Understanding the Alphabet Pattern Question

The question asks us to identify a pair of words that follows the same logical pattern as the two given pairs: AXY-XUV and GDE-DAB. We need to carefully analyze the relationship between the letters in each given pair to uncover the underlying pattern.

Analyzing the Given Pairs

Pair 1: AXY-XUV

Let's determine the position of each letter in the alphabet:

• A is the 1^st letter.
• X is the 24^th letter.
• Y is the 25^th letter.

For the second word in the pair:

• X is the 24^th letter.
• U is the 21^st letter.
• V is the 22^nd letter.

Now, let's examine the transformation from the first word to the second:

• A (1) to X (24)
• X (24) to U (21)
• Y (25) to V (22)

Consider a backward shift in the alphabet. If we shift each letter 3 positions backward:

• For A (1): Shifting 3 positions back requires wrapping around. The position would be $1 - 3 = -2$. In a 26-letter alphabet, $-2$ corresponds to the $24^{th}$ letter (since $-2 + 26 = 24$), which is X.
• For X (24): The position becomes $24 - 3 = 21$. The $21^{st}$ letter is U.
• For Y (25): The position becomes $25 - 3 = 22$. The $22^{nd}$ letter is V.

This confirms that the pattern for the first pair is replacing each letter with the letter 3 positions before it in the alphabet (with wrap-around).

Pair 2: GDE-DAB

Let's verify this pattern with the second given pair:

• G is the 7^th letter.
• D is the 4^th letter.
• E is the 5^th letter.

For the second word:

• D is the 4^th letter.
• A is the 1^st letter.
• B is the 2^nd letter.

Applying the backward shift of 3 positions:

• For G (7): $7 - 3 = 4$. The $4^{th}$ letter is D.
• For D (4): $4 - 3 = 1$. The $1^{st}$ letter is A.
• For E (5): $5 - 3 = 2$. The $2^{nd}$ letter is B.

The pattern holds true for the second pair as well. The rule is consistent: shift each letter 3 positions backward in the alphabet.

Applying the Pattern to Find the Correct Pair

We now need to test the given options using the established pattern: shift each letter of the first word 3 positions backward to obtain the second word.

Option 1: VRR-SPQ

• V (22): $22 - 3 = 19$. The $19^{th}$ letter is S. (Matches)
• R (18): $18 - 3 = 15$. The $15^{th}$ letter is O. (The option has P, which is incorrect)

This option does not follow the pattern.

Option 2: VST-RPP

• V (22): $22 - 3 = 19$. The $19^{th}$ letter is S. (The option has R, which is incorrect)

This option does not follow the pattern.

Option 3: VRR-ROP

• V (22): $22 - 3 = 19$. The $19^{th}$ letter is S. (The option has R, which is incorrect)

This option does not follow the pattern.

Option 4: VST-SPQ

• V (22): $22 - 3 = 19$. The $19^{th}$ letter is S. (Matches)
• S (19): $19 - 3 = 16$. The $16^{th}$ letter is P. (Matches)
• T (20): $20 - 3 = 17$. The $17^{th}$ letter is Q. (Matches)

All letters in the pair VST-SPQ correctly follow the pattern of shifting 3 positions backward.

Conclusion

The pair VST-SPQ is the one that correctly follows the pattern identified from the given examples, where each letter is replaced by the letter 3 positions earlier in the alphabet.