Blood Relation

Learning Objectives

• Blood Relation
• Classification of Family/Blood Relations

 

Blood Relation

Family or Blood Relationship means persons connected by relations like - father-mother son - daughter, brother - sister, grandfather - grandmother, uncle - aunty, nephew – niece, brother- in - law, sister-in-law etc. The list can go on and on with addition of members from paternal side and maternal side.

Questions in reasoning on Family/Blood Relationship are about the relationship of a particular person with another person of the family, based on the chain of relationship between other members of that family.

The question depicts relationship among the various members of a family in a roundabout chain. The candidate is expected to find the relation between two particular persons mentioned in the question.

Examples are given below to understand the concept in a better way.

 

• Example:

1. Pointing to Kapil, Shilpa said, "His mother’s brother is the father of my son Ashish. How is Kapil related to Shilpa?

(a) Brother                                             (b) Nephew

(c) Nice                                                  (d) Aunt

(e) None of these

Ans. (b)

Explanation: Father of Shilpa’s son - Shilpa’s husband. So, Kapil is the son of sister of Shilpa’s husband. Thus, Kapil is Shilpa’s nephew.

 

2. Pointing to a woman, Naman said, "She is the daughter of the only child of my grandmother.” How is the woman related to Naman?

(a) Sister                                                (b) Niece

(c) Cousin                                              (d) Data inadequate

(e) None of these

Ans. (a)

Explanation: Only child of Naman’s grandmother - Naman’s father/mother.

Daughter of Naman’s father/mother - Naman’s sister.

 

 

Commonly Asked Question

1. A man said to lady, "Your mother’s husband’s sister is my aunt." How is the lady related to the man?

(a) Daughter                                           (b) Granddaughter

(c) Mother                                              (d) Sister

(e) None of these

Ans. (d)

Explanation: Lady’s mother’s husband - Lady’s father; Lady’s father’s sister - Lady’s aunt. So, lady’s aunt is man’s aunt and therefore lady is man’s sister.

 

2. Pointing to a gentleman, Deepak said, "His only brother is the father of my daughter’s father". How is the gentleman related to Deepak?

(a) Grandfather                                                  

(b) Father

(c) Brother-in-law                                               

(d) Uncle

(e) None of these

Ans. (d)

Explanation: Father of Deepak’s daughter’s father - Deepak’s father. So, the man’s brother is Deepak’s father or the man is the brother of Deepak’s father i.e., Deepak’s uncle.

 

3. 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?

(a) Sister-in-law                                                              

(b) Wife

(c) Either (a) or (b)                     

(d) Neither (a) nor (b)

(e) None of these

Ans. (b)

Explanation: Clearly, the speaker’s brother is Pramod’s maternal uncle. So, the speaker is Pramod’s mother or his father wife.

 

Classification of Family/Blood Relations

General: Family/Blood Relations tests largely depend on the candidate’s knowledge of family relations.

Various family relationships are described below to help the candidates to understand the relationships better and to attempt the questions based on them with confidence.

 

Some Common Terms

Meaning of some terms often used in questions on family relationship are given below:

• Parent-Mother or father
• Child - Son or daughter (even if an adult)
• Sibling - Brother or sister (Including half-brother and half-sister - one parent in common)
• Spouse - Husband or wife

 

Basic Relationships

Aunt, Uncle, Niece and Nephew

• Most English speakers use "uncle" for any of four relationships: father’s brother, mother’s brother, father’s sister’s husband, or mother’s sister’s husband.
• Again, "aunt" in English could mean father’s sister, mother’s sister, father’s brother’s wife, or mother’s brother’s wife.
• Brother’s or sister’s son is called nephew. Brother’s or sister’s daughter is called niece.
• Children of aunt or uncle are called cousins.

      In this test, the success of a candidate depends upon the knowledge of the blood relations, some of which are summarized below to help you solve these tests.

Mother’s or father’s son - Brother

Mother’s or father’s daughter- Sister

Mother’s or father’s brother - Uncle

Mother’s or father’s sister - Aunt

Mother’s or father’s mother - Grandmother

Mother’s or father’s father - Grandfather

Son’s wife - Daughter-in-law

Daughter’s husband - Son-in-law

Husband’s or wife’s brother - Brother-in-law

Sister’s or brother’s son – Nephew

Brother’s or Sister’s daughter – Niece

Uncle’s or aunt’s son or daughter-Cousin

Sister’s husband - Brother-in-law

Brother’s wife - Sister-in-law

 

Types of Questions on Blood Relations

Questions on Blood Relations are of the following types:

• Mixed-Up Relationship Descriptions
• Relationships Riddle
• Coded Relations

 

Type I

Mixed-Up Relationship Descriptions

• In questions of mixed up relationship descriptions, a cluttered and roundabout description of relationships is given. The candidate is required to decipher the whole chain of relations and identify the direct/ actual relationship between the concerned persons.
• A solved example of the mixed up relationship descriptions is given below to understand the concept and questions based on it.

