Introduction
Relationship Concepts — better known as Blood Relations — gives you a chain of statements like "A is the son of B's brother" and asks how A and B are related. SSC Stenographer asks 1 to 2 such items per paper. With a family tree on paper they become trivial; without one, even simple chains trip students up. After this lesson you will know the standard symbols, generation rules and the trap traps SSC uses.
Core Concept
Always draw a family tree. Use:
- + for male, − for female (write next to each person letter)
- Horizontal line for siblings or spouses
- Vertical line for parent–child (parent on top)
Convert each statement into one tree edit before reading the next:
- "X is the son of Y" → put X below Y, mark X as male.
- "P is the brother of Q" → P and Q at the same level, same parent, P male.
- "M is the mother of N" → M above N, M female.
For "pointing" puzzles ("pointing to a man, she said…"), read backwards from the speaker to the photo person, applying each relationship in reverse.
Formula Sheet
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Father's father / Mother's father | Grandfather |
| Father's brother | Uncle (paternal) |
| Mother's sister | Aunt (maternal) |
| Father's sister's son | Cousin |
| Son's wife | Daughter-in-law |
| Brother's son | Nephew |
| Sister's daughter | Niece |
Solved Examples
Example 1. A is B's father, B is C's brother, D is C's mother. How is A related to D?
- A is father of B. C and B are siblings → A is father of C too.
- D is mother of C → D is wife of A.
- Answer: Husband.
Example 2. Pointing to a photo, Anil said: "She is the daughter of my grandfather's only son." Who is she to Anil?
- Grandfather's only son = Anil's father.
- Daughter of Anil's father = Anil's sister.
- Answer: Sister.
Shortcut: for "pointing" questions, work backwards starting from the photo person to the speaker.
Question Patterns
- Direct chain — A is X of B, B is Y of C, find A's relation to C.
- Pointing puzzle — speaker describes a photo using nested relations.
- Code-style relations — A%B means A is brother of B; decode and answer.
- Family tree puzzle — multiple statements about a 3-generation family.
- Husband-wife trap — gender of speaker matters; "her" vs "his" flips answer.
- Generation counting — how many generations apart are X and Y?
Mistakes to Avoid
1. Skipping the diagram. Mentally tracking 4 people in 3 generations is unreliable — always draw.
2. Ignoring gender markers. A "son" is male; assuming "child" is male leads to wrong answers.
3. Misreading "only son". "My father's only son" = me (if male) or my brother (if female speaker).
4. Forgetting that pointing is reverse-direction. Photo→speaker direction.
Exam Importance
| Exam | Frequency | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC Stenographer | High | 1–2 | Direct chains common |
| SSC CGL | High | 2 | Pointing puzzles common |
| Bank PO | High | 3–5 | Coded family puzzles |
Why Blood Relations is always-asked. SSC Stenographer 2026 asks 1–2 Blood Relation items every paper, with two flavours: direct chains (A is the brother of B, B is the daughter of C…) and pointing puzzles (the man pointing to a photo says "she is the daughter of my mother's only daughter"). Build a fixed family tree on rough paper for every question — never solve in your head. Use standard symbols: square for male, circle for female, single line for siblings, double line for marriage, downward line for child. Memorise 20 indirect-relationship phrases: "father's father" = paternal grandfather; "mother's brother" = maternal uncle; "father's sister's son" = paternal cousin; "wife's brother" = brother-in-law; "son's wife" = daughter-in-law; "brother's son" = nephew; "sister's daughter" = niece; "father's only son" = self (male); "mother's only daughter" = self (female). For pointing puzzles, decode step by step from the innermost descriptor outward. Cap each question at 60 seconds. Daily 5 questions for two weeks builds permanent fluency.
Quick Revision
- Draw a family tree for every question.
- Mark gender beside every name.
- Pointing → solve backwards.
- "Only son" = self/brother depending on gender.
- Vertical line = parent-child; horizontal = sibling/spouse.
- Memorise standard relation table.
- Aim 45 seconds per question.
- Solve 5 PYQ family puzzles daily.
- Standard codes: father's father = grandfather; mother's brother = maternal uncle; father's sister = paternal aunt.
- 'My father's only son' = self (male) or brother (female).
- 'My mother's only daughter' = self (female) or sister (male).
- For pointing-to-photo questions, work the relation chain from the speaker outward, not from the photo back.
- Use symbols: ↔ (siblings), ↕ (parent-child), = (spouse) for compact diagrams.
- Drill 100 SSC PYQ blood-relation questions to internalise the recurring relation chains.