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Sentence Rearrangement

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 Table of Content

Chapter Topic Pg.

No No.
1 Introduction to Sentence
Rearrangement/ Para Jumbles
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Relevance in entrance tests
1.3 Skills required 1-8
1.4 Sentence Rearrangement
Question types
2 Technique to Solve SR/ Para Jumbles
Questions
2.1 STOP- AC technique
2.2 Visual map of STOP- AC 9 - 29
2.3 Practise Questions
3 Tips to handle- First and last
sentence fixed (SR questions)
3.1 Strategy 30
Practise Exercise - 1 37-
Practise Exercise - 2 45
Answer Key and Explanation 46
Chapter 1: Introduction to Sentence
Rearrangement / Para Jumbles

1.1 Introduction
One of the most frequently asked questions in the CAT
and other MBA entrance tests is Sentence
Rearrangement or Para-jumbles. Here, we are given a
paragraph - but the sentences are not in the right order.
We have to rearrange the sentences so that they logically
make sense.
The paragraph given could be based on diverse subject
area. Generally each paragraph will discuss only one
idea. Regular reading material on diverse topics and
practicing with the tests will help you in analyzing your
strengths and improving your performance.
1.2 Relevance in various tests
The number of questions may vary in the exams in the
coming year.
2 - 4 questions are generally asked in various tests.
These questions come under English section or
Reasoning Section.

1
1.3 Key skills required
 Regular reading habit
 Ability to read and comprehend articles on diverse
topics
 Ability to understand the topic of the
paragraph: You should have the skill to notice what
is being talked about
 Ability to understand the flow of thought in the
sentences.
 Ability to connect the stream of ideas
 Ability to make a meaningful paragraph from the
jumbled sentences
 Regular practice
1.4 Types of Sentence Rearrangement Questions
The paragraph given will be with jumbled sentences,
which may be:
Type 1- All sentences are jumbled
a. 4 sentences
b. 5 sentences
c. 6 sentences

2
Type 2- The first and the last sentences are fixed
Examples of each type:
Type – 1:
A. A paragraph with 4 sentences is given and all the
sentences are jumbled.
1. A. All mammals eventually reach a fixed body size
as they age; however, certain animals which do not
have a fixed body size (such as some lobsters,
flounders, sturgeons, sharks, and alligators) simply
increase in body size with time but show no
noticeable sign of aging.
B. These texts confuse "life expectancy" with "life
span." Life expectancy refers to the average age an
organism lives until it dies of disease, predators, or
starvation, whereas life span refers to the
maximum age an organism can live if these
external causes of death are removed.
C. These animals are "immortal" in the sense that
their aging process is so slow that it is either
nonexistent or too slow to be measured reliably in
the laboratory.

3
 D. Many textbooks incorrectly state that these
animals have a finite life span like other animals.
1. ACDB 2. BDCA 3. CADB 4. ADCB 5. ABCD
Sol. 1
B. A paragraph with 5 sentences is given and all are
jumbled
2. A. The truth about this analytic proposition is
evident, because to state the reverse would be to
make the proposition self-contradictory.
B. An analytic proposition is one in which the
predicate is contained in the subject, as in the
statement “Black houses are houses.”
C. Such propositions are called analytic because
truth is discovered by the analysis of the concept
itself.
D. All the common propositions that result from
experience of the world are synthetic.
E. Synthetic propositions, on the other hand, are
those that cannot be arrived at by pure analysis, as
in the statement “The house is black.”
1. DBACE 2. CDABE 3. BACED
4. EDBCA 5. CBDEA

4
Sol. Option 3
C. A paragraph with 6 sentences is given and all are
jumbled
3. A. The clerk with his metric or BA is an impotent,
unproductive creature.
B. Macaulay emphasised literary education for the
Indian.
C. But the clerk, together with his two colleagues,
the tout and the policeman has transformed the
Indian state.
D. He fathered the Indian babu as clerk.
E. One other man had a fascinating role, Macaulay.
F. Among the great builders of the modern Indian
state were Hastings, Cornwallis, Curzon and James
and John Stuart Mill.
1. FEDACB 2. ACFEBD 3. BDEFAC
4. FEBDAC 5. EBDACF
Sol. Option 4
Note – In a few exams, options are not given and answer
sequence is to be written (in numeric form) in box given
at end of the sentences

