UPSC Prelims 2020 CSAT Paper II · Q19 of 80 Logical Reasoning medium

A family of two generations consisting of six members P, Q, R, S, T and U has three males and three females. There are two married couples and two unmarried siblings. U is P's daughter and Q is R's mother-in-law. T is an unmarried male and S is a male. Which one of the following is correct?

  1. (a) R is U's husband.
  2. (b) R is S's wife. ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) S is unmarried.
  4. (d) None of the above

Why the answer is (b)

• The family has 6 members: 3 males and 3 females, with 2 married couples and 2 unmarried siblings.

• T is an unmarried male and S is a male, so the third male must be R (since U is P's daughter, U is female; Q is R's mother-in-law, implying Q is female; thus P is the remaining female).

• Since Q is R's mother-in-law, R is married to Q's child. The only female child of Q available in the family is P (as U is P's daughter, making P a parent, and T/S are males).

• Therefore, R is married to P. This forms the first married couple (P and R).

• U is P's daughter, so U is female. The remaining female is Q. The remaining male is T (unmarried) and S (male).

• The two unmarried siblings must be T and U, as they are the only ones left who fit the 'unmarried' description alongside the structure (S is male, R is married, P is married, Q is mother-in-law).

• Since S is the only male left who is not R (married) or T (unmarried sibling), and the problem states there are two unmarried siblings (T and U), S must be married to complete the second couple. The only available female for S to marry is Q? No, Q is R's mother-in-law. Let's re-evaluate the couples.

• Correction: Q is R's mother-in-law. R is male. R is married to a female. The females are P, Q, U. Q is the mother-in-law, so Q is not R's wife. U is P's daughter. If P is R's wife, U is R's daughter. Then the couples are (P, R) and (S, ?). The remaining female is Q? No, Q is the mother-in-law of R, so Q is the mother of P. Thus Q is not in the same generation as P? Wait, 'two generations'. Gen 1: Q, ?. Gen 2: P, R, S, T, U? No, 6 members.

• Let's trace: Q is R's mother-in-law. R is male. R's wife is a female. Let's say R's wife is P. Then Q is P's mother. So Q and P are in Gen 1/2? No, Q is mother, P is daughter. So Q is Gen 1, P is Gen 2. R is Gen 2 (husband of P). U is P's daughter, so U is Gen 3? But the problem says 'two generations'. This implies U is in Gen 2? No, 'U is P's daughter' makes U a child. If the family is two generations, P and R are Gen 1, and their children are Gen 2. But Q is R's mother-in-law, so Q is Gen 0? Contradiction.

• Re-read: 'Two generations'. This usually means Parents and Children. If Q is R's mother-in-law, Q is the parent of R's spouse. If R's spouse is P, Q is P's mother. So Q is Gen 1, P is Gen 2. R is Gen 2. U is P's daughter, so U is Gen 3. This violates 'two generations'.

• Alternative: R is female? No, 'Q is R's mother-in-law' doesn't specify R's gender, but 'T is an unmarried male and S is a male'. We have 3 males. T, S, and one more. If R is male, males are T, S, R. Females are P, Q, U. If R is female, males are T, S, and one of P/Q/U? No, P is U's parent, Q is R's MIL.

• Let's assume R is female. Then males are T, S, and one other. Who is the third male? P? Q? U? U is P's daughter (female). Q is R's MIL (female). So P must be male? If P is male, U is P's daughter. Q is R's mother-in-law. R is female. R is married to a male. The males are P, S, T. T is unmarried. So R is married to P or S. If R is married to P, Q is P's mother. So Q is Gen 1, P/R are Gen 2. U is P's daughter (Gen 3). Still 3 generations.

• Is it possible 'two generations' allows for a grandmother? No.

• Let's look at the options. (b) R is S's wife. This implies R is female. If R is female, S is male. They are a couple. Q is R's mother-in-law, so Q is S's mother. So S and Q are Gen 1/2? Q is mother, S is son. So Q is Gen 1, S is Gen 2. R is S's wife, so R is Gen 2. P is U's parent. U is female. P is male or female? Males: S, T, and one more. If R is female, P must be male to make 3 males (S, T, P). So P is male. U is P's daughter. P is Gen 2? If P is Gen 2, U is Gen 3. Still 3 generations.

• Wait, if P is Gen 1? If P is Gen 1, U is Gen 2. Q is Gen 1 (S's mother). S is Gen 2. R is Gen 2. T is Gen 2 (unmarried male). U is Gen 2. So Gen 1: P, Q. Gen 2: S, R, T, U. This fits 'two generations'.

• Check relationships: Q is S's mother. S is married to R. So Q is R's mother-in-law. Correct. P is U's father (since P is male). T is unmarried male. S is male. R is female. U is female. Q is female. P is male. Males: P, S, T. Females: Q, R, U. Couples: (S, R) and (P, ?). Who is P married to? P is Gen 1. Q is Gen 1. Are P and Q married? If P and Q are married, they are a couple. Then S is their son. R is S's wife. U is P's daughter. T is P's son? Or S's brother? T is unmarried male. If T is P's son, he is Gen 2. So Gen 2 members: S, R, U, T. This works.

• So the structure is: Gen 1: P (Male), Q (Female). Gen 2: S (Male), R (Female), U (Female), T (Male).

• Couples: (P, Q) and (S, R).

• Unmarried siblings: U and T (both children of P and Q, or at least siblings in the family context). The prompt says 'two unmarried siblings'. U and T are siblings.

• Therefore, R is S's wife.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) R is U's husband.
R is female and married to S, not U (who is female and unmarried).
(c) S is unmarried.
S is male and married to R, so he is not unmarried.
(d) None of the above
Option (b) is correct, so 'None of the above' is incorrect.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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