Which term is the subject of the conclusion?

• A. Major term
• B. Minor term
• C. Middle term
• D. Predicate term

Answer: (B)

In a categorical syllogism, the term that appears as the subject of the conclusion is called the minor term. The conclusion is typically of the form All S are P, where S is the subject and P is the predicate. The term in the subject position is the minor term, while the term in the predicate position is the major term. The remaining term, which shows up in the premises to connect the two statements, is the middle term and it never appears in the conclusion. So, identifying the subject of the conclusion directly points to the minor term. For example, in the standard chain All S are M and All M are P, the conclusion All S are P has S as the subject, which is the minor term, and P as the predicate, the major term. The middle term M links the two premises and does not occur in the conclusion.