Q:

In how many ways can the 26 letters in the alphabet...?

In how many ways can the 26 letters in the alphabet be arranged so b be somewhere to the left of e?

Basically, all the permutations in which the letter 'b' comes before the letter 'e'

How can I do this?

A:

There are $26!$ different arrangements, in half of which 'b' comes before 'e'.

Alternatively, you can multiply the following:

Number of ways to choose places for 'b' and 'e', which is $\binom{26}{2}$
Number of ways to arrange the remaining letters, which is $(26-2)!$