5
For Example
A. But they can't explain what goes on in those
boxes, or the nature of the "information" assumed
to pass along the routes indicated by the arrows.
B. The neuroscientist's situation is no different
from that of the television technician who can tell
you how the various components of your system
work together, and who can explain why
sometimes you don't get sound or a picture, but
who has no way of explaining why the various
electromagnetic events that take place on the
screen should make you laugh, cry, or switch
channels in abject boredom.
C. Yet neuroscientists have no trouble labeling a
reading process in the brain.
D. They will draw diagrams of the inside of the
brain with arrows and little boxes labeled (input)
(output) (phonemic processing) (memory) and
even (understandings)
E. We'd think it absurd if our technician told us he
had detected a sitcom-sensitive area in the
television receiver, or that a particular module
accounted for the upbeat attitudes of weather

6
 reporters, even though a misdirected screwdriver
could certainly interfere with both.

Answer - BECDA
The paragraph is comparing neuroscientist with a
technician and stating that both are in a similar situation
wherein they can explain the concrete part but not the
behavioral aspect of a condition. Statements D and A are
clearly related with both talking about arrows and boxes.
Statement B is the best introductory sentence, E carries
the idea forward
Type – 2:
First and the last sentences are fixed. Other sentences
given in-between are jumbled
4. 1. It is significant that one of the most common
objections to competition is that it is blind.
A. This is important because in a system of free
enterprise based on private property chances are
not equal and there is indeed a strong case for
reducing that inequality of opportunity.
B. Rather it is a choice between a system where it
is the will of a few persons that decides who is to

7
 get what and one where it depends, at least
partly, on the ability and the enterprise of the
people concerned.
C. Although competition and justice may have
little else in common, it is as much a
commendation of competition as of justice that it
is no respecter of persons.
D. The choice today is not between a system in
which everybody will get what he deserves
according to some universal standard and one
where individual shares are determined by
chance or goodwill.
6. The fact that opportunities open to the poor in
a competitive society are much more restricted
than those open to the rich, does not make it less
true that in such a society the poor are more free
than a person commanding much greater
material comfort in a different type of society.
1. ABCD 2. CDBA 3. DCBA 4. BDCA
Sol. Option 2

8
Chapter 2: Technique to Solve SR/ Para Jumbles
Questions
In order to solve Para Jumble Questions, it is important
that you are able to comprehend the theme or the idea of
the paragraph.
So it’s must to have good reading skills. Reading
material on variety of topics on regular basis can help
you learn the skills to solve Para Jumbles Questions.
There aren’t any straight-forward approaches to solving
Para Jumbles.
You can adopt your own style of solving these questions
based on your practise and your accuracy and comfort
level.
Here, we shall discuss few tips:
2.1 STOP- AC technique
 Subject
 Theme
 Opening Sentence
 Pairs
 Anticipate the order
 Confirm from the Options

9
Step 1- Identify the Subject:
Read the sentences and find out what is the subject or
the topic that is being discussed in the given sentences.
It could be about any subject, person, place, animal,
thing, idea, theory etc.
Step 2-Identify the theme / central idea of the paragraph:
After identifying the topic of the paragraph, see what is
the central theme or idea. What is the purpose of the
topic, what is happening, what is the flow of thoughts
etc.?
Step 3- Try to locate the introductory sentence or
conclusive Sentence:
While going through the labeled sentences, try to look for
one that makes a fresh beginning.
Generally an introductory sentence:
a. Introduces the idea or the theme of the paragraph
b. It is an independent sentence. i.e. does not depend
on other sentences to complete the meaning.
c. It may have “subject” or noun of the theme/ central
idea present

10
d. It may talk of a general idea or may written in a
generalised way
Check for Conclusive last sentences
There are typically multiple options beginning with the
introductory sentence. So you will need more than one
clue.
Generally a conclusive sentence
a. Summarizes the theme of the paragraph
b. Has links to previous sentences
c. May use closing key words like, hence, therefore etc.
Step 4-Check for sentences that make pairs:
Very often a pair of sentences can be chronologically
arranged because of clues in one of the sentences.
Standard clues include reference to a person or thing.
The first time such a reference is made, a noun form is
used. The second reference will be a pronoun or a
preposition.
For example if we look at these two sentences.
A. Its origins lie in Konark, where a huge chariot of
Lord Jagannath is made every year to be taken out
in a procession.

