Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: URINE
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This verbal reasoning question tests your ability to determine which word cannot be formed from the letters of a given base word. The base word is INFERNAL. You must identify the option that either introduces a missing letter or demands a letter more times than it appears in INFERNAL.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The standard approach is to record the letters of the base word and their frequencies, then evaluate each option. An option is valid if each of its letters appears in the base word and none is used more frequently than allowed. If an option requires a new letter that does not occur in INFERNAL, or uses a letter too many times, that word cannot be formed and is the correct answer.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the letters in INFERNAL with their frequencies: I(1), N(2), F(1), E(1), R(1), A(1), L(1).Step 2: Check ALIEN: letters A, L, I, E, N. All of these appear in INFERNAL with sufficient frequency, so ALIEN can be formed.Step 3: Check FINAL: letters F, I, N, A, L. All these letters are present in the base word and are not overused, so FINAL can be formed.Step 4: Check LEARN: letters L, E, A, R, N. Each letter appears at least once in INFERNAL, and N appears twice there, so LEARN can be formed.Step 5: Check URINE: letters U, R, I, N, E. The base word has R, I, N, and E but does not contain U. Therefore URINE cannot be formed from INFERNAL.
Verification / Alternative check:
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
ALIEN is not the correct answer because its letters all appear in INFERNAL with adequate counts.FINAL is not the correct answer, as F, I, N, A, and L all exist in the base word and are used appropriately.LEARN is not the correct answer, since L, E, A, R, and N come directly from the base word with no excess usage of any letter.
Common Pitfalls:
Test takers may instinctively suspect longer or visually complex options as impossible without carefully checking the individual letters. Others may overlook a missing letter like U in URINE, especially when many of the other letters do fit. To avoid such errors, always write down the set of base letters and methodically compare each option against that set and frequency list.
Final Answer:
The word that cannot be formed using the letters of INFERNAL is URINE.
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