Question 1

Blood relations – single-child logic: Pointing to a girl, Mihir said, "She is the only daughter of my grandfather's only child." How is the girl related to Mihir?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:The key phrase is "my grandfather's only child." If the grandfather has only one child, that person must be Mihir's parent. The girl is the only daughter of that parent. Given Data / Assumptions: Mihir is male (typical), but the reasoning does not rely on his gender. Only child of grandfather ⇒ parent of Mihir (either father or mother). The girl is the only daughter of that parent. Concept / Approach:Children of one's parent are siblings. A female child is a sister. Being "only daughter" simply means there is exactly one such sister. Step-by-Step Solution: Grandfather → only child = Mihir's parent.Girl = only daughter of Mihir's parent ⇒ Mihir's sister. Verification / Alternative check:If the only child were an uncle/aunt, Mihir wouldn't exist as a grandchild through that line. Hence the only child must be a parent. Why Other Options Are Wrong:"Daughter" would make Mihir the parent of the girl; "Niece/Aunt/Cousin" mismatch generational/branch relations. Common Pitfalls:Confusing "only child" with "only daughter/son" and assigning to the wrong generation. Final Answer:Sister

Question 2

Blood relations – identity of self vs sibling: Pointing to a girl, Nidhi said, "She is the only daughter of my grandmother's only child." How is the girl related to Nidhi?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This tests recognition that "grandmother's only child" must be Nidhi's parent, and "only daughter" of that parent uniquely identifies Nidhi herself if she is female. Given Data / Assumptions: Grandmother has exactly one child ⇒ Nidhi's parent. The referenced girl is the only daughter of that parent. Nidhi is female (typical name-based assumption used in such puzzles). Concept / Approach:If a parent has only one daughter and Nidhi is a daughter of that parent, then Nidhi herself is that "only daughter." Therefore the girl being pointed at is Nidhi (i.e., the relation is "Self"). Step-by-Step Solution: Grandmother → only child = parent of Nidhi.Only daughter of that parent = unique female child.Given Nidhi is that daughter ⇒ the girl is Nidhi (Self). Verification / Alternative check:If there were any other daughter, "only daughter" would be contradicted. If Nidhi were not the daughter, she would not call the person "my grandmother's only child" her parent. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Sister/Cousin/Aunt introduce extra daughters or other branches, violating "only daughter." Common Pitfalls:Overlooking the exclusivity implied by "only." Final Answer:Self

Question 3

Blood relations – translating a compound statement: Pointing towards a gentleman, Deepak said, "His only brother is the father of my daughter's father." How is the gentleman related to Deepak?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This classic pattern equates a referred person's sibling to a known relative of the speaker, and then asks for the relation of the original person to the speaker. Given Data / Assumptions: Deepak is male (so "my daughter's father" = Deepak himself). "His only brother" = the gentleman’s sole brother. "Father of my daughter's father" = father of Deepak ⇒ Deepak's father. Concept / Approach:If the gentleman's only brother is Deepak's father, then the gentleman is a brother of Deepak's father. A father’s brother is an uncle. Step-by-Step Solution: "My daughter's father" = me (Deepak)."Father of my daughter's father" = my father."His only brother is my father" ⇒ gentleman's only brother = my father.Thus gentleman = my father's brother ⇒ my uncle. Verification / Alternative check:Construct a small tree and label: Gentleman (G), Brother(G)=Deepak's father (F). Deepak is child of F. Relation G→Deepak = paternal uncle. Consistent. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Father/Grandfather mismatch generations; Brother-in-law requires spousal linkage, not present here; Cousin is horizontal but wrong branch. Common Pitfalls:Misreading "my daughter's father" as someone other than the male speaker. Final Answer:Uncle

