Consider the following:
A + B means A is the son of B.
A − B means A is the wife of B.
What does the expression P + R − Q mean?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Q is the father of P.
P + R means P is the son of R, and R − Q means R is the wife of Q. So Q is the husband of P's mother R, which makes Q the father of P.
- P + R → P is the son of R.
- R − Q → R is the wife of Q, so Q is R's husband.
- P is the son of R, and R's husband is Q, so Q is the father of P.
Remember · Decode coded relations one link at a time, left to right, noting each person's gender as you go.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·