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

Correct — A.
Rule: every letter of the option must be in the given word, as many times as the option needs it.

QUARRELSOME = Q, U, A, R, R, E, L, S, O, M, E.
AIR needs A ✓, I ✗, R ✓.

There is no I in QUARRELSOME, so AIR cannot be formed → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

• (b)
  SOME — S, O, M and E all appear in QUARRELSOME, and SOME needs each only once, so it can be formed.
• (c)
  QUARREL — QUARREL is the first seven letters of QUARRELSOME, the double R included, so it can be formed exactly as it stands.
• (d)
  LOAM — L, O, A and M each appear once in QUARRELSOME, and LOAM needs each once, so it can be formed.

Word-formation items test a letter inventory. List the letters of the given word with their counts, then check each option against the list. A missing letter, or a letter needed more often than it appears, rules the option out.

QUARRELSOME has two Rs and two Es but no I, which is all it takes to rule out AIR.

Key facts

• QUARRELSOME letter counts: Q1, U1, A1, R2, E2, L1, S1, O1, M1.
• Its vowels are U, A, E, O and E, with no I.

Common traps

• Looking for a trick in the long option QUARREL, when it is simply the first seven letters of the word
• Assuming a short, common word like AIR must be formable

No directly related past PYQ was found.