A is the sister of B. C is B's mother. D is C's father. E is D's mother. How is A related to D, and to E?
A is D's granddaughter and E's great-granddaughter. A and B are children of C; C is D's child, so A is D's grandchild, and A is female (a sister), so granddaughter. D is E's son, so A is E's great-granddaughter.
Explain it simply
Draw a quick family tree with generations stacked vertically. Each "mother of" or "father of" link moves you up one level. Count the levels between the two people and use the gender of the person whose relation you are describing. A's gender is known (she is a sister), which matters for the final word.
Example
Question: A is B's sister, C is B's mother, D is C's father, E is D's mother.
E (female) generation 1
|
D (male) generation 2
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C (female) generation 3
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A (female) - B generation 4- A and B are children of C.
- C is the daughter of D, so A is D's grandchild. A is female: granddaughter.
- D is E's son, so A is E's great-granddaughter.
Note that C is female (a mother) and D is male (a father), but A's gender is the only one needed for the answer.
What to say in the interview
"I stack the generations: E, then D, then C, then A and B. A is two levels below D and three below E, and she is female, so granddaughter of D and great-granddaughter of E."
Common mistakes
- Reversing the direction and saying D is A's granddaughter.
- Using B's gender when the question asks about A; B's gender is not even given.