Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: SR
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This analogy uses complementary letter positions in the English alphabet. You are told that FG corresponds to UT and must determine the pair that corresponds to HI under the same rule. Recognising complements or mirror positions is a standard theme in logical reasoning questions involving letter series and analogies.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- First pair of letters: FG.
- Related pair: UT.
- Second base pair: HI.
- Options: HI, GH, SR and ED.
- We assume a consistent mapping from each letter to another symbol based on position, not arbitrary replacement.
Concept / Approach:
Assign numbers to letters: A is 1, B is 2, ..., Z is 26. For complementary letters, a common pattern is that their positions sum to a constant, often 27 or 26. Here, F is 6 and G is 7, while U is 21 and T is 20. Notice that 6 + 21 = 27 and 7 + 20 = 27. So each original letter is mapped to a letter whose index adds up to 27 with it. This is the complement rule around the centre of the alphabet. We now apply this same rule to H and I.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Confirm the pattern for FG to UT. F is 6 and U is 21, so 6 + 21 = 27. G is 7 and T is 20, so 7 + 20 = 27.
Step 2: Conclude that each letter is replaced by the letter with position 27 minus its own position.
Step 3: Convert H and I to positions. H is 8 and I is 9.
Step 4: Find the substitute for H: 27 - 8 = 19, which is S.
Step 5: Find the substitute for I: 27 - 9 = 18, which is R.
Step 6: Combine the results to get SR.
Step 7: Compare SR with the answer options and select option C.
Verification / Alternative check:
Verify consistency by checking the sum for the new pair. H plus S is 8 + 19 = 27 and I plus R is 9 + 18 = 27, which matches the pattern from the example. No other option pair yields this complement relationship for both letters. Therefore, SR is the only valid mapped pair for HI under the given rule.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A HI simply repeats the original letters and ignores the complement mapping. Option B GH swaps the first pair but does not use the complement rule. Option D ED consists of letters whose positions do not sum to 27 when paired with H and I. These options fail to preserve the fundamental complement relationship identified in the first pair.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners try simple forward or backward shifting rather than inspecting sums of positions. Others may correctly identify the pattern but apply it only to the first letter, producing partially correct but unsupported answers. To avoid errors, always check that the identified rule works for every letter in the given examples and in the target pair as well.
Final Answer:
Using the complement rule where letter positions add up to 27, HI maps to the pair SR.
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