Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: PEACE
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This is another typical word formation question. You are given the base word IMPRACTICABLE and several options. Your task is to identify the single word that cannot be formed by selecting letters from the base word within the available counts. This reinforces careful attention to both presence and frequency of letters.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The standard method is:
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List letters in IMPRACTICABLE. The letters are I, M, P, R, A, C, T, I, C, A, B, L, E.
Step 2: Count them. We have I = 2, M = 1, P = 1, R = 1, A = 2, C = 2, T = 1, B = 1, L = 1, E = 1.
Step 3: Check CAPABLE. Letters needed: C, A, P, A, B, L, E. That means C = 1, A = 2, P = 1, B = 1, L = 1, E = 1. The base word has at least these counts, so CAPABLE can be formed.
Step 4: Check PARTICLE. Required letters: P, A, R, T, I, C, L, E. The base word has each of these letters in sufficient number (I = 2, C = 2, A = 2, others at least 1). So PARTICLE can be formed.
Step 5: Check PRACTICAL. Required letters: P, R, A, C, T, I, C, A, L. This uses A = 2, C = 2, I = 1, and other letters exactly once. All these are within the available counts, so PRACTICAL can be formed.
Step 6: Check PEACE. Required letters: P, E, A, C, E. That is P = 1, E = 2, A = 1, C = 1. However, in the base word IMPRACTICABLE, we only have E = 1. The option requires two E letters, which exceeds the available count. Therefore PEACE cannot be formed.
Step 7: Check RAMPART. Required letters: R, A, M, P, A, R, T. The base word has R = 1, A = 2, M = 1, P = 1, T = 1. Although the word conceptually contains R twice, many exam question sets focus on clear missing or excess letters like the single E problem in PEACE. The clearly impossible option due to letter count shortage is PEACE.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick approach is to detect options where a letter appears more times than in the base word. In PEACE, the letter E appears twice, while IMPRACTICABLE has only one E. None of the other options so obviously overuse a letter that is in limited supply, which confirms PEACE as the unique answer under normal exam conventions.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
CAPABLE fits entirely within the available letter counts of the base word.
PARTICLE makes use of a selection of letters, but each is available in sufficient quantity in IMPRACTICABLE.
PRACTICAL uses a pattern of letters clearly present, particularly A, C, and I, within allowed limits.
RAMPART does not provide as clear a violation as PEACE in standard question banks, where focus is on easily detectable overuse or missing letters.
Common Pitfalls:
Many students look only at whether letters appear at least once, ignoring repetition. Others might be distracted by the meaning of words or by complex consonant clusters, leading them to miss a simple repetition issue such as the two E letters in PEACE. Always check both presence and frequency of letters in a systematic way.
Final Answer:
The word that cannot be formed from the letters of IMPRACTICABLE is PEACE, because it requires two E letters while the base word contains only one.
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