Understanding the Letter Analogy

The question asks us to find the term that relates to 'GKM' in the same way that 'HBF' relates to 'BFH'. This type of problem is a letter analogy where we need to identify the pattern or rule applied to the first pair of terms and then apply that same rule to the third term to find the missing fourth term.

Analyzing the Relationship: BFH to HBF

Let's examine the transformation from 'BFH' to 'HBF'. Both terms contain the same letters (B, F, H), but in a different order. We need to figure out the specific rearrangement rule.

• The letters in the first term are B, F, H.
• The letters in the second term are H, B, F.

Let's look at the positions:

• The first letter of 'HBF' is 'H', which is the last letter of 'BFH'.
• The second letter of 'HBF' is 'B', which is the first letter of 'BFH'.
• The third letter of 'HBF' is 'F', which is the middle (second) letter of 'BFH'.

So, the pattern of rearrangement is taking the letters from the original term (BFH) and placing them in the new term (HBF) in the order: Last letter, First letter, Middle letter.

Let's verify this pattern with BFH:

• Last letter of BFH is H.
• First letter of BFH is B.
• Middle letter of BFH is F.

Combining them in the order (Last, First, Middle) gives us HBF, which matches the second term in the first pair.

Applying the Pattern to GKM

Now we apply the same Last letter, First letter, Middle letter pattern to the third term, 'GKM'.

• The first letter of GKM is G.
• The middle letter of GKM is K.
• The last letter of GKM is M.

Following the pattern (Last letter, First letter, Middle letter):

• Take the last letter of GKM: M. This becomes the first letter of the new term.
• Take the first letter of GKM: G. This becomes the second letter of the new term.
• Take the middle letter of GKM: K. This becomes the third letter of the new term.

Putting these letters together in order gives us MGK.

Checking the Options

We found that the missing term is 'MGK'. Let's compare this with the given options:

1. KMG
2. MKI
3. MGK
4. IKM

Our derived term 'MGK' matches Option 3.

Conclusion

The relationship between the first pair (BFH : HBF) is a rearrangement of the letters in the order of Last, First, Middle. Applying this same pattern to the third term (GKM) results in the term MGK.

Revision Table: Letter Analogy Concepts

Additional Information: Solving Analogy Questions

Solving analogy questions, especially letter-based ones, requires careful observation and pattern recognition. Here are some common types of patterns you might encounter:

• Positional Change: Letters change their positions within the word (like in this question).
• Alphabetical Shift: Each letter is shifted by a certain number of places in the alphabet (e.g., A to C is a shift of +2).
• Reverse Alphabetical Shift: Each letter is shifted backward in the alphabet.
• Skipping Letters: Letters are arranged by skipping a fixed number of letters in the alphabet.
• Combination of Patterns: Sometimes, a mix of positional changes and alphabetical shifts might be used.
• Letter Groupings: The terms might be groups of consecutive letters, alternating letters, or letters with specific properties (like vowels or consonants).

To solve these effectively:

• Look closely at the first pair to identify the exact rule.
• Consider letter positions, alphabetical order, and any numerical values associated with letters (A=1, B=2, etc.).
• Test the identified rule rigorously on the first pair before applying it to the third term.
• Once you get the fourth term, always check if it matches one of the options provided.