Arrange the following words in the same sequence in which they would appear in an English dictionary and then choose the correct code from the alternatives: i. Shortage ii. Shore iii. Shamelessly iv. Shadiness v. Shallow.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: iv, v, iii, ii, i

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This dictionary order question includes several words that share the first three letters SHA or SHO. You must apply alphabetical comparison carefully beyond the common prefix, which is a common and important skill in verbal reasoning and in understanding alphabetical indexing in real dictionaries and word lists.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Words given: Shortage, Shore, Shamelessly, Shadiness, Shallow.
  • Codes: i = Shortage, ii = Shore, iii = Shamelessly, iv = Shadiness, v = Shallow.
  • We must arrange these words in strict dictionary order.
  • Standard English alphabetical rules are used without any special dictionary conventions.


Concept / Approach:
For words with a common initial part, dictionary order depends on the first position where they differ. The steps are:

  • Compare the first letter of each word; if equal, move to the second letter, and so on.
  • When the first differing letter is found, the word with the earlier letter in the alphabet comes first.
  • If one word is a complete prefix of another, the shorter word comes earlier.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note the words clearly: Shadiness, Shallow, Shamelessly, Shore, Shortage. Step 2: All words start with S H. Next compare the third letter. For Shadiness, Shallow, and Shamelessly, the third letter is A. For Shore and Shortage, the third letter is O. Since A comes before O, the SHA group will come first, followed by the SHO group. Step 3: Within the SHA group (Shadiness, Shallow, Shamelessly), look at the fourth letter. They are D, L, and M respectively. Alphabetically, D comes before L, and L comes before M. Therefore the order within the SHA group is Shadiness (iv), Shallow (v), Shamelessly (iii). Step 4: Within the SHO group, we compare Shore and Shortage. Both begin with S H O R. At the next letter, we have E in Shore and T in Shortage. Since E comes before T, Shore (ii) precedes Shortage (i). Step 5: Combining both groups, the full dictionary order is Shadiness (iv), Shallow (v), Shamelessly (iii), Shore (ii), Shortage (i). Hence the correct code is iv, v, iii, ii, i.


Verification / Alternative check:
A quick mental check is to read the words as if you were scanning them in a dictionary: Shadiness, Shallow, Shamelessly, Shore, Shortage. This natural reading order agrees with the derived sequence and again corresponds to iv, v, iii, ii, i.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option iii, iv, v, ii, i begins with Shamelessly instead of Shadiness, ignoring that D in Shadiness comes before M in Shamelessly. Option iv, iii, i, ii, v misplaces Shallow and also mixes the order of Shore and Shortage. Option iii, iv, ii, i, v is inconsistent with the alphabetical ordering inside both SHA and SHO groups. Option v, iv, iii, ii, i starts with Shallow, even though Shadiness should come earlier because D precedes L.


Common Pitfalls:
Because the words are visually similar, candidates sometimes rely on meaning or familiarity rather than pure alphabetical comparison. Another frequent mistake is to group only by the first two or three letters and ignore later differences. Systematic letter by letter comparison prevents such errors.


Final Answer:
The correct dictionary order is Shadiness, Shallow, Shamelessly, Shore, Shortage, represented by the code iv, v, iii, ii, i.


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