11
B. The juggernaut, though it seems very German in
origin, is actually quite Asian.
The "Its" in sentence A refers clearly to juggernaut. So we
can infer that sentence B precedes sentence
A. Only using this information of the "its", we do not know
if B comes immediately before A or whether one or two
sentences separate A and B. But by looking closely, we
also see a common word - "origin", which hints at the fact
that the relationship is of immediate precedence.
Logical Continuity based on:
Pre Post
Noun Pronoun
Question Answer
General Specific
idea example
Problem Solution
Question Answer
Former Latter
Cause Effect
Full form Abbreviation

12
A. Sequence- Time wise/Action Wise
Time Wise Action Wise
Pre, present, future Then, Now
Agri era, industrial era, IT era Did, Doing, Will do
1947, 1961, 1972- date wise
B. Connector Key words/transition words
Supporting Key words Contradicting key words
And But
Like wise Despite
Similarly However
In the Same way In spite of
Also On the other hand
Too So
C. Beginning & Closing/Sequence
Beginning Closing
First of all As a result
Foremost Finally
Initially Secondly…
Former Latter

13
Step 5- Anticipate the order of the sentences:
Knowing that going through each choice is cumbersome;
we must clearly work towards generating some kind of
order in our mind, before we look at the options. This
tactic will help save us precious time.
Step 6- Confirm the closest option:
Having scribbled something like BCDA next to the
question, we need to check if such an option exists. If we
see an option like BDCA also alongside, then it would
make sense to reconfirm the fact that sentence D follows
sentence C. In case that there is no exact match, our
judgment about a close option being correct, will depend
whether there is a match on the introductory and the
concluding sentences. If there is, then it is worth taking a
chance and ticking that option off. If there is more than
one such match, then a closer examination is required.
Step 7- Plug in all the options:
If everything else has failed, this is the last tactic. But
this tactic needs to be used judiciously, especially in
tests where there is negative marking.
Let’s Practise using the STOP- AC technique

14
2.2 Visual map of STOP- AC
For ease of understanding, let’s make a visual map of
this technique:

15
2.3 Practise Questions:
Choose the most logical order of sentences from
amongst the four choices given to construct a coherent
paragraph.
Ex. 1:
A. Barstow forgot and went to get her at the usual
time.
B. Every Monday Aunt Hattie went to see her banker
in the city and came home on the 5’O clock train.
C. Since Barstow always drove at the same speed,
can you figure out how long Hattie was walking
before he picked her up?
D. When Hattie arrived and found no one there, she
started walking home.
E. One day she told her husband, Barstow, that she
would be back an hour earlier and to pick her up
at the station.
F. Barstow met her on the road and took her back to
the house, where they arrived twenty minutes
earlier than usual.
1. ABCDEF 2. AFDECB 3. BDEFAC

16
 4. BEADFC 5. BDEAFC
Sol.
STOP- AC Technique used in the flow chart

17
 STOP – AC technique
1. Subject- Aunt Hattie and Barstow
2. Theme- Picking up Aunt Hattie from the way
3. Opening Sentence- Sentence B is the opening
because it satisfies the following:
A. It is an independent sentence
B. It introduces the theme
C. It uses the Noun
4. Pairs- We have BE as Subject Pronoun Pair
Then we have EA as sequence of action Pair.
5. Anticipate the order- We know B is the opening and
EA are pairs
6. Confirm from the options- With the above criteria
fulfilled we have option 4 as the answer.
Ex. 2: Choose the most logical order of sentences from
amongst the four choices given to construct a
coherent paragraph
A. There has been for some time growing
criticism of the projection of women in these
three media.

