There are six children playing football, namely A, B, C, D, E and F. A and E are brothers and F is the sister of E. C is the only son of A's uncle. B and D are the daughters of the brother of C's father. How is D related to A?

Introduction / Context:

This puzzle-style question combines several family relationships and is framed around six children playing football. It tests whether you can correctly interpret terms like "uncle", "only son" and "brother of C's father", and then decide how one child (D) is related to another (A). Such questions check your ability to build a consistent mental family tree from multiple descriptive clues.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Children: A, B, C, D, E and F.
• A and E are brothers, so both are male siblings.
• F is the sister of E, so F is a female sibling of E (and thus also of A).
• C is the only son of A's uncle.
• B and D are daughters of the brother of C's father.
• All "uncles" are understood as brothers of A's parent, and all adults mentioned (like uncles and fathers) are outside the group of six children.

Concept / Approach:

We proceed by naming the adults symbolically. First we identify A's uncle and his child C. Then we identify "the brother of C's father" and his daughters B and D. When that brother is interpreted as another brother of A's parent (and not as A's own father), B and D become A's cousins. Finally, we choose the correct relation of D to A based on this family structure.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

To verify, imagine A's grandparents have three sons: P (A's parent), U (C's father) and X (B and D's father). Then C is a child of U, and B and D are children of X. All of them are grandchildren of the same grandparents, and so they are all cousins to one another and to A. This family tree matches all the clues and confirms that D is A's cousin.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

D cannot be A's sister, because D's father is an uncle of A, not A's parent.

D cannot be A's niece, because there is no indication that A is in an older generation than D; they are both described as children playing football.

D certainly cannot be A's uncle, as D is described as a daughter (female) and clearly in the same generation as the other children.

Common Pitfalls:

A common mistake is to assume that "the brother of C's father" must be A's father, which would incorrectly make D A's sister. However, the text never states that A has no other uncles. In exam-style family puzzles, such expressions usually refer to another uncle unless explicitly restricted. Always verify whether there is enough information to force a relative to be a parent, or whether they can simply be another sibling of that parent.

Final Answer:

D is related to A as a cousin.