Read the directions carefully and give the answer from the given options.
P, Q, R, S, T, K, L, M and N are sitting around a circle facing the centre.
K is 4th to the right of P and P is 3rd to the right of Q.
N is 4th to the left of Q and 3rd to the right of S.
R is 2nd to the right of M and M is the immediate neighbour of P.
T is 2nd to the left of L.
Who is to the immediate left of K?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → R
For people sitting round a circle and facing the centre, “right” is anticlockwise and “left” is clockwise. Number the nine seats anticlockwise from Q, so that “3rd to the right” means 3 seats on and “4th to the left” means 4 seats back (9 seats in all).
Q is at seat 0. P is 3rd to the right of Q, so P is at seat 3.
K is 4th to the right of P, so K is at seat 7.
N is 4th to the left of Q: \(0-4\), that is, seat 5.
N is 3rd to the right of S, so S is 3 seats back from N: S is at seat 2.
M is next to P, at seat 2 or 4. Seat 2 is S’s, so M is at seat 4.
R is 2nd to the right of M, so R is at seat 6.
Seats 1 and 8 are left for L and T. T is 2nd to the left of L: with L at seat 1, T is at seat 8, which fits; with L at seat 8, T would be at seat 6, which is R’s. So L is at seat 1 and T at seat 8.
The person to the immediate left of K is one seat clockwise from K, at seat 6: R.
Tip: Picture yourself sitting at the table facing the centre: your right hand points anticlockwise round the table. For people facing away from the centre, the two directions swap.