# Letters and dots and paper

I started an online quiz and this was the first question. I feel pretty stupid because I honestly don't even know what's going on. Why are the dots changing? Are the letters being placed on the paper or inside it? What am I being asked exactly?

• "Are the letters being placed on the paper or inside it?" What letters? – Jonathan Allan Feb 4 '18 at 15:03
• The shapes. The square things. They look like letters (envelopes, whatever you call them), so I'm rolling with it. – iron Feb 4 '18 at 15:26
• OK, that's what I thought you might mean - see my answer. – Jonathan Allan Feb 4 '18 at 15:29
• I'm upvoting because it's puzzling to me too. Why are she shapes not inside/on top of the piece of paper at the top? Why are they drawn in a staggered placement? Why is there no actual question being asked? But apart from that, this question is pretty much off topic. If you don't know what the answer is, how can the question be answered? – Mr Lister Feb 4 '18 at 17:01
• @MrLister Asking how a puzzle works is entirely on topic. The poster's question here wasn't "what is the answer to this quiz question", it was asking to understand what the unintuitive presentation was trying to convey so they could even understand what it was asking. I understood OP's question quite well. – Rubio Feb 4 '18 at 22:05

1. What am I being asked exactly?

It looks like you are being asked which of the options (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) should fit in the white background area to maintain the most logical pattern.

1. Are the letters being placed on the paper or inside it?

If by letters you mean the numbered option you choose (each of which looks like a cut-out piece of paper) the shape is being used just to let you know where the option would go - so it is being placed there, it could just as well be an X marking the spot or a square with a question mark inside.

1. Why are the dots changing?

That is just the nature of the pattern. Once you have understood the answers to (3) and (2) above it should be quite easy to see that the most logical choice is...

Option 6 - four dots (effectively completing the sequence of number of dots 1,2,3,? as 1,2,3,4)

You are probably asked to find what comes next in the sequence, which is

6. The pattern is 1,2,3, and now 4 dots in the square, going clockwise.

• I think you mean anti-clockwise (or counter clockwise if American). Edit - oh hang on, you mean the dots are filling the square clockwise; I was thinking you meant the boxes in the sequence, which are going anti-clockwise!! – Jonathan Allan Feb 4 '18 at 15:10
• Oh, right. That seems pretty obvious now that I know. What was the relevance of the paper? Just to confuse me? – iron Feb 4 '18 at 15:29