By Garima Pal

Logical reasoning is an indispensable part of any aptitude exam. These questions are simple and scoring if your concepts are clear. The only catch is that you do not have a lot of time to spend on any question(s), so you must solve as you read.

Logical reasoning questions, like mathematical questions, must be solved step by step by using symbols and short forms.

Since Indian families are huge, the first task that you should undertake is creation of your own family chart. You could pick up an old wedding album or attend a family gathering in order to figure out how you are related to a particular member of your family.

In the above family chart, the following symbols have been used to denote relationships amongst members:

Squares have been drawn around the names of the male members and the female members have been encircled.

Next, you must do this task by attaching English titles to your relatives. For example: your mother’s sister (masi) is your aunt, so is your father’s sister ( bua) . Your masi is your maternal aunt and your bua would be the paternal aunt. Similarly, you must segregate both sets of grandparents.

You must also be able to identify siblings of your grandparents. For example: your grandfather’s brother is your father’s uncle so he would be your grand uncle.

The same title can be used for more than one relative. For example: your paternal aunt’s husband would be your father’s brother-in-law. Also, your mother’s brother (your maternal uncle) would be your father’s brother-in-law.

In order to understand the relationship given in the question with ease, it is advisable to draw a flowchart as you read.

While identifying relations, you can go through the exercise by moving downward from your grandparents’ generation to your parents’ generation and finally your own.

For example: your grandparents may have more than one grandchild. It is your task to determine how you are related to each of the grandchildren. It could be a cousin brother/sister or your own sibling.

You must also understand that the relations created by marriage are relations in law.

For example: when your mother married into your father’s family, your father’s parents and siblings (father’s existing blood relations) became your mother’s in-laws.

Once you are clear with the relations in your family and their respective titles, you’ll be in a better position to get started with questions regarding the same.

Now let us study certain questions that have been asked in Clat exams over the years:

EXAMPLE 1 [CLAT 2016]

(i) In a joint family, A, B, C, D, E, and F are the members. B is the son of C. A and C are husband and wife. C is not the mother of B. E is the brother of C. D is the daughter of A and F is the brother of B.

Which of the following is a pair of females in the family?

(a) AE

(b) AD

(c) DF

(d) BD

Answer: (b)

(ii) Who is the mother of B?

(a) D

(b) F

(c) A

(d) E

Answer: (c)

EXAMPLE 2 [CLAT 2015]

The son of M is the father of N and grandfather (mother’s father) of R. S is the daughter of N and sister of B. on the basis of this information, how is M related to B?

1. Grandfather
2. Grandmother
3. Grandmother’s mother
4. None of the above

Answer: (d)

EXAMPLE 3 [CLAT 2014]

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

1. His father’s
2. His own
3. His son’s
4. His nephew’s

Answer: (c)

EXAMPLE 4 [CLAT 2014]

Ranjan introduces Abhay as the son of the only brother of his father’s wife. How is Abhay related to Ranjan?

1. Son
2. Brother
3. Cousin
4. uncle

Answer: (c)

EXAMPLE 5 [CLAT 2015]

Pointing to a lady on the stage, Bhumika said,” She is the sister of the son of the wife of my husband. How is the lady related to Bhumika?

1. Cousin
2. Sister-in-law
3. Sister
4. daughter

Answer: (d)

EXAMPLE 6 [CLAT 2015]

Pinky, who is victor’s daughter, says to Lucy, “Your mother Rosy is the younger sister of my father, who is the third child of Joseph”. How is Joseph related to Luy?

1. Father-in-law
2. Father
3. Maternal uncle
4. grandfather

Answer: (d)

EXAMPLE 7 [CLAT 2015]

Pramod told Vinod,” yesterday I defeated the only brother of the daughter of my grandmother.” whom did pramod defeat?

1. Father
2. Son
3. Father-in-law
4. cousin

Answer: (a)

EXAMPLE 8 [CLAT 2009]

Pointing to a photograph, a lady tells Ram, “I am the only daughter of this lady and her son is  your maternal uncle”. How is the speaker related to Ram’s father?

1. Sister-in-law
2. Wife
3. Either (a) or (b)
4. Neither (a) nor (b)

Answer: (b)

EXAMPLE 9 [CLAT 2009]

Introducing a man, a woman said, “ He is the only son of my mother’s mother”. How is the woman related to the man?

1. Mother
2. Aunt
3. Sister
4. niece

Answer: (d)

EXAMPLE 10 [CLAT 2009]

Shyam said, “ This girl is the wife of the grandson of my mother.” who is Shyam to the girl?

1. Father
2. Grandfather
3. Husband
4. father-in-law

Answer: (d)

EXAMPLE 11 [CLAT 2009]

Pointing to a man on the stage, sunita said,”He is the brother of the daughter of the wife of my husband”. How is the man on the stage related to Sunita?

1. Son
2. Husband
3. Cousin
4. nephew

Answer: (a)

EXAMPLE 12 [CLAT 2009]

Introducing a man to her husband, a woman said,” His brother’s father is the only son of my grandfather”. How is the woman related to his man?

1. Mother
2. Aunt
3. Sister
4. daughter

Answer:  (c)   

CLATapult – CLAT coaching in Kolkata hopes you found these Logical Reasoning: Blood relationship questions helpful. For any further queries do not hesitate to contact us!

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