Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: i, ii, iv, iii
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question asks you to arrange four words that all begin with Fa in dictionary order: Fabric, Face, Failure and Faculty. Because they share the same first two letters, you must compare subsequent letters carefully to determine which word comes first, second, third and fourth. This type of problem reinforces the basic technique of alphabetical ordering beyond superficial similarity.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
To find dictionary order, compare words character by character from left to right. Once a difference is found at a certain position, the word with the earlier letter at that position comes first. Since all words share Fa, check the third and subsequent letters. After determining the textual order of the words, you then map them back to their Roman numeral labels to choose the correct option.
Step-by-Step Solution:
List the words: Fabric, Face, Failure and Faculty.
All start with Fa. At the third letter, Fabric has b, Face and Faculty have c and Failure has i.
Since b comes before c and i, Fabric (i) must be first in dictionary order.
Next compare Face and Faculty. Both start with Fac. At the fourth letter, Face has e while Faculty has u, and e comes before u, so Face (ii) comes before Faculty (iv).
Failure starts with Fai, and at the third letter i follows both b and c in the alphabet, so Failure (iii) must come after all words that start with Fab or Fac. Therefore the full order is Fabric (i), Face (ii), Faculty (iv), Failure (iii), corresponding to i, ii, iv, iii.
Verification / Alternative check:
Propose the order Fabric, Face, Faculty, Failure and test each adjacent pair. Fabric versus Face: b versus c at the third letter, and b comes earlier, so this is correct. Face versus Faculty: e versus u at the fourth letter, and e comes earlier, confirming Face before Faculty. Faculty versus Failure: c versus i at the third letter, and c comes earlier, so Faculty must come before Failure. No pair violates alphabetical rules, confirming that i, ii, iv, iii is the accurate sequence.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A starts with Faculty, ignoring that Fabric and Face both clearly come before it. Option B begins with Failure, even though words with i at the third letter must follow those with b or c. Option C misstates the sequence and even repeats label i incorrectly. Option E, None of these, is wrong because option D matches exactly the correct order deduced from careful letter by letter comparison.
Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to think that words that appear more familiar, such as Face, must come before less common words like Fabric or Faculty. Another error is to look only at the first three letters and forget that differences at the fourth position, like e versus u, still control ordering. To avoid these issues, always line up the words and compare them using the earliest differing letter as the deciding factor, without giving extra weight to word familiarity.
Final Answer:
The correct dictionary sequence is Fabric, Face, Faculty, Failure, which corresponds to the label order i, ii, iv, iii.
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