In a certain code language, the word MIGRANT is written as LHFQZMS by shifting each letter one place backward in the alphabet. Using the same rule, how will the word GEL be coded?

Introduction / Context:
This is another letter shift coding problem, but this time the letters are shifted backward rather than forward. The mapping MIGRANT → LHFQZMS strongly suggests that each letter has been moved by a fixed number of positions in the reverse direction through the alphabet. Once that shift is understood, we can apply the same transformation to the letters of GEL to find its coded form.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- MIGRANT is coded as LHFQZMS.
- We must determine the code for the word GEL.
- The code uses a consistent letter to letter mapping, likely a uniform shift.

Concept / Approach:
To solve this, we compare the positions of each letter in MIGRANT with the corresponding letter in LHFQZMS and measure the shift. If each letter is shifted by the same amount, we have a uniform backward shift. We then apply this same shift to each letter of GEL. If any letter reaches before A, we would wrap around, but in this particular case all letters stay within the standard range after shifting.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Match the pairs: M → L, I → H, G → F, R → Q, A → Z, N → M, T → S. Step 2: Compute the shift for M → L. M is 13th, L is 12th, so the shift is -1. Step 3: Check I → H (9th to 8th), G → F (7th to 6th), R → Q (18th to 17th), N → M (14th to 13th), and T → S (20th to 19th). Each is also a -1 shift. Step 4: For A → Z, shifting backward by one from 1st letter A gives 26th letter Z, showing a wraparound. Step 5: Apply the same -1 shift to GEL. G (7th) becomes F (6th), E (5th) becomes D (4th), L (12th) becomes K (11th). So the code for GEL is FDK.

Verification / Alternative check:
Since all letters of MIGRANT show the same backward shift of one position, the coding rule is clearly a uniform -1 shift. No alternating pattern is needed to explain the given mapping. Applying this to GEL yields FDK without ambiguity. Rechecking the individual letter positions confirms that the shifts for G, E, and L are consistent with the rule.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Option QXK uses letters that are far away and not reachable by a simple -1 shift from G, E, and L.
- Option IXZ again fails to follow a consistent one step backward pattern from the original letters.
- Option IFG scrambles different shifts and does not match the systematic one step backward rule demonstrated by MIGRANT.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes check only one or two letter pairs and then assume a forward shift when the actual mapping is backward. Another mistake is to forget the wraparound behavior illustrated by A → Z, which clearly indicates a backward movement. Always compute the position differences carefully and verify the shift across all given letters before applying it to a new word.

Final Answer:
Using a uniform shift of one position backward in the alphabet, the word GEL is coded as FDK.