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UGC NET Paper 1 - Moods and Figures

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UGC NET Paper 1 • Concept 4

Moods and Figures

Unit 6 • Chapter 1

Understanding Syllogistic Structure

Topic 4: Classifying Arguments by Form and Position

📖 Based on Ankit Sharma's Book
UGC NET Paper 1 Volume 5 - Logical Reasoning Unlocked

+91 9645160045

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CONCEPT 4

Mood of the Syllogism

Understanding the Sequence of Propositions

📖 What is Mood?
The Mood refers to the sequence of the three propositions (Premise 1, Premise 2, Conclusion) expressed as standard forms (A, E, I, O). It describes the logical structure of the argument.

🎯 Critical Exam Point: In the figure of categorical syllogism, Quantity and Quality of a proposition determine the Mood of the Syllogism. Asked in Exam

📋 Recap: The Four Standard Forms

UNIVERSAL AFFIRMATIVE

All + Positive

All S are P.

UNIVERSAL NEGATIVE

No + Negative

No S are P.

PARTICULAR AFFIRMATIVE

Some + Positive

Some S are P.

PARTICULAR NEGATIVE

Some + Negative

Some S are not P.

🔤 How Mood is Determined

Identify the form of Premise 1 → Write its letter (A, E, I, or O)

Identify the form of Premise 2 → Write its letter (A, E, I, or O)

Identify the form of Conclusion → Write its letter (A, E, I, or O)

The Mood is

P1 + P2 + Conclusion

Example: I + A + I = IAI

The mood is simply the three-letter code that describes the logical form of your argument!

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Examples of Determining Mood

Step-by-Step Analysis

📝 Example 1: IAI Mood

Premise 1 I

Some actors are singers

Particular Affirmative

Premise 2 A

All singers are dancers

Universal Affirmative

Therefore

Conclusion I

Some actors are dancers

Particular Affirmative

Mood of this Syllogism

I + A + I = IAI

📚 Exam Example: Asked in Exam

"Some chairs are curtains. All curtains are bedsheets. Conclusion: Some chairs are bedsheets."

Here IAI is the Mood.

📝 Example 2: EAE Mood

Premise 1 E

No musicians are Greeks

Universal Negative

Premise 2 A

All traders are musicians

Universal Affirmative

Therefore

Conclusion E

No traders are Greeks

Universal Negative

Mood of this Syllogism

E + A + E = EAE

📚 This example appeared in the exam Asked in Exam

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More Mood Examples

Continuing with EAO

📝 Example 3: EAO Mood

Premise 1 E

No squares are rectangles

Universal Negative

Premise 2 A

All rectangles are circles

Universal Affirmative

Therefore

Conclusion O

Some circles are not squares

Particular Negative

Mood of this Syllogism

E + A + O = EAO

📚 This example appeared in the exam Asked in Exam

📊 Common Moods - Quick Reference

Mood	P1 Type	P2 Type	Conclusion Type	Exam Status
IAI	Particular Affirmative (I)	Universal Affirmative (A)	Particular Affirmative (I)	Asked
EAE	Universal Negative (E)	Universal Affirmative (A)	Universal Negative (E)	Asked
EAO	Universal Negative (E)	Universal Affirmative (A)	Particular Negative (O)	Asked

💡 Pro Tip: The mood tells you the logical structure of an argument at a glance. Master these patterns to quickly analyze syllogisms in the exam!

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Figure of the Syllogism

Understanding Middle Term Position

📖 What is Figure?
The Figure is determined by the position of the Middle Term (M) in the two premises. The middle term can appear as subject or predicate in different combinations, creating four possible figures.

🔢 The Four Figures at a Glance

FIRST FIGURE

SP Pattern

M-P
S-M

M is Subject, then Predicate

SECOND FIGURE

PP Pattern

P-M
S-M

M is Predicate in both

THIRD FIGURE

SS Pattern

M-P
M-S

M is Subject in both

FOURTH FIGURE

PS Pattern

P-M
M-S

M is Predicate, then Subject

🧠 Easy Memory Pattern

Think of the middle term's journey through the premises:

Fig 1: S→P

Fig 2: P→P

Fig 3: S→S

Fig 4: P→S

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Detailed Analysis: Figures 1 & 2

Understanding Middle Term Positions

1 First Figure (SP Pattern)

The middle term is the Subject of the Major Premise and the Predicate of the Minor Premise.

Structure:

M-P, S-M therefore S-P

Major Premise: M (Subject) → P (Predicate)

Minor Premise: S (Subject) → M (Predicate)

📚 Exam Fact: The middle term is the subject of the major premise and the predicate of the minor premise. It is true with respect to the first figure of categorical syllogism. Asked in Exam

📝 Exam Example:

"No Musicians are Japanese,
All Barbers are Musicians..."

Here the middle term "Musicians" is the subject in the first and predicate in the second. Asked in Exam

2 Second Figure (PP Pattern)

The middle term is the Predicate in both premises.

Structure:

P-M, S-M therefore S-P

Major Premise: P (Subject) → M (Predicate)

Minor Premise: S (Subject) → M (Predicate)

🔑 Key Point: In Figure 2, the middle term appears as the predicate (second position) in both the major and minor premises.

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Detailed Analysis: Figures 3 & 4

Completing the Four Figures

3 Third Figure (SS Pattern)

The middle term is the Subject in both premises.

Structure:

M-P, M-S therefore S-P

Major Premise: M (Subject) → P (Predicate)

Minor Premise: M (Subject) → S (Predicate)

📝 Exam Example 1:

"All actors are athletes.
Some actors are comedians.
Therefore, some comedians are athletes."

The correct code is AII; 3rd Figure. Asked in Exam

📝 Exam Example 2:

"All artists are egoists.
Some artists are paupers.
Therefore, some paupers are egoists."

For this argument we have Figure III. Asked in Exam

4 Fourth Figure (PS Pattern)

The middle term is the Predicate of the Major Premise and the Subject of the Minor Premise.

Structure:

P-M, M-S therefore S-P

Major Premise: P (Subject) → M (Predicate)

Minor Premise: M (Subject) → S (Predicate)

🔑 Key Point: Figure 4 is the reverse of Figure 1. The middle term switches position from subject to predicate between the two premises.

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📝 Complete Summary

Moods and Figures at a Glance

📊 MOOD

Describes the sequence and types of propositions (A, E, I, O)

Determined by:

Quantity + Quality of each proposition

🔢 FIGURE

Describes the position of the middle term in the premises

Determined by:

Whether M is subject or predicate in each premise

📐 The Four Figures - Complete Reference

Figure	Pattern	Structure	M Position
1	SP	M-P, S-M → S-P	Subject, then Predicate
2	PP	P-M, S-M → S-P	Predicate in both
3	SS	M-P, M-S → S-P	Subject in both
4	PS	P-M, M-S → S-P	Predicate, then Subject

⭐ Key Takeaways:

Mood = The three-letter code (e.g., IAI, EAE, EAO) describing proposition types
Figure = The position pattern of the middle term (1-4)
Quantity and Quality determine Mood
Middle term position determines Figure
Common exam moods: IAI, EAE, EAO
Figure 3 is frequently tested with AII pattern

🧠 Quick Memory Aid

For MOOD

Read propositions
top to bottom:
P1 → P2 → Conclusion

For FIGURE

Track middle term's
journey:
Where is M?

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