 

1. Pointing to a gentleman, Dinesh said "His only brother is the father of my daughter’s father” How is the gentleman related to Dinesh?

(a) Uncle                                                (b) Grandfather

(c) Father                                               (d) Brother-in-law

(e) None of these

Ans.     (a)

Explanation: The gentleman’s only brother is the father of Dinesh (Dinesh daughter’s father is Dinesh himself.).

Gentleman is the brother of Dinesh’s father. Therefore, gentleman is Dinesh’s uncle. Hence, answer is (a).

 

Often the relationships are described in a round about way. Some examples of such descriptions and their actual/direct meaning is given below:

Only son of my grandfather - My Father

Only son of my grandmother - My Father

Only daughter of my grandfather - My Mother

Only daughter of my grandmother - My Mother

Sister of my mother - My Aunt

Son/Daughter of my husband - My son / daughter

Son/Daughter of my wife - My son / daughter

Only daughter of my grandfather’s only son - My Sister

Grandmother of my father’s only son - My Grandmother

Father of my daughter’s father - My Father

Father of my son’s father - My Father

My son’s sister-My daughter

Daughter-in-law of grandmother of my father’s only son - My Mother

A is the father of B but B is not the son of A - B is the daughter of A

 

2. Pointing to Ajay, Radha said, "His father is the only son of my grandfather". How is Radha related to Ajay?

(a) Brother                                             (b) Sister

(c) Mother                                              (d) Daughter

(e) None of these

Ans.     (b)

Explanation: When Radha’s Grandfather’s only son is Ajay’s father, then Ajay’s father is also the father of Radha. So Radha is Ajay’s sister. Hence, answer is (b). 

Traditional Method: We know, ‘Only son of my grandfather’ means ‘my father’. "His father is the only son of my grandfather" thus becomes. "His father is my father". So Radha is Ajay’s sister. Hence, answer is (b).

1. Lalita said to Tina, “you are the daughter-in-law of the grandmother of my father’s only son." How is Lalita related to Tina?

(a) Aunt                                                 (b) sister

(c) Mother                                               (d) indeterminable

(e) None of these

Ans.     (d)

Explanation: My father’s only son is my (Lalita’s) brother. Tina is daughter-in-law of grandmother of (Lalita’s) brother. Tina thus can be their mother (wife of grandmother’s only son). However as it is not mentioned that the grandmother has only one son, Tina can be the wife of grandmother’s other son i.e. Tina could also be their aunt. Hence, answer is (d).

 

2. Pointing to a photograph, Amar said, "I have no brother or sister but that man’s father is my father’s son." Whose photograph was it?

(a) His son’s                                           (b) His father’s

(c) His nephew’s                                     (d) His own

(e) None of these

Ans.     (a)

Explanation: Since Amar has no brother or sister so his father’s son is the man himself and so the man who is talking is the father of the man in the photograph i.e. the man in the photograph is his son. Hence, answer is (a).

 

3. Looking at the portrait of a man, Ashok said, ‘His mother is the wife of my father’s son. Brothers and sisters I have none’. At whose portrait was Ashok looking?

(a) His cousin                                         (b) His nephew

(c) His uncle                                           (d) Hisson

(e) None of these

Ans.     (d)

Explanation: My (Ashok’s) father’s son will be Ashok himself as he has no brother or sister. Ashok’s wife is mother of the portrait. The portrait is thus of Ashok’s own son. Hence, answer is (d).

 

4. Pointing to a photograph, Dili? Said, "She is the daughter of my grandfather’s only son/’ How is Dilip related to the girl in the photograph?

(a) Father                                               (b) Cousin

(c) Brother                                             (d) Data inadequate

(e) None of these

Ans.     (c)

Explanation: Grandfather’s only son i.e. father. Father’s daughter i.e. sister. Dilip is, thus brother to the girl in the photograph. Hence, answer is (c).

 

5. Pointing to a man in a photograph, Malati tells, "His brother’s father is the only son of my grandfather” How is Malati related to the man in the photograph?