Question 4

Blood relations – decode maternal branch precisely: Amit told to Alok, "Yesterday I defeated the only brother of the daughter of my grandmother." Whom did Amit defeat?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:The phrase "the daughter of my grandmother" identifies Amit's mother (if singular) or one of his maternal aunts. The "only brother" of that daughter is the maternal uncle. Given Data / Assumptions: Grandmother refers to Amit's maternal grandmother in the conventional reading. "The daughter" (singular) signals the mother when posed in such puzzles, or uniquely identifies the maternal branch whose brother is the maternal uncle. Concept / Approach:Grandmother → daughter ⇒ mother. The only brother of one's mother is one's maternal uncle. Step-by-Step Solution: Grandmother → (her) daughter = Amit's mother.Only brother of Amit's mother = Amit's maternal uncle.Therefore, Amit defeated his maternal uncle. Verification / Alternative check:If the grandmother had multiple daughters, "the daughter" would need specification. Standard test-convention interprets it as the mother unless otherwise noted; in either case, the daughter's only brother is still a maternal uncle of Amit. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Father/brother/son/father-in-law do not match the maternal-brother chain defined. Common Pitfalls:Switching to the paternal side or reading "grandmother's daughter" as "my daughter." Final Answer:My maternal uncle

Question 5

Blood relations – in-law via husband’s line: Pointing to a man, a lady said, "He is the son of my husband's daughter." How is the man related to this lady?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:The description moves from husband → husband's daughter → her son. We must determine how that boy relates to the lady. Given Data / Assumptions: Lady is married to the "husband" mentioned. Husband's daughter could be her own daughter (biological/step), but the relation of the daughter's son to the lady is the same: grandson. Concept / Approach:Child of one's (step)child is a grandchild. Hence the boy is the lady's grandson. Step-by-Step Solution: Husband → his daughter.Daughter → her son = the man pointed at.Relation to lady = grandson. Verification / Alternative check:Whether the daughter is step or biological to the lady doesn't change the kinship term in these puzzles: the child of the (husband’s) daughter is still the lady's grandson. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Son/nephew/cousin/distant options don't match the defined line via the daughter. Common Pitfalls:Confusing step-relations; puzzles typically treat the in-law/step child’s child as a grandchild for the kinship term. Final Answer:Grandson

Question 6

Blood relations – identifying in-law term: A lady meets a person in the market who is the wife of the brother of her husband. How is the lady related to the person?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This is a straightforward in-law identification. The person met is "the wife of the brother of her husband." Given Data / Assumptions: Her husband has a brother. The person is that brother's wife. Concept / Approach:The wife of one's husband's brother is commonly called a sister-in-law. Step-by-Step Solution: Husband → his brother ⇒ brother-in-law to the lady.Brother-in-law’s wife ⇒ the lady’s sister-in-law. Verification / Alternative check:All cultures may vary in specific terms, but aptitude puzzles use standard English kinship: brother’s wife = sister-in-law. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Cousin/sister/niece/aunt do not follow from the specified spousal link. Common Pitfalls:Confusing whether the sister-in-law is via one’s own sibling or spouse’s sibling; both are sister-in-law. Final Answer:Sister-in-law

Question 7

Blood relations – "sister’s son" chain: D said, "A's father is the only brother of my sister's son." How is A's father related to D?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:We map "my sister's son" to "my nephew," and then take the only brother of that nephew, and compare to D. Given Data / Assumptions: D has a sister; her son is D's nephew. A's father is the only brother of that nephew. Concept / Approach:Brothers of one nephew are also nephews (to D). Hence A's father is D's nephew. Then A is D's grand-nephew/niece; but the question is about A's father and D. Step-by-Step Solution: My sister's son = my nephew.Only brother of my nephew ⇒ another nephew (unique).A's father = that unique nephew ⇒ A's father is D's nephew. Verification / Alternative check:A simple family graph confirms that both siblings (the nephew and his brother) are nephews to D. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Cousin/uncle invert or move to wrong generation; data is fully adequate. Common Pitfalls:Reading "sister's son" as cousin; it is a nephew from D's perspective. Final Answer:Nephew

Question 8

Symbolic relations – express "N is the aunt of M": Rules: A x D ⇒ A is sister of D; A + D ⇒ D is daughter of A; A ÷ D ⇒ A is mother of D. Choose the correct expression for "N is the aunt of M."

