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Relationship Chain

Introduction

Relationship Chain problems present several people connected by a series of relationships (parent, sibling, spouse, etc.). You must follow the chain link-by-link to arrive at the final relation between two specified people.

This pattern is important because real exam questions often pack many links into one statement - mastering chain-tracing saves time and avoids mistakes.

Pattern: Relationship Chain

Pattern

Key concept: Translate each clause into a short relation, build a directional chain or mini-tree, then traverse from the source to the target step-by-step.

Workflow: Parse → Translate → Draw/Map → Traverse → Verify.

Step-by-Step Example

Question

A is the father of B. B is the sister of C. C is the mother of D. How is A related to D?
(A) Grandfather (B) Uncle (C) Grandmother (D) Cannot be determined

Solution

  1. Step 1: Parse each clause.

    A → father of B. B → sister of C (so B and C are siblings; B is female). C → mother of D (so C is female and parent of D).

  2. Step 2: Translate into a small family map.

    A (male) → parent of B. B (female) ↔ sibling of C. C (female) → parent of D.

  3. Step 3: Traverse from A to D.

    A is parent of B → B is sibling of C → C is parent of D. So A is parent of C (because parent of one sibling is parent of the other) and thus A is grandparent of D.

  4. Final Answer:

    Grandfather → Option A.

  5. Quick Check:

    If B and C are siblings and A is B’s father, A is also C’s father → father of D’s mother = grandfather ✅

Quick Variations

1. Chains mixing spouses and blood relations (e.g., "P is husband of Q; Q is sister of R; R is mother of S").

2. Chains with generational skips (e.g., "A is grandfather of B; B is father of C").

3. Circular or reciprocal statements that require consistency checks.

4. Symbolic codes combined with chains (convert codes first, then chain).

Trick to Always Use

  • Step 1 → Write each relation as a short phrase (e.g., "A → father of B").
  • Step 2 → Draw a quick tree showing generations (parents above, siblings side-by-side).
  • Step 3 → Check direction and gender at each link; if gender is unknown and gendered options exist, choose "Cannot be determined".
  • Step 4 → Reverse-check your result by reading backward from the target.

Summary

Summary

  • Always parse and translate before connecting relations.
  • Use a mini-diagram to visualize multi-link chains clearly.
  • Apply gender logic carefully at every link.
  • Reverse-check your final answer to confirm correctness.

Example to remember:
If A is father of B, B sister of C, and C mother of D → A is D’s grandfather.

Practice

(1/5)
1. A is the father of B. B is the sister of C. C is the father of D. How is A related to D?
easy
A. Grandfather
B. Father
C. Uncle
D. Cannot be determined

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode each relation.

    A → father of B; B → sister of C; C → father of D.

  2. Step 2: Connect the chain.

    A → father of B (female) and C (male); C → father of D → A is father of D’s father.

  3. Step 3: Identify generation and gender.

    A → two generations above D and male → grandfather.

  4. Final Answer:

    Grandfather → Option A.

  5. Quick Check:

    Father of father = grandfather ✅
Hint: Father of father = grandfather.
Common Mistakes: Confusing father with grandfather.
2. P is the mother of Q. Q is the brother of R. R is the father of S. How is P related to S?
easy
A. Mother
B. Grandmother
C. Aunt
D. Cannot be determined

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode relationships.

    P → mother of Q; Q → brother of R; R → father of S.

  2. Step 2: Link them together.

    P → parent of Q and R; R → parent of S → P → grandparent of S.

  3. Step 3: Apply gender logic.

    P is female → grandmother.

  4. Final Answer:

    Grandmother → Option B.

  5. Quick Check:

    Mother of father = grandmother ✅
Hint: Mother of father/mother = grandmother.
Common Mistakes: Selecting mother instead of grandmother.
3. X is the son of Y. Y is the sister of Z. Z is the mother of W. How is X related to W?
easy
A. Uncle
B. Cousin
C. Brother
D. Cannot be determined

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode the chain.

    X → son of Y; Y → sister of Z; Z → mother of W.

  2. Step 2: Connect the relationships.

    Y and Z are sisters → X is child of Y; W is child of Z → both are children of sisters.

  3. Step 3: Determine generation and gender.

    X and W are in the same generation; X is male → cousin brother → cousin.

  4. Final Answer:

    Cousin → Option B.

  5. Quick Check:

    Children of sisters are cousins ✅
Hint: Children of sisters (or brothers) are cousins.
Common Mistakes: Assuming one generation difference and selecting uncle.
4. L is the brother of M. M is the father of N. N is the sister of O. How is L related to O?
medium
A. Uncle
B. Brother
C. Father
D. Grandfather

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode statements.

    L → brother of M; M → father of N; N → sister of O.

  2. Step 2: Connect generations.

    L and M are same generation (brothers); M is father of O’s sibling (N) → L is father’s brother → uncle.

  3. Step 3: Gender logic.

    L male → uncle.

  4. Final Answer:

    Uncle → Option A.

  5. Quick Check:

    Father’s brother = uncle ✅
Hint: Brother of father = uncle.
Common Mistakes: Selecting brother instead of uncle.
5. R is the wife of S. S is the brother of T. T is the father of U. How is R related to U?
medium
A. Mother
B. Aunt
C. Sister
D. Grandmother

Solution

  1. Step 1: Decode each link.

    R → wife of S; S → brother of T; T → father of U.

  2. Step 2: Connect the relations.

    R is wife of T’s brother → R is aunt of U.

  3. Step 3: Confirm generation.

    R is one generation above U → aunt.

  4. Final Answer:

    Aunt → Option B.

  5. Quick Check:

    Wife of father’s brother = aunt ✅
Hint: Wife of father’s brother = aunt.
Common Mistakes: Choosing grandmother instead of aunt.

Mock Test

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