Decoding the Letter Triad Logic

This problem asks us to identify a specific pattern used to change words in a sequence. We are given examples of these sequences (triads) and need to find which of the options follows the exact same transformation rule.

Analyzing the Given Examples

Let's break down the transformations step-by-step for the two examples provided:

Example 1: LOCK - OLCK - LCKO

• LOCK to OLCK: Observe the first two letters, 'L' and 'O'. In OLCK, they have swapped positions. The last two letters, 'C' and 'K', remain in their original places. So, LOCK becomes OLCK by swapping the first two letters.
• OLCK to LCKO: Now look at OLCK and the result LCKO. The first letter 'O' has moved to the very end. The remaining letters 'L', 'C', 'K' shift one position forward. This is known as a cyclic left shift. OLCK becomes LCKO.
• Summary for LOCK: The pattern is: (1) Swap the first two letters. (2) Perform a cyclic left shift on the result.

Example 2: ACNE - CANE - ANEC

• ACNE to CANE: Applying the first rule (swap the first two letters): 'A' and 'C' swap places. ACNE becomes CANE. This matches the first transformation.
• CANE to ANEC: Applying the second rule (cyclic left shift): The first letter 'C' moves to the end. CANE becomes ANEC. This matches the second transformation.
• Summary for ACNE: This triad also perfectly follows the two identified rules.

The Consistent Logic

The logic consistently applied in both examples is:

1. First Transformation: Swap the positions of the first two letters of the word.
2. Second Transformation: Take the word resulting from the first transformation and move its first letter to the end (cyclic left shift).

Evaluating the Options Based on the Logic

We will now test each option to see if it adheres to these two specific transformations:

Option 1: FROG - RFOG - ROGF

• Step 1: Swap 'F' and 'R' in FROG. Result: RFOG. (This matches the second word).
• Step 2: Perform cyclic left shift on RFOG. Move 'R' to the end. Result: FOGR. (This does not match the third word, ROGF).
• Conclusion: Option 1 is incorrect.

Option 2: BEAM - EBAM - BAME

• Step 1: Swap 'B' and 'E' in BEAM. Result: EBAM. (This matches the second word).
• Step 2: Perform cyclic left shift on EBAM. Move 'E' to the end. Result: BAME. (This matches the third word).
• Conclusion: Option 2 follows the logic perfectly.

Option 3: HUNT - HNUT - TNUH

• Step 1: Swap 'H' and 'N' in HUNT. Result: HNUT. (This matches the second word).
• Step 2: Perform cyclic left shift on HNUT. Move 'H' to the end. Result: NUTH. (This does not match the third word, TNUH).
• Conclusion: Option 3 is incorrect.

Option 4: OILS - IOLS - SILO

• Step 1: Swap 'O' and 'I' in OILS. Result: IOLS. (This matches the second word).
• Step 2: Perform cyclic left shift on IOLS. Move 'I' to the end. Result: OLSI. (This does not match the third word, SILO).
• Conclusion: Option 4 is incorrect.

Final Determination

By systematically applying the derived two-step logic (swap first two letters, then cyclic left shift) to each option, we found that only Option 2, "BEAM - EBAM - BAME", correctly follows the pattern established by the examples.