Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: e, c, b, a, d
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
In this dictionary order question, you must arrange five words beginning with G based on alphabetical order: Guarantee, Group, Grotesque, Guard, and Groan. The challenge lies in handling similar looking prefixes such as GUA and GRO and ordering them accurately.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The steps for dictionary ordering are:
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note starting letters. All words begin with G, so compare the second letter.
Step 2: Guarantee and Guard start with G U, while Group, Grotesque, and Groan start with G R. Since R comes before U, all G R words will appear before the G U words in dictionary order.
Step 3: Focus on the G R group: Group (b), Grotesque (c), Groan (e). Each begins with G R O.
Step 4: Compare the fourth letter in each G R O word. Groan has A (G R O A N), Grotesque has T (G R O T E S Q U E), and Group has U (G R O U P). In alphabetical order, A comes before T, which comes before U. So the order among them is Groan (e), Grotesque (c), Group (b).
Step 5: Now arrange the G U words: Guarantee (a) and Guard (d). Both start with G U A R. After G U A R, Guarantee has A (G U A R A ...) while Guard has D (G U A R D). Since A comes before D, Guarantee (a) comes before Guard (d).
Step 6: Combine both groups. First we have the G R words in order e, c, b, and then the G U words a, d. Therefore the complete dictionary order is e, c, b, a, d.
Verification / Alternative check:
Write the words as a sorted list: Groan, Grotesque, Group, Guarantee, Guard. Reading this list shows a smooth progression in the critical letters after G. G R O A, then G R O T, then G R O U, followed by G U A R A, then G U A R D, confirming the sequence e, c, b, a, d.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, c, e, b, d starts with Guarantee, which incorrectly places a G U word before G R words.
Option b, e, a, d, c mixes GR and GU words and misorders Groan relative to Grotesque and Group.
Option b, c, e, a, d places Group before Grotesque and Groan, even though A in Groan and T in Grotesque come before U in Group.
Option e, c, b, a, d is the only option that exactly follows the alphabetical comparisons we have used.
Common Pitfalls:
One common error is to treat more familiar words like Group or Guarantee as if they should appear earlier, ignoring the exact letter order. Another mistake is to assume all GRO words are automatically sorted by word length rather than by letters. Always compare letters at the first point of difference; do not rely on intuition or familiarity.
Final Answer:
The correct dictionary order is Groan, Grotesque, Group, Guarantee, Guard, which corresponds to the code e, c, b, a, d.
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