Q12

[JohnD194]

How is this possible? If L is 5, then we need that LKTM chunk for 5 6 7 8. No room for J.

[ohthatpatrick]

The 3rd rule gives us L – K – M, so if L is 5, we know that K and M have to be in the last 3 spots.
The 2nd rule says that L – J, so if L is 5, we know that J is in one of the last 3 spots.

Thus, the last three spots either go
J K M
K J M
or
K M J

But we more compactly would write that on our page as
__ __ __ __ L (K - M, J)

To the left of L is everyone else: P, G, H, T

None of them have any rules in relation to each other, so anywhere we put them is safe. So our final work going to the answers might look like
(P, G, H, T) L (K – M, J)

When relative ordering games plop a character in the middle of the number line, they’re really testing us “who’s to the left / who’s to the right”, rather than specific positions.

So the four impossible answers will probably be saying “someone from the left side is AFTER someone from the right side”.

(A) J is right, G is left, so J – G is impossible.
(B) J is right, T is left, so J – T is impossible.
(C) K is right, T is left, so K – T is impossible
(D) M is right, H is left, so M – H is impossible.
(E) This is fine. We could, for example, have a scenario like P G H T L K M J.

Your confusion seemed to stem from thinking that T needed to be to the right of L.
But the only rule for T is that it comes before M. So T could be as early as 1.

Maybe check your diagram and see if you accidentally drew your relative ordering tree incorrectly (and if answers are seeming impossible, then scrap your diagram and just go off the rules as written).