Select the option that is related to the third term in the same way as the second term is related to the first term.
FRIEND : GSJFOE : : CLERICAL : ?

Question

Select the option that is related to the third term in the same way as the second term is related to the first term.FRIEND : GSJFOE : : CLERICAL : ?

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Understanding Letter Coding Analogy Problems

This question is a classic example of a letter coding analogy problem. We are given a pair of words, FRIEND and GSJFOE, that are related in a specific way. Our task is to identify this relationship (the coding pattern) and then apply the same pattern to the word CLERICAL to find the missing term.

Analyzing the Pattern: FRIEND to GSJFOE

Let's examine how each letter in the first word, FRIEND, corresponds to the letters in the second word, GSJFOE. We can list them out letter by letter:

F corresponds to G
R corresponds to S
I corresponds to J
E corresponds to F
N corresponds to O
D corresponds to E

Now, let's look at the alphabetical position of each letter. We can see a consistent shift:

F to G is a shift of $\text{+1}$ (F is the 6th letter, G is the 7th)
R to S is a shift of $\text{+1}$ (R is the 18th letter, S is the 19th)
I to J is a shift of $\text{+1}$ (I is the 9th letter, J is the 10th)
E to F is a shift of $\text{+1}$ (E is the 5th letter, F is the 6th)
N to O is a shift of $\text{+1}$ (N is the 14th letter, O is the 15th)
D to E is a shift of $\text{+1}$ (D is the 4th letter, E is the 5th)

The pattern is clear: each letter in FRIEND is advanced by one position in the English alphabet to obtain the corresponding letter in GSJFOE.

FRIEND	Shift	GSJFOE
F	+1	G
R	+1	S
I	+1	J
E	+1	F
N	+1	O
D	+1	E

Applying the Pattern to CLERICAL

Now we apply the same $\text{+1}$ shift pattern to each letter of the word CLERICAL.

C shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes D
L shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes M
E shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes F
R shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes S
I shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes J
C shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes D
A shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes B
L shifted by $\text{+1}$ becomes M

Combining these letters, we get DMFSJDBM.

CLERICAL	Shift	Result
C	+1	D
L	+1	M
E	+1	F
R	+1	S
I	+1	J
C	+1	D
A	+1	B
L	+1	M

Verifying the Options

Comparing our derived word DMFSJDBM with the given options:

DMFSJDBM - Matches our result.
DMFSJBZM - Does not match.
DMFSJEBN - Does not match.
DMFTKDBM - Does not match.

Thus, the correct option is DMFSJDBM.

Revision Table: Letter Coding Basics

Understanding basic coding techniques is crucial for analogy questions.

Technique	Description	Example
Letter Shift	Each letter is shifted by a fixed number of positions (forward or backward) in the alphabet.	A → C (+2), B → D (+2)
Reverse Order	The letters of the word are written in reverse order.	CAT → TAC
Substitution	Each letter is replaced by another specific letter or symbol (could be position-based or fixed).	A → Z (reverse alphabet), A → $, B → %
Mixed Operations	Combinations of shifts, reversals, or other patterns applied to different parts of the word.	First half shifted, second half reversed.

Additional Information: Solving Analogies

Analogy questions test your ability to identify relationships between pairs of items and apply that relationship to a new pair. In verbal analogies, the relationship can be based on various criteria: