From the given alternative words, select the single word which cannot be formed using the letters of the word SMOTHERS. Each letter of the base word may be used only as many times as it appears there.

Introduction / Context:
This is a classic word formation question in verbal reasoning. You are given a base word and several options. Your task is to decide which option cannot be formed using the letters of the base word. The focus is on checking both the presence of letters and how many times each letter occurs.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Base word: SMOTHERS.
• Options: THOSE, METRO, STORE, TEARS, MOTHERS.
• No new letters may be introduced that do not exist in SMOTHERS.
• No letter may be used more times than it appears in SMOTHERS.
• Standard English spellings are assumed for all words.

Concept / Approach:
The method is systematic. First, list the letters in the base word and count how many times each appears. Next, test each option by checking:

• Every letter in the option appears in the base word.
• The number of times each letter appears in the option does not exceed its count in the base word.

If any option violates these conditions, it cannot be formed.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write the base word SMOTHERS and list its letters: S, M, O, T, H, E, R, S. Step 2: Count the letters. We have S = 2, M = 1, O = 1, T = 1, H = 1, E = 1, R = 1. Step 3: Check THOSE. It needs T, H, O, S, E. All these letters exist in the base word and none is repeated more times than available. THOSE can be formed. Step 4: Check METRO. It needs M, E, T, R, O. The base word has each of these letters once, so METRO can be formed. Step 5: Check STORE. It needs S, T, O, R, E. All of these letters are present and each is required only once, so STORE can be formed. Step 6: Check TEARS. It needs T, E, A, R, S. Letter A is required, but there is no A in SMOTHERS. Therefore TEARS cannot be formed from the base word. Step 7: Check MOTHERS. It needs M, O, T, H, E, R, S. All these letters exist in SMOTHERS with sufficient counts, so MOTHERS can be formed.

Verification / Alternative check:
A faster way in exam conditions is to scan the options for any letter that does not appear in the base word. As soon as you see A in TEARS, you can recall that there is no A in SMOTHERS. None of the other options contains A or any other missing letter, so TEARS must be the only impossible word. This quick pattern recognition saves time while remaining accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
THOSE uses only T, H, O, S, E, which are all contained in SMOTHERS in sufficient numbers. METRO uses M, E, T, R, O, each of which appears at least once in the base word. STORE uses S, T, O, R, E, again all present and not overused. MOTHERS uses precisely the letters of SMOTHERS once each, so it is easily formable.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes look only for the presence of letters and forget to verify the exact counts, particularly when letters repeat. Another error is to be distracted by word meaning and guess based on familiarity. The safe strategy is always to inspect the base word carefully for each option and focus on spelling and letter counts.

Final Answer:
The only option that cannot be formed from SMOTHERS because it needs the absent letter A is TEARS.