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:We need to encode "N is the aunt of M" using given operators. An aunt is the sister of a parent of M. Given Data / Assumptions: x ⇒ left is sister of right. ÷ ⇒ left is mother of right. + ⇒ right is daughter of left (not used here). Concept / Approach:Aunt(N, M) ⇔ ∃ L such that N is sister of L and L is a (female) parent of M. We can assert L is mother of M with L ÷ M. Then assert N x L (N sister of L). Composition order in the option should reflect both relations. Step-by-Step Solution: Choose some L who is a mother of M: L ÷ M.Make N the sister of L: N x L.Combined: N x L ÷ M. Verification / Alternative check:Check each option: "N x L ÷ M" states exactly "N sister of L" and "L mother of M". Others either make the sister someone else or flip mother/child. Why Other Options Are Wrong:"L x N ÷ M" makes L the sister of N, still OK for siblings, but the focus is N as aunt; however reading left-to-right, it places L as sister and mother, making L the aunt-like figure of another child, not necessarily fixing N's aunt status in the composed statement as intended by the puzzle's convention. The provided correct option is the standard encoding. Common Pitfalls:Forgetting that "÷" binds motherhood (parent) and that aunt requires sister-of-parent. Final Answer:N x L ÷ M

Question 9

Blood relations – father’s line to find sibling: Introducing Rajesh, Neha said, "His brother's father is the only son of my grandfather." How is Neha related to Rajesh?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:We equate "his brother's father" to "his father," and match that to "the only son of my grandfather," which is Neha's father. Then we compare Rajesh and Neha. Given Data / Assumptions: "His" refers to Rajesh. His brother's father = Rajesh's father. Only son of Neha's grandfather = Neha's father. Concept / Approach:If Rajesh's father is the same person as Neha's father, Rajesh and Neha share a father ⇒ they are siblings. With Neha female, she is Rajesh's sister. Step-by-Step Solution: His brother's father = his father.Neha's grandfather → only son = Neha's father.Thus Rajesh's father = Neha's father ⇒ Rajesh and Neha are siblings. Verification / Alternative check:Even if mothers differ, sharing the same father still yields the sibling relation for these puzzles. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Daughter/mother/niece require extra generational steps not stated. Common Pitfalls:Misreading "only son of my grandfather" as an uncle rather than her father. Final Answer:Sister

Question 10

Blood relations – mapping to maternal grandmother: A man said to a woman, "Your brother's only sister is my mother." What is the relation of the woman with the man's maternal grandmother?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:We first identify who the woman is to the man and then infer her relation to the man's maternal grandmother. Given Data / Assumptions: "Your brother's only sister is my mother." If the woman's brother has only one sister, and that person is the man's mother, then the woman is that only sister ⇒ the man's mother. Concept / Approach:If the woman is the man's mother, her relation to the man's maternal grandmother (the woman's own mother) is simply "daughter." Step-by-Step Solution: Woman's brother → only sister = woman (unique).Given "only sister is my mother" ⇒ woman = man's mother.Man's maternal grandmother = woman's mother ⇒ woman is her daughter. Verification / Alternative check:Family tree labels confirm: GM (maternal) → Mother (woman) → Man. Relation asked is Daughter. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Mother/sister/niece/granddaughter misplace generations relative to the grandmother. Common Pitfalls:Assuming multiple sisters; the statement specifies "only sister." Final Answer:Daughter

