Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: SOLVE
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This verbal reasoning question checks your understanding of word formation using a fixed pool of letters. You are given the base word ABSOLUTE and several option words. Your task is to identify which option cannot be formed if you are allowed to use each letter of ABSOLUTE at most as many times as it appears in that word. Such questions are common in banking, SSC and other competitive exams to test careful observation and basic combinational reasoning with letters.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The standard approach is to list the letters in the given base word and then compare each option word with this pool of letters. If every letter of an option is present in the base word in at least the required frequency, that option can be formed. If any letter is missing or needed more times than available, that option cannot be formed. We are looking for exactly one such impossible option. Writing out the letters carefully avoids oversight and makes comparison straightforward.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List letters of ABSOLUTE: A, B, S, O, L, U, T, E (each one time).
Step 2: Check BASE: letters B, A, S, E are all present once in ABSOLUTE, so BASE can be formed.
Step 3: Check BOSE: letters B, O, S, E are all present once in ABSOLUTE, so BOSE can be formed.
Step 4: Check LOSE: letters L, O, S, E are all present once in ABSOLUTE, so LOSE can be formed.
Step 5: Check SOLVE: letters S, O, L, V, E are needed. Letter V does not appear in ABSOLUTE at all, so SOLVE cannot be formed.
Step 6: Conclude that SOLVE is the only option that cannot be formed from ABSOLUTE.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification method is to scan each option for any letter outside the set {A, B, S, O, L, U, T, E}. For BASE, BOSE and LOSE, every letter belongs to that set. For SOLVE, the letter V clearly does not belong to this set. This confirms that SOLVE is impossible to form while the other three options are valid constructions. Since the question asks for the word which cannot be formed, SOLVE must be the final answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
BASE is wrong as the answer because all four letters B, A, S and E are present in ABSOLUTE and can be used once each, so BASE is formable. BOSE is also incorrect as an answer since B, O, S and E all appear in the base word. LOSE is not the required option either, because L, O, S and E all exist in ABSOLUTE and can be arranged to make LOSE. Only SOLVE introduces a new letter V that is not present in the base word, violating the formation rule.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake in such questions is to focus only on visual similarity or order of letters without checking each letter carefully. Students sometimes forget that no extra letters may be introduced and that letter frequency matters, even though in this particular problem no letter repeats in the base word. Another pitfall is rushing through options and overlooking a single invalid letter such as V. To avoid errors, always write down the letter set of the base word and compare systematically with each option. This habit is very helpful in exams where similar problems appear with longer or more complex words.
Final Answer:
The only option that cannot be formed from the letters of ABSOLUTE is SOLVE, so SOLVE is the correct answer.
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