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Question

In the following question, select the word which cannot be formed using the letters of the given word.

PERFORMANCE

This question was previously asked in
SSC Stenographer 2017 Previous Year Paper (14-Sep-2017) (Shift 1)
The correct answer is

DIME

Understanding Word Formation from Letters

The question asks us to identify the word that cannot be created by using only the letters available in the word PERFORMANCE. To solve this type of word puzzle, we need to carefully examine the letters present in the original word and then check if the letters required for each option word are available.

Letters Available in PERFORMANCE

Let's list the letters found in the word PERFORMANCE and count how many times each letter appears:

  • P: 1
  • E: 2
  • R: 1
  • F: 1
  • O: 1
  • M: 1
  • A: 1
  • N: 1
  • C: 1

The word PERFORMANCE has a total of 11 letters, with the letter 'E' appearing twice and all other letters appearing once.

Analysing Word Formation Options

Now, let's look at each given option and see if its letters can be formed using the letters from PERFORMANCE.

  • Option 1: FORM
    • Letters needed: F, O, R, M
    • Checking availability in PERFORMANCE: F (1), O (1), R (1), M (1).
    • All letters required for FORM are available in PERFORMANCE. So, FORM can be formed.
  • Option 2: ROMANCE
    • Letters needed: R, O, M, A, N, C, E
    • Checking availability in PERFORMANCE: R (1), O (1), M (1), A (1), N (1), C (1), E (1).
    • All letters required for ROMANCE are available in PERFORMANCE (we have two E's, but only need one). So, ROMANCE can be formed.
  • Option 3: DIME
    • Letters needed: D, I, M, E
    • Checking availability in PERFORMANCE: D (?), I (?), M (1), E (1).
    • The letters 'D' and 'I' are needed for the word DIME. Looking at the letters available in PERFORMANCE (P, E, R, F, O, M, A, N, C, E), we can see that there is no 'D' and no 'I'. Therefore, the word DIME cannot be formed using the letters from PERFORMANCE.
  • Option 4: ROME
    • Letters needed: R, O, M, E
    • Checking availability in PERFORMANCE: R (1), O (1), M (1), E (1).
    • All letters required for ROME are available in PERFORMANCE (we have two E's, but only need one). So, ROME can be formed.

Based on the analysis, the word DIME requires letters ('D' and 'I') that are not present in the original word PERFORMANCE.

Conclusion: Word Not Formed

The word that cannot be formed using the letters of PERFORMANCE is DIME.

Revision Table: Key Concepts in Word Puzzles

Concept Explanation Application Here
Letter Inventory Listing all unique letters and their counts in the source word. Listing letters of PERFORMANCE (P, E, R, F, O, M, A, N, C) and counts (E=2, others=1).
Letter Matching Checking if letters needed for target word are available in the source word inventory. Comparing letters of FORM, ROMANCE, DIME, ROME against PERFORMANCE letters.
Count Check Ensuring the required number of each letter for the target word does not exceed availability in the source word. Checking if FORM needs more F's than available (it doesn't), if ROMANCE needs more E's than available (it doesn't), etc.

Additional Information: Expanding Knowledge on Letter Puzzles

Word formation puzzles like this are common in verbal ability sections of exams. They test your attention to detail and ability to quickly scan and match letters. Here are some related concepts:

  • Anagrams: Rearranging all the letters of a word or phrase to form a new word or phrase. This is different from the question asked, which allows using only a subset of the letters.
  • Subgrams: Words formed using a subset of the letters from a longer word. This question is essentially asking which option is *not* a subgram of PERFORMANCE.
  • Letter Frequency: Knowing the commonality of letters in the English language can sometimes help in word puzzles, but direct letter matching is the primary method here.

Always make sure to count repeated letters correctly in the original word, as this is a common point where mistakes can happen.

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Important Questions from Word Formation

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    Similarly you have to identify the set for the word 'GIRL'

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