From the given alternative words, select the single word that cannot be formed using the letters of the word PREDICAMENT.

Introduction / Context:
This problem is another example of a word formation question. The base word is PREDICAMENT, and you must identify which of the given options cannot be created from its letters. This type of question checks both your attention to detail and your ability to count letter frequencies accurately. Only one option either uses a missing letter or overuses some letter compared to the base word PREDICAMENT.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Base word: PREDICAMENT.
• Base letters: P, R, E, D, I, C, A, M, E, N, T.
• Letter frequencies: P(1), R(1), E(2), D(1), I(1), C(1), A(1), M(1), N(1), T(1).
• Options: CEMENT, DEMENTIA, PREDICT, PRIMER.
• Assumption: No extra letters may be added and each letter can be used at most as many times as it appears in PREDICAMENT.

Concept / Approach:
The systematic approach is to count the frequency of each letter in the base word, then analyze each option, verifying that all letters are present and that none is used more times than available. If an option calls for an extra occurrence of a particular letter or uses a letter that is entirely absent, it cannot be formed. Exactly one option in this set fails these checks and becomes the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Confirm frequencies in PREDICAMENT: P(1), R(1), E(2), D(1), I(1), C(1), A(1), M(1), N(1), T(1).Step 2: Check CEMENT: letters C, E, M, E, N, T. Required counts C(1), E(2), M(1), N(1), T(1) all match the available frequencies, so CEMENT can be formed.Step 3: Check DEMENTIA: letters D, E, M, E, N, T, I, A. Required counts D(1), E(2), M(1), N(1), T(1), I(1), A(1). All are present in the base word in sufficient numbers, so DEMENTIA can be formed.Step 4: Check PREDICT: letters P, R, E, D, I, C, T. Required counts P(1), R(1), E(1), D(1), I(1), C(1), T(1) are each within the base word counts. Thus, PREDICT can be formed.Step 5: Check PRIMER: letters P, R, I, M, E, R. This needs R twice. However, PREDICAMENT contains only one R. Therefore PRIMER cannot be formed from PREDICAMENT.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quicker verification method is to visually scan for problematic letters. Only PRIMER repeats the letter R, while the base word has a single R. The other options either use R not at all or only once. Additionally, no option introduces new letters beyond the set in PREDICAMENT. This reinforces that the only issue is the extra R in PRIMER. Hence PRIMER alone fails the letter frequency condition and is the one word that cannot be formed.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
CEMENT is not the correct answer because its letters are all present in PREDICAMENT with exact or greater frequency.DEMENTIA is not the correct answer because it fits within the letter pool of PREDICAMENT, even though it uses many letters.PREDICT is not the correct answer because it is directly formed from the letters of the base word without introducing any new letters or overusing any letter.

Common Pitfalls:
Many test takers fail to track repeated consonants like R, S, or T and only check for presence of letters. This often leads to mistakes when an option uses a letter more times than available. Another pitfall is trying to mentally juggle counts for multiple options at once instead of fully checking each option one by one. A simple table of letter frequencies and a systematic comparison avoids these mistakes.

Final Answer:
The word that cannot be formed using the letters of PREDICAMENT is PRIMER.