All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

Town B is to the north of Town A. Town C is to the east of Town B. Town D is to the north of Town C. Town E is to the west of Town D. What is the position of Town E with respect to Town A? (All positions are arranged in GRID pattern)

This question was previously asked in
SSC Stenographer 2022 Previous Year Paper (17-Nov-2022) (Shift 2)
The correct answer is

North

Analyzing Town Positions in a Grid Pattern

The question asks us to determine the position of Town E relative to Town A, given a series of directional relationships between several towns arranged in a grid pattern. We will break down the information step-by-step to map out the relative locations of each town.

Step-by-Step Analysis of Town Locations

  • Town B is to the north of Town A. This means if you start at A and move north, you reach B. We can represent this movement vertically upwards on a map or grid.
  • Town C is to the east of Town B. Starting from B and moving east, you arrive at C. This is a horizontal movement to the right.
  • Town D is to the north of Town C. From C, moving north leads to D. This is another vertical movement upwards.
  • Town E is to the west of Town D. Starting from D and moving west brings you to E. This is a horizontal movement to the left.

Mapping the Relative Positions

Let's visualize these movements starting from Town A:

  1. Start at Town A.
  2. Move North to reach Town B.
  3. From B, move East to reach Town C.
  4. From C, move North to reach Town D.
  5. From D, move West to reach Town E.

Since the arrangement is in a grid pattern, moving North or South changes only the vertical position, and moving East or West changes only the horizontal position. Also, moving North then South by the same 'distance' brings you back to the original vertical line. Similarly, moving East then West by the same 'distance' brings you back to the original horizontal line.

Let's trace the path from A to E:

A → (North) → B → (East) → C → (North) → D → (West) → E

Notice the horizontal movements: B is reached from A (North, no East/West). C is East of B. E is West of D. Since C is East of B and D is North of C, and E is West of D, the West movement from D to E effectively cancels out the East movement from B to C, placing E back on the same vertical line as B. Since B is North of A, E which is on the same vertical line as B and is North of B (as seen from the moves C → D is North, and D → E is West, so E is North of C and West of D), must be North of A.

Alternatively, consider a coordinate system. Let Town A be at (0,0).

  • Town B is North of A: B is at (0, y1) where y1 > 0.
  • Town C is East of B: C is at (x1, y1) where x1 > 0.
  • Town D is North of C: D is at (x1, y2) where y2 > y1.
  • Town E is West of D: E is at (x2, y2) where x2 < x1.

In a strict grid pattern with equal steps (though not specified, it helps visualize), assume one unit per step:

  • A = (0, 0)
  • B = (0, 1) (North of A)
  • C = (1, 1) (East of B)
  • D = (1, 2) (North of C)
  • E = (0, 2) (West of D - returning to the x-coordinate of 0)

Comparing the coordinates of E (0, 2) and A (0, 0), the x-coordinate is the same, and the y-coordinate of E is greater than A. This indicates that E is directly North of A.

Conclusion: Position of Town E with respect to Town A

Based on the sequence of movements and the grid pattern, Town E is located directly to the north of Town A.

Reference Town Relative Position Destination Town
A North B
B East C
C North D
D West E

Revision Table: Key Directional Concepts

Direction Movement Effect on Grid Coordinates (e.g., from (x,y))
North Towards the top Increases y-coordinate (x, y+Δy), Δy > 0
South Towards the bottom Decreases y-coordinate (x, y-Δy), Δy > 0
East Towards the right Increases x-coordinate (x+Δx, y), Δx > 0
West Towards the left Decreases x-coordinate (x-Δx, y), Δx > 0

Additional Information on Directional Reasoning

Directional reasoning questions test your ability to understand and follow instructions involving directions (North, South, East, West, and sometimes intermediate directions like Northeast, Southwest). These questions often involve a series of movements or the relative positions of objects or places.

  • Visualisation is key: Try to imagine or sketch the path or positions described.
  • Grid patterns simplify things: In grid patterns, movements are typically along cardinal directions, making it easier to track horizontal and vertical displacements.
  • Relative vs. Absolute Positions: Understand whether you are asked for the position of one point from another (relative) or a specific direction/distance from a fixed origin (absolute).
  • Net Displacement: Sometimes you can calculate the net displacement by summing up movements in opposite directions (e.g., 3 steps East and 2 steps West result in 1 step East from the starting point). In this problem, the East movement from B to C and the West movement from D to E cancel out horizontally, leaving only a net vertical movement from A to E.
Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. Point A is 35 m to the east of Point B. Point C is 28 m to the south of Point B. Point C is 15 m to the east of Point D. Point E is 14 m to the north of Point D. Point F is 20 m to the east of Point E. In which direction is Point A with respect to Point F?

  2. A lies to the north-west of C and north of D. If B is to the east of A, what is the position of D with respect to B?

  3. Point A is 35 m to the north of Point B. Point C is 28 m to the west of Point B. Point D is 25 m to the south of Point C. Point E is 14 m to the west of Point D. Point F is 40 m to the north of Point E. In which direction is Point B with respect to Point F?

  4. Point A is 30 m to the east of Point B. Point C is 43 m to the south of Point A. Point C is 45 m to the east of Point D. Point E is 14 m to the south of Point D. Point F is 35 m to the east of Point E. In which direction is Point B with respect to Point F?

  5. Town B is to the east of Town A. Town C is to the north of Town B. Town D is to the east of Town C. Town E is to the south of Town D. What is the position of Town E with respect to Town A? (All positions are arranged in GRID pattern)

  6. Town C is to the south of Town A. Town D is to the west of town A. Town B is to the east of town D. Town E is to the south of town B and south-east of Town C. What is the position of town A with respect to town B?

  7. Town A is to the northwest of Town B. Town D is to the north of Town C. Town B is to the east of Town C. Town M is to the North of Town B. Town D is southeast of Town A. Town M is East of Town A. What is the position of Town D with respect to Town B?


Important Questions from Direction and Distance Stops

  1. Radha walks 14 km towards north. She turns right and walks 22 km. She turns right and walks 24 km. She turns left and walks 26 km. She finally rotates by an angle of 90 degrees in anti-clockwise direction and walks 24 km. How far and in which direction is her starting point from the finishing point.

  2. Harish wants to meet his friend Farhan. He travels 10 km north and then turns right and travels 2 km. He then goes east for 5 km before reaching Farhan's home. How many km does he travel?

  3. The distance between Nalini and Pramod is 50 m and that between Sarayu and Ravali is 40 m. Sarayu is to the west of Ravali, who is to the east of Nalini at a distance of 70 m. Pramod is to the west or northwest or north of Sarayu.

    If Sarayu is to the south of Pramod, what is the distance between Pramod and Sarayu?

  4. Kiran was standing on the way after sunrise. Narmada who was coming from the opposite direction, saw that the shadow of Kiran was falling on his left. So to which direction was Kiran's face?

    (Kiran was looking)

  5. The area of a square is 4096 sq cm. Find the ratio of the breadth and the length of a rectangle whose length is twice the side of the square and breadth is 24 cm less than the side of the square.

Need Expert Advice?
Upcoming Exams
SSC CGL
September 30, 2026
UPSSSC PET
October 23, 2026
Test Series
SSC Stenographer img
SSC
SSC Stenographer 2026 Mock Test Series (Latest Version)
1172 Tests 2 Tests Free
3053 Attempts
4.6(263)
English, Hindi

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App