R, E, A, D, I, N and G are sitting around a circular table, facing the centre of the table. Only two people sit between N and R w…

Question

R, E, A, D, I, N and G are sitting around a circular table, facing the centre of the table. Only two people sit between N and R when counted from the left of R. G sits third to the left of A. D sits to the immediate right of A. D sits second to the left of N. I is not an immediate neighbor of G. Who sits third to the right of E?

1. A. D (Correct answer)
2. B. A
3. C. R
4. D. G

Correct Answer

Option A — D

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is D.

Key Points

• Seven people face the centre, so each person's left is clockwise and right is anticlockwise. Fix A at a position and work round.
  • *G sits third to the left of A* → G three clockwise from A
  • *D sits immediate right of A* → D one anticlockwise from A
  • *D sits second to the left of N* → N two anticlockwise from D, i.e. three anticlockwise from A
  • *Only two people between N and R counting from R's left* → N is three clockwise from R, placing R one clockwise from A
  • *I is not an immediate neighbour of G* → of the two free seats, I takes the one away from G, leaving E beside G
• Reading clockwise: A, R, E, G, N, I, D.
• Third to the right of E means three anticlockwise: E → A → D. The answer is D.

Additional Information

• Facing the centre reverses the intuition of a row. Seated inward, a person's left runs clockwise as seen from above; facing outward it reverses. Establish this before placing anyone.
• Fix one person arbitrarily and treat all other positions as relative — in a circle there is no absolute starting point, so the arrangement is unique only up to rotation.
• "Only two people sit between N and R counted from the left of R" specifies both the gap and the direction; ignoring the direction admits a mirror arrangement that fails later clues.
• Negative clues such as "I is not an immediate neighbour of G" are usually applied last, to choose between the final remaining placements.