Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Reserve
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests your ability to work with letter arrangements. You are given a source word, RELATIONSHIP, and several candidate words. Your task is to decide which candidate cannot be formed by rearranging some or all of the letters in the source word, using each letter no more often than it appears in the original. This type of problem appears frequently in verbal reasoning sections to check attention to detail and counting accuracy.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The key idea is to count the frequency of each letter in the source word and compare it to the frequency required in each candidate word. If any candidate needs a letter that is absent from the source, or needs more copies of a letter than the source provides, that candidate cannot be formed. A simple way is to list the letters of RELATIONSHIP and mark their counts, then test each option one by one against this inventory.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Write RELATIONSHIP and list letter counts: R, E, L, A, T, I, O, N, S, H, I, P.
Count frequencies: R1, E1, L1, A1, T1, I2, O1, N1, S1, H1, P1.
Check Ship: S,H,I,P each occurs at least once in the source, and Ship needs only one of each, so Ship can be formed.
Check Late: L,A,T,E all appear exactly once in the source, so Late can be formed.
Check Last: L,A,S,T all appear once, so Last can also be formed from RELATIONSHIP.
Check Reserve: it needs letters R,E,S,E,R,V,E. That requires R twice, E three times and V once, but RELATIONSHIP has only one R, one E and no V at all. Therefore Reserve cannot be formed.
Verification / Alternative check:
Another quick check is to look at the unique letters in each option. Ship, Late and Last all use letters that clearly appear in the base word and in reasonable counts. Reserve, however, introduces the letter V, which does not occur anywhere in RELATIONSHIP. Even without counting the repeated letters, the presence of a completely new letter proves that Reserve is impossible to construct from the given letters, confirming the earlier analysis based on frequency counts.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, Ship, uses S, H, I and P, all present in sufficient numbers in the source word. Option B, Late, uses L, A, T and E, again all present once. Option D, Last, uses letters L, A, S and T, each available. None of these violates the letter inventory rule. Option E, None of these, is wrong because there is a clear single word, Reserve, that cannot be produced from RELATIONSHIP due to missing and insufficient letters.
Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is to check only whether a letter appears at all, and ignore whether it appears often enough to cover repeats in the candidate word. Another frequent error is overlooking a letter like V that does not appear in the source word. A disciplined approach is to write down letter counts or at least scan carefully for each required letter in sequence. Practising this method will make similar questions much faster and more accurate in timed exams.
Final Answer:
The word that cannot be formed from the letters of RELATIONSHIP is Reserve.
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