Introduction
Relationship Comparison questions require you to examine two or more relationship statements and decide whether they describe the same relation, different relations, opposite directions, or whether the relation cannot be determined.
This pattern is important because many exams phrase equivalent relationships differently - reversing direction, switching genders, or omitting clues. Understanding comparison helps avoid errors and speeds up evaluation.
Pattern: Relationship Comparison
Pattern
Key concept: Build each relationship independently, normalize direction (who → whom), and then compare their relational meaning.
Common checks:
- Is the direction reversed? (A → B vs B → A)
- Is gender explicitly stated or implied?
- Is there a generation shift? (parent vs child)
- Can the relation be expressed with a neutral term (sibling/child/parent)?
Step-by-Step Example
Question
Statement 1: A is the brother of B.
Statement 2: B is the sister of A.
Which is correct?
(A) Same relationship (B) Different relationship (C) Opposite relationship (D) Cannot be determined
Solution
-
Step 1: Decode Statement 1.
A is the brother of B → A and B are siblings; A is male. -
Step 2: Decode Statement 2.
B is the sister of A → A and B are siblings; B is female. -
Step 3: Normalize and compare.
Both statements describe the same underlying relationship: A and B are siblings. Gender words differ, but the relational type is identical. -
Final Answer:
Same relationship → Option A -
Quick Check:
Both statements reduce to “A ↔ B are siblings.” ✔
Quick Variations
1. **Direction swap:** “A is father of B” vs “B is son of A” → Same (direction reversed, meaning same).
2. **Gender ambiguity:** “A is brother of B” vs “B is sibling of A” → Same (neutral term removes ambiguity).
3. **Generation trap:** “A is cousin of B” vs “B is uncle of A” → Different (not matching relation type).
4. **Blood vs marital:** “A is sister-in-law of B” vs “B is sister of A” → Different (in-law ≠ blood).
Trick to Always Use
- Step 1 → Convert each statement into arrow form: Person → Relation → Person (e.g., A → brother → B).
- Step 2 → Rewrite reversed forms in the same left→right direction before comparing.
- Step 3 → Replace gendered terms with neutral forms when checking equivalence (brother/sister → sibling; son/daughter → child).
- Step 4 → If critical gender/generation clues are missing, select “Cannot be determined”.
Summary
Summary
Key takeaways:
- Always decode each statement independently before comparing.
- Normalize direction (A → B vs B → A) to avoid misinterpretation.
- Watch for generation differences - they usually change the relationship type.
- Use gender-neutral terms or DNT when information is incomplete.
- Arrow normalization is the fastest method under exam conditions.
Hint: If the pair describes the same marriage, relation = same.
Common Mistakes: Thinking reverse direction changes the meaning.