In a simple letter shift code, each letter of a word is replaced by the letter that comes immediately after it in the English alphabet (so L becomes M, I becomes J, G becomes H, H becomes I, and T becomes U). Under this coding, LIGHT is written as MJHIU. Using the same rule, what is the code for the word NORMAL?

Introduction / Context:
This question uses a very common type of substitution cipher in which each letter is shifted forward by one position in the alphabet. The example given, LIGHT to MJHIU, demonstrates how this shift works on a five letter word. To solve the problem, we apply the exact same shift of one position forward to every letter in the word NORMAL and then match the resulting sequence with one of the options.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The code uses the rule: each letter moves one step forward in the alphabet. • LIGHT is coded as MJHIU. • Target word: NORMAL. • Alphabet order: A, B, C, …, Z, with wraparound if needed.

Concept / Approach:
We verify the rule using the given example. For each letter in LIGHT, we check that the code letter is indeed the next one in the alphabet. Once confirmed, we apply the same +1 shift to every letter in NORMAL. The resulting letters in sequence form the required six letter code. This is an example of a Caesar shift cipher with a shift of one.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Verify the pattern for LIGHT. L becomes M, I becomes J, G becomes H, H becomes I, T becomes U. Step 2: All letters in LIGHT have been shifted by one position forward, so the coding rule is confirmed. Step 3: Write the letters of NORMAL: N, O, R, M, A, L. Step 4: Shift each letter by one position: N becomes O. Step 5: O becomes P. Step 6: R becomes S. Step 7: M becomes N. Step 8: A becomes B. Step 9: L becomes M. Step 10: Combining the shifted letters in order gives O P S N B M. Step 11: Therefore the code for NORMAL is OPSNBM.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare the derived code with the answer choices and see that only OPSNBM exactly matches the one step forward shift for every letter in NORMAL. None of the other options is formed by consistently shifting each letter by one position, so the code is uniquely determined.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option ORNMAL seems to play with the letters of NORMAL itself without using a consistent shift. Option ORSBNM mixes letters but does not correspond to a uniform one step shift of the original letters. Option MNROLA looks like a rearrangement of some original letters rather than a shifted version. Option OPTSBM changes some letters in the wrong direction and breaks the consistent +1 shift pattern.

Common Pitfalls:
One frequent mistake is to shift only some letters and ignore others, especially when similar letters appear. Another is to shift in the wrong direction, for example moving backward instead of forward. To avoid such mistakes, it is helpful to write the alphabet in sequence and mark the shifts letter by letter.

Final Answer:
Applying the one step forward shift to every letter, the word NORMAL is coded as OPSNBM.