Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: i. Foresay ii. Foreseize iii. Foreseeable iv. Foresail

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: iv, i, iii, ii

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Here you must alphabetically order four words that all begin with “Fore…”. Because they share a long common prefix, the distinguishing letters occur further inside each word, and you must be patient and careful in comparing them. The words are Foresay, Foreseize, Foreseeable and Foresail.


Given Data / Assumptions:
- Words: Foresay, Foreseize, Foreseeable, Foresail.
- Indices: i. Foresay, ii. Foreseize, iii. Foreseeable, iv. Foresail.
- All are treated according to normal English dictionary rules.


Concept / Approach:
Since every word starts with “Fore”, and more precisely “Fores…”, we need to look at letters that follow “fores”. Words are ordered based on the first letter that differs, and then, if necessary, the second, third and so on. A practical technique is to group words by the shared prefix and then compare letter by letter beyond that prefix.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note the common prefix: all words start with F O R E S. Step 2: Examine the sixth letter (immediately after “fores”): Foresail → fores a… Foresay → fores a… Foreseeable → forese e… Foreseize → forese i… Step 3: The words with 'foresa…' (Foresail, Foresay) come before those with 'forese…' (Foreseeable, Foreseize), because a comes before e. Step 4: Order Foresail vs Foresay. Foresail: f o r e s a i l; Foresay: f o r e s a y. After 'foresa', compare 'i' vs 'y'. Since i comes before y, Foresail (iv) comes before Foresay (i). Step 5: Order Foreseeable vs Foreseize. Foreseeable: f o r e s e e…; Foreseize: f o r e s e i… After 'forese', compare 'e' vs 'i'. E comes before I, so Foreseeable (iii) comes before Foreseize (ii). Step 6: Combine: Foresail (iv), Foresay (i), Foreseeable (iii), Foreseize (ii).


Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine turning the pages of a dictionary under “fores-”. All entries starting with “foresa-” appear before any words beginning with “forese-”. Under “foresa-”, “foresail” (…ail) precedes “foresay” (…ay) because i comes before y. Under “forese-”, “foreseeable” (…ee…) precedes “foreseize” (…ei…) because e comes before i. This confirms the sequence iv, i, iii, ii.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- i, iii, iv, ii starts with Foresay before Foresail, ignoring that i comes before y after the shared prefix.
- i, iii, ii, iv incorrectly mixes positions of Foresail and Foresay and places Foreseize too late.
- iii, i, ii, iv puts Foreseeable first, but all “foresa-” words must come before “forese-” words.


Common Pitfalls:
The main trap is to stop comparing too early, deciding based only on the first 5 letters (“fores”) and then guessing. Another mistake is to rely on familiarity rather than letter order. Always continue letter-by-letter beyond the shared prefix until you locate a clear alphabetical difference. That process guarantees the correct order.


Final Answer:
In dictionary order, the correct sequence is Foresail, Foresay, Foreseeable, Foreseize, corresponding to iv, i, iii, ii.

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