Blood Relations
Blood Relation is a popular topic of the verbal reasoning paper of ADRE Grade IV. In these questions a family relationship is described in words, sometimes in a roundabout or puzzling way, and the candidate has to work out how two people are related. The topic needs no calculation; it only needs careful reading and logical tracing of relationships. Questions are usually short, but a single careless reading of the question can lead to the wrong answer, so the candidate must identify each person's position in the family step by step.
Basic Family Relations
The first step in blood relation is to learn the common terms clearly. The father's father is the grandfather and the father's mother is the grandmother. Similarly, the mother's parents are also grandparents, though they are called maternal grandparents. The brother of one's father or mother is an uncle, and the sister of one's father or mother is an aunt. The son of one's uncle or aunt is a cousin. The husband of one's sister is a brother-in-law, and the wife of one's brother is a sister-in-law. A daughter's son is a grandson and a sister's son is a nephew, while a brother's daughter is a niece. These terms form the vocabulary of the whole topic.
Relations Through Marriage
Marriage creates new links in the family. The father of one's wife is the father-in-law and the mother of one's wife is the mother-in-law, and the same terms apply to the parents of one's husband. The brother of one's wife is also a brother-in-law. When a person marries, the two families become related even though there is no blood connection. In questions, the word "in-law" always points to a relationship formed through marriage rather than through birth, and this distinction is often the key to the answer.
How to Draw a Family Tree
The safest way to solve a blood relation question is to draw a small family tree. Use a plus sign for the husband and wife, a vertical line for children, and horizontal lines for brothers and sisters. Write the names or the symbols such as M for mother, F for father, B for brother and S for sister beside each point. By using the same generation on the same level, you can see at a glance who belongs to which generation. Drawing takes only a few seconds but prevents almost all confusion, especially in questions with many people.
Types of Blood Relation Questions
- Direct statement — "A is B's father" and a simple question.
- Puzzle or coded — relationships shown by symbols such as +, −, ×, ÷.
- Multiple choice of relationships — brother, uncle, cousin and so on.
- Generation-based — asking how many members are male or female.
- Chain questions — a long chain of relations to be reduced to one.
Worked Example
Suppose the question says, "Pointing to a photograph, Ravi said, 'She is the daughter of the only son of my grandfather.' How is the girl related to Ravi?" The only son of Ravi's grandfather is Ravi's father, and that person's daughter is Ravi's sister. So the girl in the photograph is Ravi's sister. This example shows how each phrase must be reduced to a single, simple step before moving on.
How This Topic Appears in the Examination
Blood relation usually appears as three to five objective questions of one mark each. The questions are generally direct and take less than a minute once the family tree is drawn. Sometimes a coded form is used in which a plus sign means brother and a minus sign means sister, and the candidate has to find the relation asked. Because the answers are close to each other, such as uncle and cousin, the candidate must be exact. The topic is a reliable source of marks for a well-practised candidate.
Memory Tips
Always draw the family tree before answering, even if you think the answer is obvious. Put males and females on separate sides or use clear symbols, since gender decides the correct term. Reduce every sentence to a single relation, one at a time. Remember that "only son" and "only daughter" give important information about the number of children. Practise the standard terms until they become automatic.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing the maternal and paternal sides of the family.
- Using a term of the wrong gender, such as uncle instead of aunt.
- Missing the words "only", "elder" or "younger" in the question.
- Forgetting that in-laws are related by marriage, not by blood.
- Skipping the family tree and trying to solve entirely in the head.
How to Prepare This Topic
- Learn the standard relationship terms by heart.
- Practise drawing a family tree for every question you solve.
- Solve coded and puzzle-type questions separately.
- Revise the terms for both the father's side and the mother's side.
- Attempt at least ten questions daily until the answers come quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best method to solve blood relation questions?
Draw a simple family tree with clear symbols, place each person in the correct generation and reduce every sentence to one relationship at a time.
What is the difference between a cousin and a nephew?
A cousin is the son or daughter of your uncle or aunt. A nephew is the son of your brother or sister. The cousin belongs to your parents' siblings' family, while the nephew belongs to your own sibling's family.
Are in-laws blood relations?
No. In-laws are related through marriage, not through birth. For example, your wife's brother is your brother-in-law and is not a blood relative.
Why is the word "only" important in these questions?
Words such as "only son" or "only daughter" tell you how many children a person has, which removes other possible relationships and points to the correct answer.
How do coded blood relation questions work?
Symbols or letters stand for relationships, for example a plus sign may mean brother and a minus sign sister. You first translate the symbols into family terms and then draw the tree.