Question

Ten friends, Matt, Sam, Pat, Tom, Sid, Alex, Kat, Jim, Jane and John, are having dinner at a rectangular table. Eight of them sit facing each other along the two long sides of the table, four on each side. The other two sit facing each other along the two short sides. Pat sits diagonally opposite Kat. Alex faces Jim. John sits to the right of Jane. Tom sits between Sam and Jim. Pat sits at the extreme left and Jane sits at the extreme right along the long side of the table. Sid faces Tom. Matt sits to the right of Sam.

Who is sitting in front of each other along the small sides of the table?

• A. Matt and John
• B. Matt and Sam
• C. Matt and Kat
• D. John and Sam

Hint:

Place all eight long-side people first using the between/facing/extreme clues; whoever is left over must take the two short side seats.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Instead of starting from the corners, build the arrangement from the middle block of clues outward and see who is left for the two end seats.

1. Matt and John: Once Sam, Tom, Jim and Kat are fixed on one long side, and Pat, Sid, Alex and Jane on the other (using the between, facing, and extreme end clues), only Matt and John remain unplaced. The table has exactly two short side seats left, and both remaining clues, "John to the right of Jane" and "Matt to the right of Sam", place them one at each end, so they sit facing each other on the short sides. This matches the layout the question describes.
2. Matt and Sam: Sam already has a fixed seat on the long side of the table, next to Tom, so Sam cannot also occupy a short side seat.
3. Matt and Kat: Kat is fixed on the long side, diagonally opposite Pat, so Kat is not one of the two short side occupants either.
4. John and Sam: this repeats the same error, placing Sam on a short side seat that the clues have already fixed on the long side.

Only Matt and John are left over for the two short side seats, so they are the pair facing each other there.