Chapter 5

Blood Relations

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS

☞ Blood Relations ☞ Siblings, Spouse, and In-Laws

☞ Grandparents ☞ Children and In-Laws
☞ Parents and In-Laws ☞ Grand Children

BLOOD ReLATiOns In the exams, the success of a candidate in the questions

on blood relations depends upon his knowledge about vari-
There are two types of questions based on blood relations
ous blood relations. Some of the relationships given below
that are given in different competitive examinations. For the
help in solving the problems.
sake of convenience, we will refer to the two types of ques-
The easiest and non-confusing way to solve these types
tions as Type I and Type II. (Please note that the questions
of problems would be to draw a family tree diagram and
on blood relationships are not categorised as above in the
increase the levels in the hierarchy as shown below:
actual exam papers. It is being done purely from the point
of better understanding.)

1ststage : GRANDPARENTS (Grandfather, Grandmother, Granduncle, Grandaunt)

2ndstage : PARENTS and IN-LAWS (Father, Mother, Uncle, Aunt, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law)

SIBLINGS, SPOUSE, and

(Brother, Sister, Cousin, Wife, Husband, Brother-in-law, Sister-in-law)
3rdstage : IN-LAWS

4thstage : CHILDREN and IN-LAWS (Son, Daughter, Niece, Nephew, Son-in-law, Daughter-in-law)

5thstage : GRAND CHILDREN (Grandson, Granddaughter)

Mother’s or Father’s son : Brother Mother’s or Father’s father : Grandfather

Mother’s or Father’s daughter : Sister Grandmother’s brother : Granduncle
Mother’s or Father’s brother : Uncle Grandmother’s sister : Grandaunt
Mother’s or Father’s sister : Aunt Grandfather’s brother : Granduncle
Mother’s or Father’s mother : Grandmother Grandfather’s sister : Grandaunt

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Sister’s or Brother’s son : Nephew (A) Father (B) Grandfather

Sister’s or Brother’s daughter : Niece (C) Father-in-law (D) Uncle
Uncle or Aunt’s son or
daughter : Cousin Solution
Son’s wife : Daughter-in-law A’s father is B and mother is D. Therefore, D is B’s wife and
Daughter’s husband : Son-in-law C is the father of B. Hence, C is D’s ­father-in-law.
Husband’s or Wife’s sister : Sister-in-law
C
Husband’s or Wife’s brother : Brother-in-law
Sister’s husband : Brother-in-law father
Brother’s wife : Sister-in-law
B D
Children of same parents : Siblings (could be all wife
brothers, all sisters father
or some brothers and
some sisters) A
Children : Son, Daughter
Children’s Children : Grandchildren Example 3
(Grandson, A + B means A is the son of B.
Granddaughter) A – B means A is the daughter of B.
In addition, remember the word spouse, which means either A × B means A is the father of B.
husband or wife. A ÷ B means A is the mother of B.
Grandfather and grandmother will come in the first If M × N + O – P ÷ Q, then how is M related to Q?
stage; mother, father, uncle, and aunt will come in the sec- (A) Husband (B) Cousin
ond stage; sister, brother, and cousin will come at the third (C) Brother-in-law (D) Uncle
stage; son, daughter, niece, and nephew will come in the
fourth stage; and finally, granddaughters and grandsons will Solution
come. These stages are made from the point of view of an M × N + O – P ÷ Q means M is the father of N, N is the son
individual. of O, O is the daughter of P, P is the mother of Q.
In Type-I questions, the relationship between two people M is the father of N and N is the son of O means M is
is given through a roundabout way of relating them through the husband of O.
other people. We have to go through the series of relation- O is the daughter of P and P is the mother of Q means O
ships and finally determine the relationship between the two is the sister of Q.
people given in the question. The relationship can be given M is the husband of O and O is the sister of Q means M
as a simple statement or as a statement made by a person. is the brother-in-law of Q.
In the first example given, a person is involved in making a
P
statement, whereas in the second question, there is no per-
son involved in making a statement.
mother

Solved Examples M O Q
wife sister
Example 1 father
A’s father’s mother-in-law’s only daughter’s son is B. How
N
is A related to B?
(A) Brother
(B) Sister Example 4
(C) Nephew A + B means A is the son of B.
(D) Cannot be determined A – B means A is the daughter of B.
A × B means A is the father of B.
Solution
A ÷ B means A is the mother of B.
A’s father’s mother-in-law’s only daughter is A’s mother. A’s
Which of the following means S is the son-in-law of P?
mother’s son is A’s brother.
But A can be either brother or sister to B. (A) P + Q ÷ R × S – T
(B) P × Q ÷ R – S + T
Example 2 (C) P + Q × R – S ÷ T
If A’s father is B, C is the father of B, and D is A’s mother, (D) P × Q – R ÷ S × T
then how is C related to D?