Question 11

Blood relations – from photo clue to spousal relation: Pointing to a photograph, a lady tells Pramod, "I am the only daughter of this lady and her son is your maternal uncle." How is the speaker related to Pramod's father?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:The photograph description identifies a grandmother; the speaker is her only daughter, and that woman's son is Pramod's maternal uncle. We must relate the speaker to Pramod's father. Given Data / Assumptions: "Her son is your maternal uncle" ⇒ The lady in the photo is Pramod's maternal grandmother. "I am the only daughter of this lady" ⇒ Speaker is Pramod's mother. Concept / Approach:If the speaker is Pramod's mother, then relative to Pramod's father, she is his wife. Step-by-Step Solution: Photo lady = Pramod's maternal grandmother.Speaker = only daughter of GM ⇒ Pramod's mother.Relation to Pramod's father = wife. Verification / Alternative check:Pramod's maternal uncle is the son of his maternal grandmother; consistent only if the grandmother identified is on the mother's side and the speaker is the mother. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Sister/sister-in-law/aunt/mother relate to Pramod, not specifically to Pramod's father as asked; the correct spousal relation is Wife. Common Pitfalls:Answering with relation to Pramod instead of to his father. Final Answer:Wife

Question 12

Blood relations – "father’s only daughter" uniqueness: Introducing Sarita, Meena said, "She is the only daughter of my father's only daughter." How is Meena related to Sarita?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:The focal phrase is "my father's only daughter." If Meena's father has only one daughter, that daughter must be Meena herself. Then Sarita is the only daughter of Meena. Given Data / Assumptions: Meena is female (by name convention). "My father's only daughter" ⇒ Meena herself. "She is the only daughter of (Meena)" ⇒ the referenced girl (Sarita) is Meena's daughter. Concept / Approach:Replace the nested clause with the speaker: Sarita is the only daughter of Meena. Therefore Meena is Sarita's mother. Step-by-Step Solution: Father → only daughter = Meena.Sarita = only daughter of Meena.Relation asked: Meena to Sarita ⇒ Mother. Verification / Alternative check:No other daughter can exist for Meena's father by "only," so Meena is uniquely identified; Sarita as Meena's daughter is then certain. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Aunt/cousin/niece require a different branch or generation; "Data inadequate" is incorrect because uniqueness is explicit. Common Pitfalls:Confusing "(my) father's only daughter" with "my father's daughter" plural or with a sister. Final Answer:Mother

Question 13

Blood relations – mother’s only son → his son: Pointing to a boy in a photograph, Akhil says, "He is the son of my mother's only son." How is Akhil related to that boy?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:We translate "my mother's only son" to identify a unique male: if Akhil is male, he is that only son. Then the boy is the son of that person. Given Data / Assumptions: Akhil is male. "My mother's only son" ⇒ Akhil himself (unique). The boy is the son of that only son. Concept / Approach:If the boy is the son of Akhil (the only son), then Akhil is the boy's father. Step-by-Step Solution: Mother → only son = Akhil.Boy = son of Akhil.Relation asked: Akhil to boy ⇒ Father. Verification / Alternative check:If "only son" were another male, Akhil would not be male or would be a different child, contradicting the naming convention used in such puzzles. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Uncle/brother/cousin/grandfather describe other branches or generations not supported by the statement. Common Pitfalls:Overlooking the exclusivity of "only" and erroneously placing Akhil as a sibling of that only son. Final Answer:Father

Question 14

Blood relations – grandfather’s only child → his son: Pointing to a boy, Namrata says, "He is the son of my grandfather's only child." How is the boy related to Namrata?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:We decode the chain "grandfather's only child" which identifies exactly one parent of Namrata, and then take that person's son. Given Data / Assumptions: Grandfather has exactly one child ⇒ that person is Namrata's parent (father or mother). The boy is the son of that parent. Concept / Approach:Child of one's parent = sibling. Since the child is male, he is a brother of Namrata. Step-by-Step Solution: Grandfather → only child = parent of Namrata.Boy = son of that parent ⇒ Namrata's brother. Verification / Alternative check:If the only child were not a parent of Namrata, Namrata would not be a descendant of this grandfather; that contradicts the premise. Why Other Options Are Wrong:Cousin/uncle change branches or generations; "Son" would require Namrata to be the boy's mother; "Data inadequate" ignores the exclusivity of "only child." Common Pitfalls:Assuming "only child" refers to a sibling of a parent; it uniquely identifies the parent. Final Answer:Brother

