In a certain code language, the English word "CHANTED" is written as "ZEXKQBA". Using the same letter shifting pattern, how will the word "MAY" be written in that code language?

Introduction:
This coding and decoding problem is based on a uniform shift of letters in the alphabet. The word CHANTED is coded as ZEXKQBA. We must deduce the rule relating each original letter to its coded counterpart and then apply this rule to the word MAY. This question checks comfort with simple backward shifts in the alphabet and careful handling of wrap around at the beginning and end of the sequence.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The mapping is CHANTED → ZEXKQBA. We assume:
1) Each letter of the original word is replaced by one letter in the coded word.
2) The transformation is consistent and involves the same shift for all letters.
3) The alphabet is cyclic, so shifting backward from A leads to Z, and so on.

Concept / Approach:
To find the shift pattern, we compare the positions of corresponding letters from the original and coded word. If each letter has moved the same number of steps in the same direction (forward or backward), then a simple Caesar shift is in use. Once we know the shift, we can quickly code the letters M, A, and Y in the word MAY.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Determine positions for CHANTED: C=3, H=8, A=1, N=14, T=20, E=5, D=4.Step 2: Determine positions for ZEXKQBA: Z=26, E=5, X=24, K=11, Q=17, B=2, A=1.Step 3: Compute the differences: C to Z is 3 to 26, effectively minus 3; H to E is 8 to 5 (minus 3); A to X is 1 to 24 (minus 3 with wrap); N to K is 14 to 11 (minus 3); and the same minus 3 shift appears for T to Q, E to B, and D to A.Step 4: The rule is therefore: coded letter = original letter shifted backward by 3 positions.Step 5: Apply this rule to MAY. M is 13 and becomes J (10), A is 1 and becomes X (24), Y is 25 and becomes V (22).Step 6: Hence, MAY is written as JXV in this code language.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify the correctness by shifting JXV forward by 3 positions. J becomes M, X becomes A, and V becomes Y. That returns us to the original word MAY, confirming that the backward shift of 3 is accurate and consistently applied.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The options XIG, OBI, XAV, and JXU are not obtained by shifting each letter of MAY backward by exactly 3 positions. Each of them would require a different shift amount or direction for at least one letter, which would contradict the pattern deduced from CHANTED → ZEXKQBA.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes miscalculate backward shifts when wrapping around from A to the end of the alphabet, or they guess a forward shift because it feels more intuitive. Another common error is checking the shift for only one letter pair and assuming it holds everywhere without verification. Always compute positions and differences for several letters to ensure consistency.

Final Answer:
According to the coding pattern, the word "MAY" is written as JXV in this code language.