In the letter analogy "AEG : GKM :: MQS : ____", which group of letters completes the same +6 shift pattern?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: SWY

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This analogy involves a fixed forward shift in the alphabet for each letter in a group. The pair "AEG : GKM" shows how each letter in AEG is transformed into the corresponding letter in GKM. You must discover the shift pattern and then apply it to the second group, MQS, to choose the correct related letters. This is a classic letter coding problem often seen in reasoning exams.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • First pair: AEG is mapped to GKM.
  • Second group: MQS must be mapped using the same rule.
  • Alphabet positions: A = 1, B = 2, ..., Z = 26.
  • The same shift is applied to each letter within a group.


Concept / Approach:
Convert letters to their positions. For AEG, positions are A = 1, E = 5 and G = 7. For GKM, positions are G = 7, K = 11 and M = 13. Calculate differences: from 1 to 7 is plus 6, from 5 to 11 is plus 6, from 7 to 13 is plus 6. The rule is therefore clear: every letter in the first group is shifted six places forward. To maintain the analogy, we apply this plus 6 shift to each letter of MQS.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Write letter positions for M, Q and S: M = 13, Q = 17, S = 19. Add 6 to M: 13 + 6 = 19, which corresponds to S. Add 6 to Q: 17 + 6 = 23, which corresponds to W. Add 6 to S: 19 + 6 = 25, which corresponds to Y. Combine S, W and Y to form SWY as the related group of letters.


Verification / Alternative check:
Examine each option. SWZ changes the last letter to Z, which would require S to move from 19 to 26, a shift of 7 rather than 6. ZWQ and SWB involve larger or inconsistent shifts that do not match the plus 6 rule. SVY uses 19 to 22 for the second letter, which is a plus 3 shift, not plus 6. Only SWY maintains a uniform shift of six positions from the original letters M, Q and S.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Any option that does not result from adding exactly six to each original letter position breaks the discovered pattern. Since an analogy must reflect the same transformation in both examples, mixed or unequal shifts cannot be accepted. The incorrect options are carefully designed distractors that look similar but do not preserve the precise arithmetic relationship.


Common Pitfalls:
Common mistakes include counting the letters inaccurately, forgetting to use the same shift for all letters, or being tempted by groups that look similar but do not fully satisfy the pattern. Writing the positions explicitly and checking each step helps avoid these errors and leads to the correct answer quickly.


Final Answer:
The analogy is completed as "AEG : GKM :: MQS : SWY".

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