(a) Sister                                                (b) Aunt

(c) Mother                                              (d) Daughter

(e) None of these

Ans.     (a)

Explanation: As the man’s father is the son of Malati’s grandfather, she is the man’s sister. Hence, answer is (a).

 

6. ‘Ashok’ meets Mr. ‘Babu’, ‘Babu’ is the father of a son named ‘Dharmendra’ and of a daughter named ‘Chandrika’. ‘Shalini’ is the mother of "Ashok". ‘Dharmendra’ is married and             having a son. "Shalini’ is the daughter-in-law of ‘Babu’. How is ‘Ashok’ related to ‘Babu’.

(a) Grandson                                          (b) Nephew

(c) Uncle                                                (d) Son

(e) None of these

Ans.     (a)

Explanation: ‘Shalini’ is daughter-in-law of ‘Babu’ and ‘Ashok’ is son of ‘Shalini’, so relation between ‘Ashok’ and ‘Babu’ is grandson. Hence, answer is (a).

 

Type II

Relationships Riddle

• In examples of Relationships Riddle type, relations between certain members of a family are described. Based on this, the candidate is expected to answer the given questions.
• The main difference in questions of ‘Mixed-Up Relationship Descriptions’ and ‘Relationships Riddle’ type is that, in the former, the relationships are described in a round about and complicated manner. (e. g. "the son of my father’s only son’, "His mother is the only daughter of your father." etc.). Whereas in the latter, the descriptions are simple but the number of relationships are more.

      A solved example of the Relationships Riddle is given below for understanding the concept.

 

• Example:

1. ‘Inder’ is the son of ‘Sukhvinder’ ‘Dhanpal is the son of ‘Babbar’ ‘Inder’ is married to ‘Chandrika’. ‘Chandrika’ is ‘Babbars’s daughter. How is ‘Dhanpal related to Inder’?

(a) Brother-in-law

(b) Uncle

(c) Brother

(d) Father-in-law

(e) None of these

Ans.     (a)

Explanation: Dhanpal’ is the son of ‘Babbar’ and Chandrika’ is ‘Babbars’s daughter. So Chandrika is Dhanpal’s sister. ‘Inder’ is married to ‘Chandrika’. So, Dhanpal is the Brother-in-law of Inder. Hence, answer is (a).

 

Basic Skills and Tips for Solving Questions on Relationships Riddle

The basic skills and tips for solving questions on Relationships Riddle are the same as that for questions of Mixed-Up Relationship Descriptions type. Please refer to the guidelines given earlier in ‘Mixed-Up Relationship Descriptions’, particularly those related to:

• Drawing family Tree.
• Using arrows and short forms to indicate the nature of relationships.
• Properly understanding the relationship between which two persons is exactly required to be found out in the question.
• After the answer is found, quickly check back the answers with the relevant information given in the question.

 

Example:

1. R’s father is G’s son. H is the paternal uncle of R and M is brother of G. How is M related to H?

(a) Nephew                                            (b) Brother

(c) Cousin                                              (d) Paternal uncle

(e) None of these

Ans.     (d)

Explanation:

                        

R’s father is G’s son. So, G is R’s grandfather. H is paternal uncle of R. So, H is the brother of ‘R’s father. This means that H is also G’s son. M is the brother of G. Thus, M is the paternal uncle of H.

 

Direction: Read the following statements and answer the given questions.

• A is the son of P.
• B is P’s sister.
• B has a son Q and a daughter
• R is the maternal uncle Of Q.

 1. How is A related to Q?

(a) Cousin Brother                                   (b) Nephew

(c) Brother                                             (d) Uncle

(e) None of these

 2. How is C related to R?

(a) Daughter                                           (b) Nephew

(c) Niece                                                (d) Sister

(e) None of these

 

• What it is the relationship of P with C and Q?

(a) Paternal Uncle                                   (b) Father

(c) Brother                                             (d) Maternal Uncle

(e) None of these

 3. How many nephews does R have?

(a) 1                                                      (b) 2

(c) 3                                                                  (d) 5

(e) None of these

 4. How many brothers does B have?

(a) 4                                                      (b) 1

(c) 2                                                      (d) 3

(e) None of these

Explanation: It is better to draw the family chart to understand the given relationships clearly:
 

In the chart given above we can see that P has only one son A. B is the only sister of P and R.

Also B has one son Q and one daughter C. So R and P are the maternal uncle of Q and C.

(i)  Answers A is correct. A is the cousin brother of Q.

(ii) Answers C is correct. C is the niece of R.