18
 B. Things are even worse in the films.
C. The report that the Union Cabinet considered
the draft of a bill to prohibit the denigration of
women photographs, advertisements and films,
is welcome.
D. Advertisements in the print media, as well as
in films and television, frequently rely on feminine
sex appeal to attract attention to products or to
suggest that these products make Casanovas of
ordinary mortals.
1. CADB 2. DABC 3. ADBC
4. CDAB 5. DBAC
Sol.
STOP – AC technique
1. Subject- Women in media
2. Theme- Projection of women is depicted in a
wrong way in media
3. Opening- Sentence C is likely to be the opening
sentence as it introduces the idea, is independent
and use of subject in the noun form is given.
4. Pairs- CA

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 Subject-Pronoun Pair- “These” in sentence A
refers to the subject to the media forms in
Sentence C.
Sentence B uses the word “Even” so we know it
should follow some other sentence. So if we look
at the order of media used in sentence C-films is
used last.
5. Anticipate the order- CADB
6. Confirm from the options- Hence correct option is
answer choice 1
Directions: The sentences given in each question, when
properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Each
sentence is labelled with a letter. Choose the most logical
order of sentences from among the given choices to
construct a coherent paragraph.
1. A. Although there are large regional variations, it
is not infrequent to find a large number of people
sitting here and there and doing nothing.
B. Once in Office, they receive friends and
relatives who feel free to call any time without
prior appointment.
C. While working one is struck by the slow and

20
 clumsy actions and reactions, indifferent
attitudes, procedure rather than outcome
orientation, and the lack of consideration for
others.
D. Even those who are employed often come late
to the office and leave early unless they are
forced to be punctual.
E. Work is not intrinsically valued in India
F. Quite often people visit ailing friends and
relatives or go out of their way to help them in
their personal matters even during office hours.
1. ECADBF 2. EADCFB 3. EADBFC 4. ABFCBE
Sol. As you read each sentence, try to spot the clue
words (as marked in bold in this example). These
clue words will help you make pairs.
Then apply the STOP – AC technique
A. Although there are large regional variations, it is
not infrequent to find a large number of people
sitting here and there and doing nothing.
(Probability is that the word ‘although’ is the
connector word and hence would be a following
sentence to some other sentence)

21
B. Once in Office, they receive friends and
relatives who feel free to call any time without
prior appointment. (Pronoun ‘They’ is used, hence
this sentence should be preceded by a subject….they
refers to whom?)
C. While working one is struck by the slow and
clumsy actions and reactions, indifferent
attitudes, procedure rather than outcome
orientation, and the lack of consideration for
others. (Independent sentence. Can be opening or
closing sentence)
D. Even those who are employed often come late
to the office and leave early unless they are forced
to be punctual. (Look at the word “Even”. This is a
connector word and looks contrast to some idea in
this, hence should follow other sentence.)
E. Work is not intrinsically valued in India
(Independent Sentence)
F. Quite often people visit ailing friends and
relatives or go out of their way to help them in
their personal matters even during office hours.
(Look at key words- ‘office hours’…seems to have
reference to sentence B)

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 Hence we are sure that E is the opening. Now look
at options with E as opening.
In link EC, sentence E is talking about work not
being valued whereas sentence C is talking about
people being clumsy, indifferent, inconsiderate etc.
Sentence C is NOT talking about value of work. It is
talking about people's behaviour. Therefore, EC
cannot be a logical flow.
In link EA, sentence E is talking about work not
being valued and sentence A is talking about
people sitting idle. This certainly says that people
do not value work.
Therefore, EA is the correct link. Hence, option 3 is
correct
Direction: Choose the most logical order of sentences
from amongst the four choices given to construct a
coherent paragraph
2. A. Michael Hofman, a poet and translator, accepts
this sorry fact without approval or complaint.
B. But thanklessness and impossibility do not
daunt him.
C. He acknowledges too – in fact he returns to

