A series of English words is given with one term missing. Each word in the sequence is longer than the previous one by exactly one letter. Choose the correct alternative from the given options that will complete the series: bat, thin, reply, length, ?

Introduction / Context:
This is a verbal reasoning question based on a word series. You are given a sequence of words followed by a missing term and asked to select the option that best completes the pattern. The words are bat, thin, reply, length and an unknown fifth word. Rather than focusing on the meanings of the words, this particular question tests your ability to observe a simple structural pattern involving the number of letters in each term, which is a common device in examination word series problems.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Given series: bat, thin, reply, length, ?
• Options: terror, display, dome, scolding.
• All words are ordinary English words with no hidden codes or abbreviations.
• The pattern is expected to be consistent from the first term to the last, and the same logic should determine the missing term.

Concept / Approach:
The most natural starting point in a word series is to examine word length and basic letter patterns. If there is no obvious semantic connection among the words, the exam usually relies on a simple numerical pattern in the count of letters. By counting the letters in each known word, we can check whether there is a regular increase or decrease. Once a clear progression emerges, the next term should continue the same numerical trend, and we then look for the option whose length matches the required count.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Count letters in each given word. bat has 3 letters, thin has 4 letters, reply has 5 letters and length has 6 letters. Step 2: Observe the pattern in lengths: 3, 4, 5, 6. Each new term in the series increases the word length by exactly one letter. Step 3: Following this pattern, the next word in the series must have 7 letters. Step 4: Check the lengths of the options: terror has 6 letters, display has 7 letters, dome has 4 letters and scolding has 8 letters. Step 5: Only display has exactly 7 letters, which fits the observed pattern of increasing word length.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification is to rewrite the series as a sequence of numbers corresponding to word lengths: 3, 4, 5, 6, ?. The only natural continuation of this simple arithmetic progression is 7. Among the options, display uniquely has 7 characters. None of the other options matches this requirement, so there is no ambiguity. This confirms that display is the only word that maintains the structural logic of the sequence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
terror has 6 letters, which repeats the length of length instead of extending the pattern. dome has only 4 letters, breaking the steadily increasing sequence by going backwards. scolding has 8 letters, overshooting the expected length and skipping the intermediate value 7. Because the pattern is clearly a stepwise increase by one letter at each stage, none of these lengths is acceptable as the next term in the series.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners initially try to link the meanings of bat, thin, reply and length, hoping to find a thematic story. In this question, however, there is no strong semantic connection, and forcing one leads to confusion. Another frequent mistake is to overlook simple length patterns and jump prematurely to an answer that merely looks familiar. The safe strategy is always to check basic numerical features such as letter counts before chasing more complex patterns. That simple check reveals the intended logic immediately here.

Final Answer:
The series follows a clear pattern in which each successive word is one letter longer than the previous one, so the missing word must have 7 letters. Among the options, only display satisfies this requirement and therefore correctly completes the series.