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Solution Example 8
P + Q ÷ R × S – T means P is the son of Q. Q is the mother B’s father’s father is the husband of C’s ­mother’s mother.
of R, R is the father of S, and S is the daughter of T. Hence, How is B related to C?
S is the nephew of P. (A) Brother
P × Q ÷ R – S + T means P is the father of Q, Q is the (B) Sister
mother of R, R is the daughter of S, and S is the son of T. (C) Cousin
Hence, S is the son-in-law of P. (D) Cannot be determined
P + Q × R – S ÷ T means P is the son of Q, Q is the father
of R, R is the daughter of S, and S is the mother of T. Hence, Solution
S is the mother of P. B’s father’s father is B’s grandfather.
P × Q – R ÷ S × T means P is the father of Q, Q is the B’s grandfather is the husband of C’s mother’s mother,
daughter of R, R is the mother of S, and S is the father of T. i.e. grandmother. It is possible that B and C are sibling’s and
Hence, S is the son of P. the persons mentioned are their paternal/maternal grand
parents. It is also possible that B and C are cousins. Hence,
Example 5 the relationship cannot be determined.
Pointing to a person, Raju said, ‘He is the only brother of ( ) ( )
my father’s mother’s daughter’. How is the person related husband
mother
to Raju?
father
(A) Brother (B) Father
(C) Uncle (D) Nephew ( ) ( )

Solution mother/father
father/mother
Raju’s father’s mother’s daughter is Raju’s father’s sister.
(C) (B)
Raju’s father’s sister’s only brother is Raju’s father. Hence,
the person is Raju’s father. Direction for questions 9 and 10:
A × B means A is the daughter of B
Example 6 A * B means A is the son of B
A’s mother’s father is the husband of B’s ­mother. How is A A + B means A is the mother of B
related to B, if A and B are both male. A – B means A is the brother of B
(A) Uncle (B) Father A ÷ B means A is the sister of B
(C) Nephew (D) Son A = B means A is the father of B
Solution Example 9
A’s mother’s father is the husband of B’s mother. That means Which of the following means S is the nephew of P?
A’s mother is the sister of B. Hence, all the nephew of B. (A) P – Q ÷ R = S (B) P – Q × R * S
(C) S * R – Q ÷ P (D) P + Q – R × S
Example 7
Pointing to a photograph Ramesh said, ‘she is the sister of Solution
my father’s mother’s only child’s son.’ How is the person in P – Q ÷ R = S means P is the brother of Q, Q is the sister
the photograph related to Ramesh? of R, and R is the father of S. As we do not know whether
(A) Sister (B) Aunt S is the son or daughter of R, we cannot determine that S is
(C) Mother (D) Cousin the nephew.
P – Q × R * S means P is the brother of Q, Q is the
Solution daughter of R, and R is the son of S. Here, S is the grand-
My father’s mother’s only child is my father. My father’s father of P.
son’s sister is in the photograph. Hence, she is Ramesh’s S * R – Q ÷ P means S is the son of R. R is the brother
sister. of Q, and Q is the sister of P. Hence, S is the nephew of P.
( ) Example 10
mother Which of the following means T is the ­husband of V?
(A) T = S – R * V (B) T + S – R × V
( ) (C) R × V – T * S (D) R + S – T × V
father Solution
sister T = S – R * V means T is the father of S, S is the brother of
(Ramesh) ( ) R, and R is the son of V. Therefore, T is the husband of V.