Question 15

D says: “A's father is the only brother of my sister's son.” Based on this statement, determine how A's father is related to D. Choose the most precise relationship from the options.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:Blood-relation puzzles often compress multiple family links into a short sentence. The task is to translate the English into a clear kinship chain and then read off the exact relationship asked. Here, D says “A’s father is the only brother of my sister’s son.” We must identify how A’s father relates to D. Because everyday family terms can be ambiguous if read casually, we will decode terms carefully and verify the result against alternatives. Given Data / Assumptions: Speaker is D. D has a sister. D’s sister has a son (this person is D’s nephew). That nephew has an “only brother,” and that “only brother” is A’s father. All relations are within a standard, monogamous family context; no step/adoptive exceptions unless stated. Concept / Approach:Translate each phrase into a kinship arrow. “My sister’s son” points to D’s nephew. “Only brother of my sister’s son” means we are looking at this nephew’s brother, i.e., the other son of D’s sister. If D’s sister has two sons, those two are brothers to each other. One of them is explicitly called D’s sister’s son; the other is “the only brother” of that son. That “only brother” is identified as A’s father. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Let Nephew1 = D’s sister’s son (explicitly mentioned).2) The “only brother” of Nephew1 is Nephew2 (the second son of D’s sister).3) The problem states: A’s father = Nephew2.4) Therefore, A’s father is a son of D’s sister, i.e., he is D’s nephew. Verification / Alternative check:If A’s father were D’s cousin or uncle, the chain would have to pass through D’s parents or grandparents, but the sentence anchors everything to “my sister’s son,” locking the relation to D’s sister’s children. Hence “nephew” is uniquely determined. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Cousin: Cousins share grandparents with D; here the link runs through D’s sister’s child, not a sibling of D’s parent. Aunt: “Aunt” is female and generationally above or lateral from D; A’s father is male and below D’s sister. Data inadequate: The sentence is sufficient; no ambiguity remains after parsing. None of these: Not needed because “Nephew” fits perfectly. Common Pitfalls: Misreading “my sister’s son” as “my sister-in-law’s son.” It explicitly says “my sister.” Assuming “only brother” could be the same person; the phrase contrasts two distinct sons. Final Answer: Nephew

Question 16

Pointing to a photograph, Swati says: “He is the uncle of my brother’s sister.” How is the person in the photograph related to Swati?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:Photograph-based kinship questions rely on consistent parsing of phrases like “my brother’s sister.” Typically, “my brother’s sister” refers to the speaker herself (assuming full siblings). We must confirm that interpretation and then map “uncle of my brother’s sister” back to the speaker’s relationship with the man in the photograph. Given Data / Assumptions: Speaker: Swati. Phrase: “my brother’s sister.” Standard meaning of “uncle”: brother of a parent (paternal or maternal), or spouse of a parent’s sister. No trick usage of half-/step-siblings unless explicitly mentioned. Concept / Approach:Reduce nested possessives. “My brother’s sister” in an ordinary family where Swati and her brother share the same parents denotes Swati herself. Thus the sentence becomes “He is the uncle of me,” i.e., “the man is my uncle.” We then verify this against all alternatives. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Identify “my brother’s sister” = Swati (the speaker), assuming standard full-sibling context.2) “He is the uncle of Swati” ⇒ the photographed man is Swati’s uncle.3) From the options, “uncle” matches exactly. Verification / Alternative check:If Swati had meant a different sister (e.g., step-/half-), the puzzle would normally specify that. In typical reasoning tests, the unmarked term implies the usual full-sibling relation. Hence the direct simplification is valid. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Father-in-law: Would imply Swati is married and the man is her spouse’s father—no such clue is given. Brother: That would read “He is the brother of my brother’s sister,” which would reduce to “He is my brother,” but the prompt says “uncle of …,” not “brother of …”. Grand father: A grandfather is one generation above parents; the statement uses “uncle,” not “grandfather.” None of these: Unnecessary because “uncle” fits precisely. Common Pitfalls: Overthinking “brother’s sister.” In standard usage, it is the speaker herself. Confusing “uncle” with “brother-in-law.” “Uncle” refers to the parental generation, not the sibling generation. Final Answer: uncle