(iii) Answers D is correct. P is the maternal uncle of C and Q both

(iv) Answers B is correct. R has two nephews, A and Q.

(v) Answers C is correct B has two brothers, P and R.

 

Type III

Symbolically Coded Relations

In Symbolically Coded Relations questions, the relationships between certain members of the family are indicated by symbols like etc. The candidate is required to understand the codes/ symbols assigned to the relationships and decipher the other relationship expressed to such codes or express another given relationships in the symbolic code form.

A solved example of the Symbolically Coded Relations is given below for understanding the concept

Direction: Following question are based on the information given below:

(i)  \['P\times Q'\]means ‘P is the father of Q’

(ii) \['pQ'\]means ‘P is the sister of Q’

(iii) \['P+Q'\]means ‘P is the mother of Q’

(iv)  \['P\div Q'\]means’ P is brother of Q’

 

1. In the expression B + D x M - N, how is M related to B?

(a) Granddaughter

(b) Son

(c) Grandson

(d) Granddaughter or Grandson

(e) None of these

Ans.     (c)

Explanation: \[B+D\times M\div N\]means B is the mother of D who is the father of M, who, in turn, is the brother of N. Thus, M is the son of D, whose mother is B i.e. M is B’s grandson.

 

2. Which of the following represents ‘J is son of F?

(a) \[J\div R-T\times F\]                                        (b) \[J+R-T\times F\]

(c) \[J\div M-N\times F\]                           (d) Cannot be determined

(e) None of these

Ans.     (e)

Explanation: \[J\div R-T\times F\]means J is the brother of R who is the sister of T who is the father of F i.e. J is the uncle of F.

\[J+R-T\times F\]means J is the mother of R who is the sister of T who is the father of F i.e. J is the grandmother of F.

\[J\div M-N\times F\]means J is the brother of M who is the sister of N who is the father of F i.e. J is the uncle of F.

‘J is son of F’ means F is the mother/father of J who is a male (brother of some person A) i.e. \[F\times J\div A\,\,or\,\,F+J\div A.\]

 

3. Which of the following represents ‘R is niece of M’?

(a) \[M\div K\times T-R\]                                      (b) \[M-J+R-N\]

(c) \[R-M\times T\div W\]                                     (d) Cannot be determined

(e) None of these

Ans.     (b)

Explanation: R is niece of M means R is the daughter of the brother or sister of M i.e. \[M-J+R-N\]or \[M-J\times R-N\]or \[M\div K+R-M\div K\times R-N.\]

 

Commonly Asked Questions

Read the following information carefully and answer the questions given below:

(i)  \['A=B'\]means ‘A is the son of B’.

(ii) \['A+B'\]means ‘A is the brother of B’.

(iii) \['A\times B'\]means ‘A is the sister of B’.

(iv) \['A\div B'\]means ‘A is the mother of B’.

(v) \['A-B'\]means ‘A is the wife of B’.

 

1. What does \[\mathbf{P+R\div Q}\]indicate?

(a) P is the nephew of Q                          (b) P is the uncle of Q

(c) P is the brother of Q                                       (d) P is the father of Q

(e) None of these                                                            

Ans.     (b)

Explanation: \[P+R\div Q\]means P is the brother of R who is the mother of Q i.e. P is the uncle of Q. Hence, the answer is (b).

 

2. What does \[\mathbf{P=R-Q}\]indicate?

(a) Q is the uncle of P                              (b) Q. is the son of P

(c) Q is the father P                                (d) Q is the brother of P

(e) None of these

Ans.     (c)

Explanation: \[P=R-Q\]means P is the son of R who is the wife of Q i.e. Q. is the father of P. Hence, the answer is (c).

 

3. What does \[\mathbf{P}\times \mathbf{R}\div \mathbf{Q}\]indicate?

(a) Q is the niece of P                              (b) P is the sister of Q

(c) Q is the daughter of P                         (d) P is the aunt of Q

(e) None of these

Ans.     (d)

Explanation: \[P\times R\div Q\]means P is the sister of R who is-the mother of Q. i.e. P is the aunt of Q. Hence, the answer is (d).

 

4. What does \[\mathbf{P\times R=Q}\]indicate?

(a) P is the aunt of Q                               (b) P is the sister of Q  

(c) P is the daughter of Q                         (d) P is the niece of Q

(e) None of these                                                             

Ans.     (c)

Explanation: \[P\times R=Q\]means P is the sister of R who is the son of Q Le, P is the, daughter of Q. Hence, the answer is (c).