23
 the point often – that best translators of poetry
always fails at some level.
D. Hofman feels passionately about his work, and
this is clear from his writings. In terms of the gap
between worth and rewards, translators come
somewhere near nurses and street cleaners.
1. EACDB 2. ADEBC 3. EACBD 4. DCEAB
Sol. Mark the clue words as you read-
A. Michael Hofman, a poet and translator, accepts
this sorry fact without approval or complaint. (‘This’
is a clue word----this refers to which fact?)
B. But thanklessness and impossibility do not
daunt him. (‘But’ is a contrast clue word- hence you
need a preceding sentence to this idea)
C. He acknowledges too – in fact he returns to the
point often – that best translators of poetry always
fails at some level. (The clue word TOO is like Also. It
means it is an additional connector or additional
supporting fact. Hence it should be an additional
sentence or additional fact & a following sentence.)
D. Hofman feels passionately about his work, and
this is clear from his writings. (Independent

24
 sentence. Hence can be opening or closing sentence)
E. In terms of the gap between worth and rewards,
translators come somewhere near nurses and
street cleaners. (Independent sentence, hence can be
opening or closing. It is an idea / opinion/ fact
mentioned about translators)
STOP – AC Technique
1. Subject- Michael Hoffmann
2. Theme- Michael Hofman attitude towards
translators
3. Opening- D or E
4. Pairs-
EA (this fact in sentence A refers to the fact about
translator being treated as nurses and street
cleaners given in sentence E)
AC- A mentions that he accepts and C mentions
that he acknowledges too. The key word too is an
additional fact extending similar idea.
CB- B uses the word But, so it is contrast to the
last words of sentence C. i.e. he knows they fail
still he is not scared.

25
 5. Anticipate- Either Option 1 or 3
6. Confirm from the options- CD is not a logical pair.
Hence Option 3 is the right answer.
Direction: Choose the most logical order of sentences
from amongst the four choices given to construct a
coherent paragraph
3. A. But in the industrial era destroying the enemy's
productive capacity means bombing the factories
which are located in the cities.
B. So in the agrarian era, if you need to destroy the
enemy's productive capacity, what you want to do
is bum his fields, or if you're really vicious, salt
them.
C. Now in the information era, destroying the
enemy's productive capacity means destroying the
information infrastructure.
D. How do you do battle with your enemy?
E. The idea is to destroy the enemy's productive
capacity, and depending upon the economic
foundation, that productive capacity is different in
each case.
F. With regard to defence, the purpose of the

26
 military is to defend the nation and be prepared to
do battle with its enemy.
1. FDEBAC 2. FCABED 3.DEBACF 4.DFEBAC
Sol.
A. But in the industrial era destroying the enemy's
productive capacity means bombing the factories
which are located in the cities. (But is a contrast key
word and should be preceded by other sentence)
B. So in the agrarian era, if you need to destroy the
enemy's productive capacity, what you want to do
is bum his fields, or if you're really vicious, salt
them. (So clue word is like an outcome of something
or a solution)
C. Now in the information era, destroying the enemy's
productive capacity means destroying the
information infrastructure. (Time frame sequence)
D. How do you do battle with your enemy? (Question)
E. The idea is to destroy the enemy's productive
capacity, and depending upon the economic
foundation, that productive capacity is different in
each case. (Does not sound independent---which
idea?)

27
F. With regard to defence, the purpose of the military
is to defend the nation and be prepared to do battle
with its enemy. (Independent and general sentence)
Look at the transition word "but" in the first
sentence. It signifies that the sentence is
expressing an idea contrary to an idea expressed in
some previous sentence. Now we need to find that
previous sentence. If we further look at the
beginning of the first sentence, it says "but in the
industrial era..." which suggests that the
contrariness is with respect to eras. Looking
further, we see that sentence B and C are also
starting with statement about eras. But the
transition word at the start of C is "now" which
expresses present era and hence it cannot
chronologically come before any other past era.
That is, if information era is the present era, talk
about any other era will come before this. So,
sentence B is the correct sentence to come before
sentence A. Likewise, sentence C is the correct
sentence to come after sentence A (sentence C is
continuing the idea). Therefore, we have the
link BAC.
We see that option 1, 3 and 4 all have the link BAC.