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Exercises
Direction for questions 1 to 15:  Select the correct alterna- 13. Divya’s father, pointing towards a person, said, ‘He is
tive from the given choices. the brother of my father’s only sibling’. How is the per-
1. A person who is the husband of my son’s sister is my son related to Divya?
(A) Nephew (B) Son-in-law (A) Father (B) Uncle
(C) Son (D) Brother (C) Brother (D) Grandfather
2. Y is the daughter of X’s brother’s wife’s father-in-law. 14. Tinku, introducing a person to Rinku, said ‘He is the
Y is X’s _______. father of your sister’s son and he is also my mother’s hus-
(A) Niece (B) Daughter band’. How is Tinku’s father related to Rinku’s mother?
(C) Sister (D) Sister-in-law (A) Nephew (B) Uncle
(C) Son-in-law (D) Father
3. Showing a photograph P said,’ She is my mother’s
mother’s son’s daughter’. How is the person in the pho- 15. A is B’s father, B is C’s daughter, E is D’s only sibling.
tograph related to P? C is D’s only daughter. How is B related to E’s niece?
(A) Sister (B) Cousin (A) Niece (B) Granddaughter
(C) Niece (D) Mother (C) Daughter (D) Mother
4. How is my father’s mother’s only daughter-in-law’s Direction for questions 16 to 20:  Use the relations defined
­sister related to me? below and answer the following questions.
(A) Aunt (B) Sister A + B means A is the mother of B.
(C) Cousin (D) Niece A – B means A is the sister of B.
A × B means A is the father of B.
5. How is my grandmother’s only child’s husband’s mother
A ÷ B means A is the son of B.
related to me?
A = B means A is the brother of B.
(A) Mother (B) Grandmother
A ≠ B means A is the daughter of B.
(C) Aunt (D) Sister
16. Which of the following means P is the aunt of Q?
6. How is Ramu’s mother-in-law’s only daughter’s son
(A) P – R ÷ Q (B) P + R × Q
related to Ramu?
(C) P ≠ R × Q (D) P – R + Q
(A) Nephew (B) Brother
(C) Son (D) Uncle 17. Which of the following means, S is the son of T’s
daughter?
7. How is my son’s mother’s daughter related to me?
(A) T × M + S + N (B) T × M + S = N
(A) Niece (B) Granddaughter
(C) T + M × S – N (D) S ÷ M ÷ T – N
(C) Daughter (D) Aunt
18. Which of the following means W is the uncle of Z?
8. How is my father’s brother’s only sibling’s mother (A) W × A - B + Z (B) W = A + B - Z
related to me? (C) W = A + B + Z (D) W × A × B = Z
(A) Mother (B) Cousin
19. Which of the following means C is the grandfather of
(C) Daughter (D) Grandmother
both D and E?
9. A is the father of B. C is the son of D. E is the brother (A) C × A ÷ D - E (B) C + A + D ≠ E
of C while D is the sister of B. How is B related to E? (C) C ÷ A ≠ D = E (D) C × A × D - E
(A) Uncle (B) Aunt 20. Which of the following means I is the mother of L?
(C) Mother (D) Either (A) or (B) (A) I + B - C ≠ D × L (B) I ≠ B + C × L
10. My mother’s sister’s son’s father’s mother-in-law is (C) I + B × C ≠ D - L (D) I + B - C × L
related to me as
(A) Mother (B) Grandmother Direction for questions 21 to 25: These questions are
(C) Mother-in-law (D) Aunt based on the information given below.
A, B, C, D, E, and F are six members of a family. A is the
11. How is David’s father’s only daughter-in-law’s son’s mother of B, who is the husband of D. F is the brother of one
wife related to David? of the parents of C. D is the daughter-in-law of E and has no
(A) Daughter (B) Daughter-in-law siblings. C is the son of D.
(C) Niece (D) Granddaughter
21. How is C related to A?
12. How is Ravi’s mother’s father’s son related to Ravi’s (A) Nephew
father? (B) Son-in-law
(A) Cousin (B) Uncle (C) Grandson
(C) Brother-in-law (D) Son-in-law (D) Father

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22. How is F related to D? 24. If F is married to G, then how is G related to B?

(A) Cousin (B) Brother-in-law (A) Sister (B) Sister-in-law
(C) Brother (D) Father (C) Cousin (D) Mother
23. How is E related to F? 25. How many male members are there in the family?
(A) Mother (A) Two
(B) Son (B) Three
(C) Father (C) Four
(D) Father-in-law (D) Cannot be determined

Answer Keys
1. B 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. C 7. B 8. D 9. D 10. B
11. B 12. C 13. D 14. C 15. C 16. D 17. B 18. B 19. D 20. A
21. C 22. B 23. C 24. B 25. C

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