Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: ravishing
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Spelling questions are designed to test your familiarity with standard English orthography. In this question, you are given several possible spellings of a word that means “extremely attractive or beautiful”. The correct spelling is commonly used in literature, media, and everyday conversation, so recognizing it is important for accurate written communication.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The correct adjective is “ravishing”. It is derived from the verb “ravish”, which in older usage meant to seize or carry off, but in modern positive sense means to enchant or delight completely. The standard pattern is “ravish” + “-ing” → “ravishing”. The base word does not contain an “e” between “sh” and “ing”, and it does not use double “s”. Therefore, the strategy is to recognize the base “ravish” and then correctly add the “-ing” suffix without inserting extra vowels or consonants.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the root verb is “ravish”.
Step 2: Form the adjective by adding “-ing”: ravish + ing → ravishing.
Step 3: Compare each option carefully with this standard form.
Step 4: Option “ravishing” matches exactly with the base plus suffix method.
Step 5: Reject options that add extra letters like an additional “e” or extra “s” or change the “v” and “sh” sequence.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify the correct spelling by checking how the word appears in reliable dictionaries or by noticing its use in phrases like “a ravishing beauty” or “she looked absolutely ravishing”. In all such examples, the spelling is “ravishing”. None of the other variants appear in standard English sources, which confirms our choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Raveshing” wrongly inserts “e” after “v” and changes the internal structure of the word.
“Ravisheing” incorrectly adds “e” before “ing”, which is not used in the standard formation of the word.
“Ravesheing” combines several incorrect changes and does not correspond to the base “ravish”.
“Ravisshing” uses a double “s”, which is not present in the correct word “ravishing”.
Common Pitfalls:
A common problem in spelling questions is over-reliance on sound alone. English spelling is not always phonetic, so words that sound similar may have very different written forms. Another pitfall is confusion caused by adding silent “e” or doubling consonants unnecessarily. To avoid such mistakes, remember typical patterns: when “ravish” takes the “-ing” ending, the “h” remains and no extra “e” is added. Regular reading and vocabulary practice also help fix the correct spellings in your memory.
Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is “ravishing”.
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