28
Furthermore, all the three options have the
link EBAC. Therefore, we only need to
arrange D and F. The sentence F states that "The
purpose is... to battle with the enemy"
and D questions "how do you battle with the
enemy?" Therefore, D will come after F.
Hence FDEBAC is the correct arrangement.

29
Chapter 3: Tips to handle- First and last sentence
fixed (SR questions)
Type2-First and Last Sentences are fixed
Introduction: In this type of questions a set of six
sentences is given, in which the first and the sixth
sentences are fixed at their respective positions. The
four sentences that falls between the first and the sixth
sentences are presented in a jumbled form. You are
asked to choose the logical order of sentences from the
choices.
3.1 Strategy
Strategy- 1
Avoid reading the sentences closely. That is not required
and is a waste of time. Inspect the choices; if each of the
choices begins with different letters, identifying the
sentence to begin the sequence leads to the correct
answer.
Ex.1: 1. Small companies that compete effectively tend
to grow, and growth brings increasing complexity
and specialization in each function.
A. Technologists talk about processes, new
materials, and worry about prototype results and

30
 technical problems; as regards language and
interests, they have little in common with
marketing.
B. As the company grows it tends increasingly to
fragment into separate functional islands, each
trying to solve its own problems, each using its
own special language and having its own priorities.
C. Marketing people, for instance, talk about
market segmentation, market growth, promotions
and product image, and worry about changes in
share.
D. Production people talk and worry about
industrial relations, people arriving on time, and
plant and equipment breakdown and delays.
6. They in their turn have little in common with
either marketing or the technologists who, they
consider, live in ivory towers.
1. DACB 2. BCAD 3.ACBD 4. CDAB
In the above question, the choices begin with different
letters. The best strategy then would be to inspect
sentence 1 and to identify the sentence that logically
follows 1

31
Sentence 1 deals with growth of companies and
sentence B begins with the continuity phrase, as the
company grows. Consequently, B has to follow 1 and the
answer therefore is choice 2. You require minimum steps
in arriving at the answer in such questions.
Strategy- 2
In choices that are closely related, identify a mandatory
pair of sentences (two sentences that should form a
sequence). Refer the hints to identify pairs given in the
previous chapter.
Ex.2: 1. As a senior economist associated with the
reforms programme used to say, a sure indication
that the new economic policy was succeeding
would be when foreign investors start trekking to
Delhi in the sweltering heat of May and June.
A. If nothing else, India Power ‘94 came as a
welcome break to the power ministry; most of the
participants had complimentary things to say
about government policy.
B. And there were would-be entrants like the Hong
Kong-based China Light and Power Company who
had turned up armed with a fax from the power
ministry listing available projects in India.

32
 C. Were that the only yardstick, then judging by the
attendance at India Power ‘94, at least the reforms
in the power sector could be declared a success.
D. There were the familiar names – Enron, AES,
Cogentrix, and Spectrum Technologies.
6. This was in striking contrast to the adverse
comments the ministry had been attracting so far.
1. ADBC 2. BDCA 3.CDBA 4. DBCA
In the above question, a smart test taker will quickly
identify the phrase ‘were that the only yardstick’ in
sentence C. This is a thought continuity of the idea in
sentence 1 “foreign investors trekking to Delhi…”.
Consequently C has to follow 1; eliminate choices 1, 2,
and 4.
Strategy- 3
In six sentences variety, work backward from sentence 6
if there is no obvious clue to work from sentence 1; many
a time we overlook the hints that may be valuable.
Ex.3: 1. A recent advertisement of Premier Instruments
and Controls Ltd., a leading manufacturer of
dashboard instruments, in a financial daily,
summed it all up.

33
 A. The fact is that executives from companies,
ranging from Daimler Benz to General Motors, have
been scouring the Indian countryside looking for
suppliers of cheap components for products made
in their European and American plants.
B. It obviously does not even have the time to
make the investments required to set up a new
plant.
C. Today, most Indian automobile component
manufactures cannot produce enough to meet
demand both domestic and international.
D. The company was soliciting spare capacities for
the supply of intricate machines and sheet-metal
components.
6. While some of them do find good deals, many
have had to go back empty-handed.
1. ADCB 2. CBAD 3. BACD 4. DBCA
In the question given above, see that ‘them’ in sentence 6
refers to ‘executives’ referred to in sentence A. i.e. A
precedes 6; choice 4 is the answer.