Question 17

Pointing to a lady, someone says: “She is the wife of my grandfather’s son.” How is that lady related to the speaker?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:Statements like “wife of my grandfather’s son” can describe two different people depending on whether “my grandfather’s son” is the speaker’s father or the speaker’s paternal/ maternal uncle. Without a distinguishing clue, the relationship cannot be uniquely determined. This item tests whether you notice such ambiguity and avoid jumping to a single answer. Given Data / Assumptions: Speaker references “my grandfather’s son.” That person could be the speaker’s father or the speaker’s uncle (since both are sons of the grandfather). The lady in question is the “wife” of that son. No extra hints are provided to identify which son is intended. Concept / Approach:Enumerate possibilities and see if the options converge on a single relationship. If “my grandfather’s son” = my father, then “wife of my grandfather’s son” = my mother. If “my grandfather’s son” = my uncle, then “wife of my grandfather’s son” = my aunt (uncle’s wife). As both are viable and nothing in the stem forces one branch, the correct logical conclusion is that the data is insufficient to choose uniquely between “mother” and “aunty.” Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Case 1: grandfather’s son = father → wife = mother → relation = mother.2) Case 2: grandfather’s son = uncle → wife = aunt → relation = aunty.3) Both cases fit the exact wording; the stem provides no disambiguator (e.g., “not my father,” “my father’s brother,” etc.). Verification / Alternative check:Check options: “mother” and “aunty” both appear, but selecting either would be speculative. The only logically safe choice is the meta-answer indicating insufficiency of data. Why Other Options Are Wrong: grandmother / sister: Do not follow from the construction “wife of my grandfather’s son.” aunty or mother (alone): Either could be correct in a specific family, but the stem does not specify which son of the grandfather is referenced. Common Pitfalls: Assuming the son must be the father—tests often include uncles in the same phrase. Ignoring that the puzzle expects recognition of ambiguous branching. Final Answer: Data inadequate

Question 18

Pointing to a photograph, a lady says: “This woman’s daughter’s brother is my husband.” How is “this woman” related to the lady?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This classic photograph riddle uses a chain of relations through a pair of siblings. The goal is to map the chain to a precise, single family role. Carefully rewriting the description helps prevent mistakes about who is whose child or sibling. Given Data / Assumptions: Speaker is a lady. She points to “this woman” in the photograph. She states: “This woman’s daughter’s brother is my husband.” Standard family structure; no step-/adoptive qualifiers unless stated. Concept / Approach:Work from the innermost relation: “this woman’s daughter” is one child of “this woman.” The “daughter’s brother” is another child of “this woman.” That son is, by the statement, the speaker’s husband. If a person’s son is your husband, that person is your mother-in-law (the husband’s mother). We then validate no alternative interpretation is needed. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Let W = “this woman.”2) W has a daughter D.3) D’s brother is S (the son of W).4) The lady says S is “my husband.”5) Therefore W is S’s mother, i.e., W is the husband’s mother → the lady’s mother-in-law. Verification / Alternative check:The chain does not mention the speaker’s own parents, eliminating mother/sister possibilities. The only consistent terminal role for W is the mother of the speaker’s spouse. Why Other Options Are Wrong: mother / sister: Would require W’s child to be the speaker or speaker’s sibling—contradicts “my husband.” niece: Reverses generations incorrectly. None of these: Not needed because “mother-in-law” fits exactly. Common Pitfalls: Misreading “daughter’s brother” as “daughter’s husband.” It clearly says “brother.” Losing track of pronouns; naming placeholders (W, D, S) avoids confusion. Final Answer: mother-in-law

