*Comment* *Valid* means true in **all** cases. Thus, the schema : >Some A are B >Some B are C >>Therefore : Some A are C is **not** valid exactly for the reason you have stated : >it becomes **true** [not valid] if at least one element lies in A ∩ B ∩ C. Correct..., but if this is not, the argument does not conclude, and this means that the argument form is not valid. ___ This distinction between *true* and *valid* is the core of Hurley's explanation of **Rule 4** (and is the core of *formal logic*, since Aristotle). Consider the fallacy : >Drawing an affirmative conclusion from a negative premise, and consider the *invalid* : >All crows are birds >Some wolves are not crows >>Therefore : Some wolves are birds. This is a counter-example to the "purported" rule : >it is possible to (validly) conclude in the affermative when a premise is negative. This means that, from the fact : >if a schema has one premise negative and the conclusion affermative, then it is **not** valid, by contraposition we have : >if a schema is valid, then **not** (one premise negative and the conclusion affermative) i.e. either the conclusion is negative or all the premise must be afermative.