34
Solved example:
Directions: Arrange the sentences A, B, C, and D to form a
logical sequence between sentences 1 and 6
1. What does the state do in a country where tax
morality is very low?
A. It tries to spy upon the taxpayers.
B. It investigates income sources and spending
patterns.
C. Exactly what the tax authority tries to do now
even if inconsistently.
D. It could also encourage people to denounce to
the tax authorities any conspicuously prosperous
neighbours who may be suspected of not paying
their taxes property.
6. The ultimate solution would be an Orwellian
system.
Sol.
1. What does the state do in a country where tax
morality is very low? (Question)
A. It tries to spy upon the taxpayers. (Seems to be
the answer to sentence 1 and Uses pronoun ‘It’ and

35
refers to the Noun ‘state’ given in sentence 1)
B. It investigates income sources and spending
patterns. (Seems to be the answer to sentence 1 and
Uses pronoun ‘It’)
C. Exactly what the tax authority tries to do now
even if inconsistently. (not an immediate answer)
D. It could also encourage people to denounce to
the tax authorities any conspicuously prosperous
neighbours who may be suspected of not paying
their taxes property. (‘It’ is a pronoun, but there is a
supporting clue word- ‘Also’ we need one more
solution before this)
6. The ultimate solution would be an Orwellian
system.
The “It” in A, B and D refers to “The State” of
1.Since D has an also, it will come somewhere after
A and B. The correct sequence is AB as the
investigation can happen only after spying has
been done. D needs to be followed by C. Note the
word exactly.
1, A, B, D, C, 6

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 Practice Exercise - 1
DIRECTIONS for questions 1 to 5: Each question below
consists of four jumbled-up sentences marked P, Q, R and S.
Rearrange them so that they form a meaningful, coherent
whole.
1. P. An ill-disciplined mind gradually loses all sense
of grace and enjoyment and renders all
relationships sterile.
Q. In contrast, a child enjoys the world around him.
R. As we grow older, we need to cultivate
enjoyment with discrimination and discipline.
S. He is naturally graceful, and every new activity is
a source of delight for him.
1. PQSR 2. QSRP 3.QSPR
4. PRQS 5. PQRS
2. P. Besides the fact that the proceedings of the
Lokpal will be held in camera, it will also be a
punishable offence for anyone to report the
proceedings or even the substance of the
complaint against an MP.
Q. By far, the most dangerous feature of the bill is
the total lack of transparency.

37
 R. And if the complaint is found to be false (even if
it is not frivolous) the complainant is liable to be
prosecuted.
S. Moreover, while the Lokpal is examining a
complaint, they have the power to stop normal
criminal investigations into offences by such
persons.
1. PQRS 2. SRPQ 3.QPRS 4.PQSR 5. QRPS
3. P. But on second thoughts, I can see several
advantages in such a move.
Q. At a time when most people are expressing
delight at judicial activism to catch crooks in
politics, you have expressed dismay.
R. Many people and newspapers have castigated
your proposal, and I too was initially appalled.
S. You say the old harmony of relations between
the legislature, executive and judiciary is breaking
down, you want a special session of Parliament to
discuss the matter.
1. PRSQ 2. QPSR 3.QSRP
4. SQPR 5. RQPS

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4. P. Experiments carried out again, this time at IIT,
Madras, have failed to validate his claim and
consequently, his patent application has been
turned down.
Q. While a large section of the scientific
community may now satisfy itself by adopting an I
could-have-told-you-so stance, it is important to
emphasize a few not-so-obvious points about the
practice of science in India.
R. Coming back to Mr. Pillai, it would appear that
something may have been fundamentally wrong
with his claim after all.
S. We have all along been very skeptical of such
innovations so far.
1. QPRS 2. RPQS 3.PRQS
4. PQRS 5. PSQR
5. P. They also have side effects, which make
suffering more acute.
Q. For those suffering from multiple myeloma, the
cancer affecting bone marrow cells, there may be
some good news coming soon if a team of
Southampton University medical researchers
succeed in developing a genes-based vaccine.

