Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: JLQ
Explanation:
Introduction:
This question belongs to the coding and decoding section of verbal reasoning. A familiar English word is converted to a coded form by systematically shifting each letter in the alphabet. We are told how the word MARBLES is coded and must apply the same rule to find the code for GIN. This tests pattern recognition and knowledge of alphabetical positions.
Given Data / Assumptions:
The word MARBLES is written as PDUEOHV in the code language. We assume:
1) Each letter in the original word is replaced by one letter only.
2) The same transformation is applied to every letter of any word.
3) The alphabet is treated cyclically, so after Z the sequence may wrap back to A if needed.
Concept / Approach:
The standard approach is to compare each letter of MARBLES with each letter of PDUEOHV using alphabetical positions. Once we know how many positions each letter is shifted, we verify that the shift is constant for all letters. That constant shift becomes our rule, which we then apply to the letters G, I, and N to obtain the final code for GIN.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write down letter positions: M=13, A=1, R=18, B=2, L=12, E=5, S=19.Step 2: For the coded form PDUEOHV, the positions are P=16, D=4, U=21, E=5, O=15, H=8, V=22.Step 3: Compute the shift from original to coded letters: M to P is 13 to 16 (plus 3), A to D is 1 to 4 (plus 3), R to U is 18 to 21 (plus 3), and similarly for every other pair.Step 4: Since every letter is shifted forward by 3 positions, the rule is: coded letter = original letter shifted forward by 3.Step 5: Apply this to GIN. G=7 goes to J=10, I=9 goes to L=12, and N=14 goes to Q=17, again a forward shift of 3 positions.Step 6: Therefore, GIN is coded as JLQ.
Verification / Alternative check:
If we reverse the shift by subtracting 3 from each coded letter of JLQ, we should return to GIN. J back by 3 letters becomes G, L back by 3 becomes I, and Q back by 3 becomes N. This confirms that our shift rule works consistently in both directions, so the decoding is reliable.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
SEG, BHU, WGI, and HKO do not arise from a uniform shift of 3 positions applied to GIN. Each of them would require either unequal shifts for different letters or movement in the wrong direction along the alphabet, which contradicts the pattern used for MARBLES.
Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to miscount alphabet positions, especially near the beginning or end of the alphabet, or to mix forward and backward shifts. Another pitfall is to guess the pattern from only the first pair of letters without verifying it on the entire word. Always check that the same shift works for every letter.
Final Answer:
The word "GIN" will be coded as JLQ in this code language.
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