Arrange the following words as per their order in an English dictionary and choose the correct code: 1. Modicum 2. Modal 3. Mode 4. Modifier.

Introduction / Context:
This dictionary order question involves several words that share the same first few letters MOD. You must determine the correct alphabetical order among Modal, Mode, Modicum, and Modifier. Such problems strengthen your ability to perform precise letter by letter comparison beyond the common prefix.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Words and codes: 1. Modicum, 2. Modal, 3. Mode, 4. Modifier.
• We must arrange them as they appear in a dictionary.
• The final answer is expressed as a sequence of their numerical codes.
• Standard English alphabetical rules apply.

Concept / Approach:
All four words begin with M O D. For dictionary order:

• Compare letters from left to right.
• If initial letters are identical, move to the next position.
• The first differing letter decides the relative placement.
• If one word is a prefix of another, the shorter word appears first.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the common prefix. All words start with MOD. Step 2: Compare the fourth letter after MOD. For Modal we have A (M O D A), for Mode we have E (M O D E), and for both Modicum and Modifier we have I (M O D I). Step 3: In alphabetical order, A comes first, then E, then I. Therefore Modal (2) must come before Mode (3), and both must come before Modicum (1) and Modifier (4). Step 4: Now compare Modicum (1) and Modifier (4), which both begin with M O D I. Look at the fifth letter: Modicum has C (M O D I C) and Modifier has F (M O D I F). Since C comes before F, Modicum (1) comes before Modifier (4). Step 5: Combining both stages, the full dictionary order is Modal (2), Mode (3), Modicum (1), Modifier (4). That corresponds to the code 2,3,1,4.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can write the four words in a list and sort them visually. Starting from the fourth letter, you get the order A, E, I C, I F, which translates to Modal, Mode, Modicum, Modifier. Reading this list confirms that the sequence feels natural and matches how you would expect them to appear in a dictionary.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 2,3,4,1 incorrectly places Modifier before Modicum, even though C in Modicum comes before F in Modifier. Option 3,2,1,4 starts with Mode before Modal, ignoring that A in Modal should come before E in Mode. Option 3,2,4,1 has both the Modal versus Mode order and the Modicum versus Modifier order incorrect. Option 4,3,2,1 puts Modifier first and does not respect the alphabetical differences in the fourth letters.

Common Pitfalls:
Because these words all look similar and share MOD, candidates may guess based on familiarity or meaning rather than precise spelling. Another common mistake is to forget that A comes before E, and both come before I, when comparing the fourth letters. Performing a slow and exact comparison at the first differing position avoids such errors.

Final Answer:
The correct dictionary sequence is Modal, Mode, Modicum, Modifier, encoded as 2,3,1,4.