Blood Relations – Manipur TET (Reasoning Ability)
Blood relations problems test a candidate’s ability to deduce relationships between people in a family tree using only the information given.
They are usually short, logic‑driven and require a systematic approach.
1. Simple Explanation
- Goal – Identify how a person is related to another (e.g., who is the brother, sister, uncle, aunt, etc.).
- Method – Treat each person as a node in a directed graph where edges are “parent → child”.
- Key trick – Keep track of who is parent of whom; from that the rest of the relations follow.
2. Key Points
| Concept | What it Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Parent‑Child | The direct link. If X is parent of Y → Y is child of X. | A is father of B → B is child of A |
| Sibling | Share at least one parent. | B and C are both children of A → B & C are siblings |
| Grandparent / Grandchild | Two steps away. | A is parent of B, B is parent of C → A is grandparent of C |
| Uncle / Aunt | Sibling of a parent. | A is parent of B. B’s sibling C → C is uncle/aunt of B’s children |
| Niece / Nephew | Child of a sibling. | A’s sibling B has child C → C is niece/nephew of A |
| Cousin | Children of two siblings. | A sibling B; A’s child C; B’s child D → C & D are cousins |
| Marriage links | Husband ↔ wife; mother ↔ father. | A married to B → A is husband of B, B is wife of A |
| Step‑relations | Not needed in most TET questions (ignore unless specified). |
3. Worked Example
Problem
In a family,
- Mr. K is the father of Mrs. L.
- Mrs. L is married to Mr. M.
- Mr. M has a son, Mr. N, from a previous marriage.
- Mr. N has a daughter, Ms. O.
- Mr. K has another son, Mr. P.
- Mrs. L has a son, Mr. Q, with Mr. M.
Question: Who is Ms. O’s great‑uncle?
Step‑by‑step Solution
| Step | Relation | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. K → father of Mrs. L | Given. |
| 2 | Mrs. L ↔ Mr. M (married) | Given. |
| 3 | Mr. M → father of Mr. N (from previous marriage) | Given. |
| 4 | Mr. N → mother of Ms. O (daughter) | Given. |
| 5 | Mr. K → father of Mr. P (another son) | Given. |
| 6 | Mrs. L → mother of Mr. Q (with Mr. M) | Given. |
| 7 | Mr. K is grandfather of Ms. O (K → L → N → O). | Two steps up from N and one more from L. |
| 8 | Mr. P is great‑uncle of Ms. O because: • P is son of K (K’s other son). • P is thus the brother of L (K’s daughter). • L is great‑grandmother of O (through N). • Therefore P is O’s great‑uncle. |
Standard definition: sibling of a grandparent. |
Answer: Mr. P is Ms. O’s great‑uncle.
Quick Visual Aid
Mr. K
├─ Mrs. L
| ├─ Mr. N (step‑child of M)
| | └─ Ms. O
| └─ Mr. Q (child with M)
└─ Mr. P ← great‑uncle of Ms. O
4. Quick Revision Summary
| What to remember | How to apply |
|---|---|
| Identify parents first – always start from the given parent‑child relationships. | Write down a simple tree or use a table. |
| Keep track of marriage – spouse is not a blood relation but helps locate the parent side. | Mark spouses with a dotted line or note “married”. |
| Two‑step away = grand‑ | Father → son → grandson. |
| Sibling of a parent = uncle/aunt | Parent’s brother or sister. |
| Child of a sibling = niece/nephew | Opposite of uncle/aunt. |
| Two siblings’ children = cousins | Same generation. |
| Be careful with “great‑” – one generation above the usual relation. | If “great‑uncle” → sibling of a grandparent. |
| Avoid step‑relations unless stated – TET problems usually focus on blood ties only. |
Tip:
Draw a quick family tree as you read the statement; labeling each person’s relation to a central figure (often the “root” parent) will help you spot the requested relationship instantly.
Practice Question (for self‑check)
Q: In a family, Mr. X is the father of Mrs. Y. Mrs. Y is married to Mr. Z. Mr. Z has a son, Mr. W, from a previous marriage. Mr. W has a son, Mr. V. Who is Mr. V’s aunt?
Answer: Mrs. Y (Mr. X’s daughter and Mr. Z’s wife).
Good luck with your preparation! Keep practicing with different family trees and always follow the systematic approach above.