Which form of deductive reasoning is composed of two premises and a conclusion?

• A. Theme
• B. Syllogism
• C. Symbol
• D. Status quo

Answer: (B)

A syllogism is a deductive argument built from two premises that lead to a conclusion. It uses a two-premise chain to arrive at a necessary result, such as: All humans are mortal; Socrates is a human; therefore Socrates is mortal. The two premises (often called the major and minor) establish a categorical relationship that guarantees the conclusion if the premises are true and properly arranged (for example, in the form All A are B, C is A, therefore C is B). Other terms like theme, symbol, or status quo describe ideas or concepts outside the structure of a formal deductive argument, so they don’t fit the description of a two-premise, one-conclusion reasoning form.