1. The problem gives a sequence of letter-number pairs: A=12, B=26, C=42, D=60, and asks for E=? 2. We need to find the pattern or rule that relates the letters to their numbers. 3. Assign each letter its position in the alphabet: A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5. 4. Check the differences between the numbers: 26-12=14, 42-26=16, 60-42=18. 5. The differences increase by 2 each time: 14, 16, 18, so the next difference should be 20. 6. Add 20 to the last number 60: $$60 + 20 = 80$$. 7. Therefore, the value for E is 80. 8. Final answer: $$E = 80$$.