of those possibilities will definitely occur (without saying which), then neither conclusion alone can be asserted, but one of the two together must hold. This is the 'Either...or' case.
Application: The statement guarantees that the 25 MLAs will collectively join one party — this is certain. Conclusion I says they join XYZ; Conclusion II says they join some party other than XYZ. Between them, I and II cover every party the MLAs could possibly join, with no third option and no overlap. Since joining some party is certain, and I and II exhaust every party that could be, one of the two conclusions must be true — though the statement does not tell us which.
Cross-check against each option: Testing why the other readings fail confirms this:
Only conclusion I follows — wrong, because nothing in the statement confirms XYZ specifically; the MLAs are still weighing multiple options.
Only conclusion II follows — wrong, because nothing in the statement rules out XYZ; a non-XYZ party is not confirmed either.
Neither I nor II follows — wrong, because it contradicts the statement's own certainty that one party will definitely be joined.
So exactly one of the two conclusions must hold, even though which one cannot be pinned down from the statement — the complementary 'Either...or' relationship follows.