Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Beneficial
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This spelling question focuses on the adjective that means helpful or producing good results. The term is frequently used in academic and professional contexts. The learner is presented with four similar looking spellings and must pick the standard correct one. Mastery of such words is important for clear writing in examinations and formal communication.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Four variants are given: Beneficial, Benfical, Benaficial and Beneficle.
- The intended word means helpful, advantageous or producing benefits.
- Only one option follows standard dictionary spelling.
Concept / Approach:
The word beneficial is derived from benefit. When forming the adjective, the root e is retained and the ending changes to icial, giving beneficial. Recognising the pattern b e n e f i c i a l helps distinguish the correct spelling from incorrect variations that drop or change vowels and consonants. The best strategy is to recall familiar phrases like beneficial effects, beneficial impact or mutually beneficial agreement.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the spelling of benefit and consider how adjectives are formed with the suffix icial, as in artificial or superficial.
Step 2: Combine benefit with icial to get beneficial, spelt b e n e f i c i a l. This matches option A exactly.
Step 3: Option B, Benfical, drops vowels and rearranges letters, making it an incorrect form.
Step 4: Option C, Benaficial, incorrectly uses a in place of e after ben, breaking the link with benefit.
Step 5: Option D, Beneficle, replaces the ending icial with icle, which is not how the word is formed. Therefore, Beneficial is the only correct option.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can confirm by checking other related words: beneficially and beneficiary both keep the bene root that comes from Latin for good. This supports the bene spelling at the start of beneficial. A dictionary or spell checker will recognise Beneficial as valid and mark the other forms as incorrect, which verifies our choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: Benfical removes necessary vowels and does not reflect the standard pattern of the word family based on benefit.
Option C: Benaficial wrongly introduces a where e should be, making the root unclear.
Option D: Beneficle changes the ending, which alters the word and produces a non standard form.
Common Pitfalls:
Because beneficial contains several vowels, students often misplace or omit one of them. Another pitfall is confusing similar endings such as icial, ical and icle. Learning words in families, such as benefit, beneficial, beneficiary and benevolent, helps to reinforce the correct spelling patterns and reduces such confusion.
Final Answer:
The correctly spelt word is Beneficial, so option A is correct.
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