Question 19

In the code below, “+” means “is the brother of”, “−” means “is the wife of”, and “*” means “is the mother of”. Which expression correctly represents “M is the brother-in-law of P”?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:Coded relations replace kinship words with symbols, and the job is to compose the correct chain that matches the target relationship. Here, “+” is brother-of, “−” is wife-of, and “*” is mother-of. We seek an expression meaning “M is the brother-in-law of P,” i.e., M is either (1) the brother of P’s spouse, or (2) the husband of P’s sister. We will test each option against the symbol legend and semantics. Given Data / Assumptions: A + B → A is the brother of B (A is male). A − B → A is the wife of B (A is female). A * B → A is the mother of B (A is female). “Brother-in-law of P” requires M to be male and related via spouse’s sibling or sibling’s spouse. Concept / Approach:Translate each candidate string from left to right into words and see if it implies “M is P’s brother-in-law.” Watch out for gender mismatches: “wife-of” and “mother-of” force the subject to be female, which cannot describe M if M must be a brother-in-law (male). Step-by-Step Solution: Option (a) M − N + P → M is the wife of N; N is the brother of P. M is female here, so cannot be “brother-in-law.” Reject.Option (b) M + N − P → M is the brother of N; N is the wife of P. If N is P’s wife, then M is the brother of P’s spouse ⇒ M is P’s brother-in-law. Fits perfectly.Option (c) M * N + P → M is the mother of N; N is the brother of P. M is female, so not brother-in-law. Reject.Option (d) M − P * N → M is the wife of P; P is the mother of N. This even makes P female; inconsistent and does not yield M as P’s brother-in-law. Reject. Verification / Alternative check:The only path that creates “brother of P’s spouse” with M male is option (b). The other patterns either force M to be female or break the intended in-law link. Why Other Options Are Wrong: (a), (c), (d) set M or P genders inconsistently with “brother-in-law.” None of these is unnecessary because (b) already satisfies the requirement. Common Pitfalls: Reading from right to left; here the natural read is left to right. Overlooking the gender constraints implied by “wife” and “mother.” Final Answer: M + N - P

Question 20

A, B, and C are sisters. D is the brother of E, and E is the daughter of B. How is A related to D?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This family-logic item links siblings across two generations. The key is to recognize that if E is B’s daughter and D is E’s brother, then D is also B’s child. Since A, B, C are sisters (same generation), A’s relation to B’s child D follows directly as an aunt–nephew/niece relation. Given Data / Assumptions: A, B, C are sisters (same generation). E is the daughter of B (so E is B’s child). D is the brother of E (so D is also a child of B). No half-/step- qualifiers are provided; assume standard full relations. Concept / Approach:Build a minimal family tree. One parent B has two children: E (daughter) and D (son). A is B’s sister. Therefore, A is the maternal aunt of E and D. The asked relation is specifically from A to D, which is “aunt.” Step-by-Step Solution: 1) From “E is the daughter of B,” place E under B.2) From “D is the brother of E,” place D also under B.3) From “A, B, C are sisters,” place A in the same generation as B, lateral to B.4) Relation from A to D (child of A’s sister B) is “aunt.” Verification / Alternative check:No other roles fit better: “sister” would require A and D to share parents; “cousin” would require A and B to be in the same generation but with different parents and D to be on a lateral branch of A’s generation, which is not the case here—D is one generation below B and A. “Niece” is reversed (would describe D’s view of A if D were female); the puzzle asks how A is related to D. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Sister: Different generations. cousin: Cross-generation mismatch. Niece: Reverse direction (D would be A’s nephew). None of these: Not needed; “Aunt” fits exactly. Common Pitfalls: Confusing “how A is related to D” with “how D is related to A.” Overlooking that siblings of a parent are aunts/uncles. Final Answer: Aunt

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