From the given alternative words, select the word which can be formed using the letters of the word COMPANIONSHIP, assuming that each letter of the original word can be used only as many times as it appears there.

Introduction / Context:
This question is a word formation problem based on the letters of a longer word. The base word is COMPANIONSHIP, and we need to determine which of the options can be formed using its letters, following the rule that each letter can only be used as many times as it appears in COMPANIONSHIP. This type of problem tests accuracy in counting letters and recognising feasible combinations in verbal reasoning sections.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Base word: COMPANIONSHIP.
• We must respect letter frequencies exactly.
• Options: OPEN, OPIUM, OPINION, NATION.
• Letters in COMPANIONSHIP: C, O, M, P, A, N, I, O, N, S, H, I, P.

Concept / Approach:
We begin by counting how many times each letter appears in COMPANIONSHIP. Then for each option, we check whether all required letters appear in the base word with at least the necessary frequency. If any option requires a letter that is missing or requires more copies than available, it cannot be formed. The correct answer will be the option that satisfies all these constraints.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Count frequencies in COMPANIONSHIP. The letters occur as follows: C(1), O(2), M(1), P(2), A(1), N(2), I(2), S(1), H(1).Step 2: Examine OPEN. Required letters: O, P, E, N. The letters O, P, and N are present, but E does not appear anywhere in COMPANIONSHIP, so OPEN cannot be formed.Step 3: Examine OPIUM. Required letters: O, P, I, U, M. The letter U does not appear in the base word, so OPIUM cannot be formed.Step 4: Examine OPINION. Required letters: O, P, I, N, I, O, N. In terms of counts, this is O(2), P(1), I(2), N(2). COMPANIONSHIP contains O(2), P(2), I(2), and N(2), so all required letters are available with sufficient frequency.Step 5: Examine NATION. Required letters: N, A, T, I, O, N. The letter T is not present in the base word, so NATION cannot be formed.

Verification / Alternative check:
Having ruled out the other options due to missing letters, we confirm that OPINION is the only option that uses only existing letters and does not exceed the available counts. Double checking the counts shows no conflict, because COMPANIONSHIP has at least as many of each needed letter as OPINION demands.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
OPEN fails because E is absent. OPIUM fails due to the missing letter U. NATION cannot be built because the letter T is not in COMPANIONSHIP. These violations of the letter pool rule make these words invalid choices for formation from the base word.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes overlook rare letters such as E, T, or U and assume that common looking words are always feasible. Another mistake is not counting repeated letters properly, especially when a word needs two copies of the same letter. Writing out the letter counts in a structured way prevents these errors and leads to a confident selection of the correct option.

Final Answer:
The only word that can be formed from COMPANIONSHIP is OPINION.