Arrange the following words in the same order in which they would appear in a standard English dictionary: 1. Eyelid 2. Eyeless 3. Eyesore 4. Eyesight.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 2, 1, 4, 3

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This dictionary order question uses four words derived from Eye: Eyelid, Eyeless, Eyesore and Eyesight. They share a common prefix Eye, so small differences later in the word decide the order. The candidate must determine the sequence that reflects standard lexicographic ordering and match it to the correct numeric pattern.


Given Data / Assumptions:
- Words: 1. Eyelid, 2. Eyeless, 3. Eyesore, 4. Eyesight.
- Standard English alphabetical ordering is used.
- All words begin with the same three letters E y e, so comparison starts from the fourth letter onward.
- If one word is a prefix of another, the shorter word comes first.


Concept / Approach:
When words share a long common prefix like Eye, the order depends on letters that follow. We compare the fourth and subsequent letters and order them by their alphabetical positions. If two words share more letters, we keep moving until the first difference appears. Applying these rules gives a clear and repeatable method for finding the dictionary order.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write each word after the common prefix Eye: Eyeless (less), Eyelid (lid), Eyesore (sore), Eyesight (sight). Step 2: Compare Eyeless and Eyelid first. Both have Eyel..., so we look at the fifth letter: Eyeless (e), Eyelid (i). Step 3: Because e comes before i, Eyeless (2) comes before Eyelid (1). Step 4: Now compare Eyesore and Eyesight. Both share Eyes..., so examine the next letter: Eyesore (o), Eyesight (i). Step 5: Since i comes before o, Eyesight (4) comes before Eyesore (3). Step 6: Next we compare the Eyel words with the Eyes words. After Eye, the fourth letter is l for Eyeless and Eyelid, while it is s for Eyesight and Eyesore. Step 7: Because l comes before s, all Eyel... words appear before the Eyes... words. Step 8: Combining the internal orders, we get: Eyeless (2), Eyelid (1), Eyesight (4), Eyesore (3) which corresponds to 2, 1, 4, 3.


Verification / Alternative check:
Write the words in the proposed order: Eyeless, Eyelid, Eyesight, Eyesore. Check each step: Eye-l... forms clearly come before Eye-s... forms because l is alphabetically earlier than s. Within Eye-l, Eyeless comes before Eyelid due to the final e and i comparison. Within Eye-s, Eyesight precedes Eyesore because i precedes o. No adjacent pair violates alphabetical order, confirming the sequence 2, 1, 4, 3.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B (2, 1, 3, 4) wrongly places Eyesore before Eyesight. Option C (4, 3, 1, 2) puts the Eyes group before the Eyel group. Option D (4, 2, 3, 1) misorders both the Eyel and Eyes subgroups. Option E (1, 2, 3, 4) assumes the original listing is already sorted, which is not correct. Option A is the only one that exactly matches the careful letter by letter comparison.


Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may fail to separate the words into Eyel... and Eyes... groups and instead compare them randomly, leading to confusion. Another error is to overlook subtle differences between o and i when comparing Eyesight and Eyesore. To avoid these problems, explicitly mark the common prefix Eye and examine only the differing suffixes in strict alphabetical order.


Final Answer:
The correct dictionary order corresponds to the numeric sequence 2, 1, 4, 3.

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