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Subject :NSO    Class : Class 8

Seven executives P, Q, R, S, T, U and W reach office in a particular sequence. U reaches immediately before P but does not immediately follow S. R is the last one to reach office. T follows immediately after P and is subsequently followed by W. S is not at the second last position. Who ranks fourth in the sequence of reaching office?

A W
B U
C T
D None of these


Ans 1:

Class : Class 8
In my opinion, the answer to this question should be option (X) - Can’t be determined. This is because there are two orders of executives (on the basis of reaching the office first). Firstly, consider the order: S, Q, U, P, T, W, R. This order fulfills all the criteria: firstly, R is the last person to reach the office; secondly, U reaches immediately before P; thirdly, P is consecutively followed by T, and then T is followed by W; finally, S is not immediately followed by U, and not at the second last position. According to this order, the person who reaches office fourth is P. However, considering the order: U, P, T, W, S, Q, R, the fourth person is W. This order also fulfills all criteria, and thus is a suitable order. Thus, there are two answers to this question: P, and W. Therefore, the answer should be option (X) - can’t be determined. Option (D), as given in the solution, is an incorrect option, due to phrasing. "None of these" suggests that there is one other 'definite' answer, while "Can't be determined" suggests that there is 'more than one answer', or 'an unknown answer'. The confusion in this question might arise from the fact that the question's phrase "U reaches...but does not immediately follow S.". This phrase seems to imply that U follows S, just not immediately. However, this implication is an inference we derive from common sense and pragmatic thinking, not of rational and logical decision making. Just because U does not immediately follow S, it does not mean U follows S, it could also mean S follows U, because this does not contradict the phrase 'U reaches....but does not immediately follow S'. That is probably why, in the solution, the order S, Q, U, P, T, W, R is given, but the order U, P, T, W, S, Q, R isn't.

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