Sentence Rearrangement
Overview
Sentence Rearrangement questions give you a single sentence broken into 4–6 jumbled parts (labelled P, Q, R, S or A, B, C, D). Your task is to arrange these parts into a grammatically correct and logically coherent sentence. Unlike Para Jumbles where you arrange sentences, here you arrange fragments of one sentence.
It tests your grasp of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, and logical flow of ideas. The difficulty level is moderate—easier than Para Jumbles because all parts belong to a single thought. Mastering this topic offers quick marks since most questions follow predictable patterns once you understand how sentences are built.
Students must develop the skill of identifying the mandatory opening (often containing the subject), recognizing dependent clauses that must attach to specific parts, and spotting connectors and relative pronouns that create fixed links between fragments.
Key Concepts
- Identify the Subject-Verb Core: Every sentence has a subject (who/what) and a main verb (action/state). Find the fragment containing the subject—this is usually your starting point or comes very early.
- Look for the Mandatory Starter: Fragments beginning with articles (A/An/The), proper nouns, or subjects without preceding connectors typically start the sentence. Fragments starting with "who," "which," "that," "and," "but," or prepositions rarely begin sentences.
- Relative Pronoun Links: "Who," "which," "that," and "whose" must immediately follow the noun they describe. If part Q contains "who was a doctor," it must directly follow the part naming that person.
- Preposition-Object Connection: Prepositions (of, in, for, with, by, to) connect to their objects. "The results of" must be followed by a noun phrase, not a verb phrase.
- Conjunction Rules: "And," "but," "or" join parallel structures. What comes before and after them must be grammatically similar (noun-noun, verb-verb, clause-clause).
- Article-Noun Agreement: "A" or "an" must be followed by a noun or adjective-noun combination. If fragment P ends with "a," fragment Q likely starts with a noun or adjective.
- Infinitive and Gerund Patterns: "To" followed by a verb (to achieve, to ensure) or verb + "ing" forms often complete purpose clauses or act as subjects/objects.
- Eliminate Impossible Starts: Fragments beginning with lowercase letters (unless after a connector in options), relative pronouns, conjunctions, or dependent clause markers cannot start the sentence.
Key Facts
- Standard format: One fixed opening (S1), 4 jumbled parts (P, Q, R, S), sometimes one fixed ending (S6). You arrange P, Q, R, S.
- Answer choices usually appear as sequences: (a) PRQS (b) QRPS (c) RQSP (d) SQPR. Check first and last parts against options to eliminate quickly.
- Articles (a, an, the) at the end of a fragment signal that the next fragment must begin with a noun or adjective.
- "However," "therefore," "moreover," "hence" at the start of a fragment indicate it follows a related idea—these rarely open sentences in this format.
- Proper nouns and their descriptions cluster together. "Mr. Sharma" and "the chairman of the committee" likely appear in consecutive parts.
- Time/place phrases often come at the end of sentences: "in the meeting," "last year," "at the conference."
Worked Examples
Example 1
S1: The minister announced P: for the flood victims Q: a relief package R: worth fifty crore rupees S: in the affected districts
Solution:
- S1 ends with "announced" (verb). What did he announce? → A noun phrase.
- Q "a relief package" is a noun phrase → follows S1.
- P "for the flood victims" describes the purpose of the package → follows Q.
- R "worth fifty crore rupees" describes the value of the package → can follow Q or P. Logically: "a relief package worth fifty crore rupees for the flood victims" OR "a relief package for the flood victims worth fifty crore rupees."
- S "in the affected districts" is a location phrase → typically ends the sentence.
Best order: Q R P S → "The minister announced a relief package worth fifty crore rupees for the flood victims in the affected districts."
Example 2
S1: The scientist P: who discovered the vaccine Q: was awarded R: the Nobel Prize S: for his contribution to medicine
Solution:
- S1 "The scientist" is the subject → needs either a verb or a relative clause.
- P "who discovered the vaccine" is a relative clause describing "scientist" → P follows S1.
- Q "was awarded" is the main verb → follows the subject + relative clause.
- R "the Nobel Prize" is the object of "was awarded" → follows Q.
- S "for his contribution to medicine" explains the reason → ends the sentence.
Order: P Q R S → "The scientist who discovered the vaccine was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution to medicine."
Example 3
P: in the country Q: the rising inflation R: has affected S: the purchasing power of the middle class
Solution:
- Find the subject: Q "the rising inflation" is a noun phrase → likely starter.
- R "has affected" is a verb → follows subject Q.
- S "the purchasing power of the middle class" is the object → follows verb R.
- P "in the country" is a location phrase → can fit after Q or at the end.
- Check: "The rising inflation in the country has affected the purchasing power of the middle class" is more natural than placing P at the end.
Order: Q P R S
Common Mistakes
- Starting with a relative pronoun: Students sometimes begin with fragments containing "who" or "which." → Fix: These must follow the noun they modify—never start sentences.
- Ignoring article continuity: A fragment ending with "a" or "the" must connect to a noun. Students skip this link. → Fix: Check what articles demand and pair them with noun-starting fragments.
- Misplacing prepositional phrases: Putting "in the meeting" or "of the company" randomly. → Fix: Prepositional phrases attach to the nearest logical noun or verb they modify.
- Breaking subject-verb pairs: Placing multiple fragments between subject and main verb when unnecessary. → Fix: Keep subject-verb close unless a relative clause naturally intervenes.
- Ignoring parallel structure: When a sentence has "not only... but also" or "either... or," students fail to match parallel elements. → Fix: Identify correlative conjunctions and ensure both sides are grammatically parallel.
Quick Reference
- Find the subject first—it usually starts or comes very early.
- Relative pronouns (who, which, that) must touch the noun they describe.
- Articles at fragment-end demand a noun at the next fragment's start.
- Prepositional phrases (of, in, for, with) rarely start sentences.
- Check first and last parts in options to eliminate 2 choices quickly.
- Read the final arrangement aloud—if it sounds awkward, reconsider.