Consider the following:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are standing in a row facing North.
B is not neighbour of G.
F is to the immediate right of G and neighbour of E.
G is not at the extreme end.
A is sixth to the left of E.
H is sixth to the right of C.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) G is to the immediate right of D.
'Sixth to the left/right' in a row of eight forces the pairs A–E and C–H into places 1 & 7 and 2 & 8. F must stand next to E, which works only with A at 1 and E at 7. The row is A C B D G F E H, so G is to the immediate right of D.
- Number the places 1–8 from left to right; facing North, a person's right is the higher number.
- A is sixth to the left of E: (A, E) = (1, 7) or (2, 8). H is sixth to the right of C: (C, H) = (1, 7) or (2, 8). The two pairs must take different sets.
- Case C = 1, H = 7, A = 2, E = 8: E's only neighbour is place 7 (H), so F cannot be next to E — rejected.
- So A = 1, C = 2, E = 7, H = 8. F must be at 6 (next to E) and G at 5 (immediately left of F); G is not at an end.
- B and D fill places 3 and 4; B is not next to G (5), so B = 3 and D = 4.
- Row: A C B D G F E H. G (5) is immediately right of D (4).
- Check the others: C is to the right of A, not the left; D's neighbours are B and G; A and E are at 1 and 7, not both ends.
Remember · In linear seating, 'k-th to the left' clues with a large k allow few places — list them first, then test the adjacency clues.
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). ·