39
R. The Southampton team has now come up with a
procedure which is revolutionary and may even
hold the key to cancer eradication in future: using
genes to activate the body to attack and destroy
cancer cells within it in the same way that protein
molecules from organisms are injected into the
body to stimulate response from the immune
system.
S. The disease, which is a type of leukemia, has a
poor prognosis and despite advances in modern
medicine, the treatments used to deter bone
destruction and subside acute pain of the patients
seem less than effectual.
1. QSPR 2. RSPQ 3.QPRS
4. PSRQ 5. SRPQ

40
 Practice Exercise - 2
DIRECTIONS for questions 1 to 5: The question consists of
five statements labelled A, B, C, D and E which when
logically ordered form a coherent passage. Write the
sequence of letters in the space given below as your
answer.
1. A. The higher the volatility, the higher the risk and
the reward.
B. At the depths of the bear phase, volatility and
risk increase while returns evaporate - even taking
short-selling into account.
C. Volatility is considered the most accurate
measure of risk and, by extension, of return, its flip
side.
D. That volatility increases in the transition from
bull to bear markets seems to support this pet
theory.
E. But how to account for surging volatility in
plummeting bourses?

41
2. A. The things which he condemns or extols exist in
objective reality and are open to the independent
appraisal of others.
B. It is only in today’s reign of amoral cynicism,
subjectivism and hooliganism that men may
imagine themselves free to utter any sort of
irrational judgment and to suffer no consequences.
C. A judge puts himself on trial every time he
pronounces a verdict.
D. It is his own moral character and standards that
he reveals, when he blames or praises.
E. But, in fact, a man is to be judged by the
judgments he pronounces.

3. A. If you are anxious about having someone in your

home, many professionals provide support over the
phone or video-conferencing and can help you
become emotionally ready for in-home support.
B. If someone makes you feel judged, stupid, or
hopeless, of they make comments or use body
language that feels condescending or

42
 disrespectful, do not work with them or end the
relationship.
C. Professionals include life coaches, organizing
coaches, social workers, therapists, counselors,
professional organizers, or psychologists who
specialize in chronic disorganization.
D. Recovery requires accurately identifying and
addressing the underlying emotional needs, self-
leadership, decision-making skills and cognitive
habits that contribute to the behavioral
manifestations of chronic disorganization.
E. If you wish to consider working with
professionals, the most important consideration is
that you feel completely accepted and respected
by them.

4. A. Keynes had the radical idea that throwing

money at recessions through aggressive deficit
spending would resuscitate fault lined economies-
and he wasn't too particular about where the
money was thrown.
B. As President Barack Obama prepares to throw
money at the current downturn - a stimulus

43
 package starting at about $800 billion, plus the
second $ 350 billion chunk of the financial bailout -
we all really do seem to be Keynesians now.
C. John Maynard Keynes, the trendiest dead
economist of this apocalyptic moment, was the
godfather of govern-ment stimulus.
D. In the depths of the Depression, he suggested
that the Treasury could fill old bottles with
banknotes, bury them at suitable depths in disused
coal mines, then sit back and watch a money-
mining boom create jobs and prosperity.
E. "It would, indeed, be more sensible to build
houses and the like," he wrote, but doing
something inferior would be better than doing
nothing."

5. A. States that embarked on raucous spending amid

tax-cutting sprees when they were flush are
begging for bailouts now that they're broke.
B. As the chum of a 1 with 12 zeros creates a
feeding frenzy, the lobbyists for shoe companies,
zoos, catfish farmers, mall owners, airlines, car

44
dealers and everyone else who can afford their
retainers are lining up for a place of the stimulus.
C. As Obama's aides scramble to assemble
something effective and transformative and
politically achievable, they acknowledge the
tension between his desires for speed and reform.
D. And politicians are dusting off their unfunded
museums, waterslides and other pet projects for
rebranding as ready infrastructure investments.
E. Unfortunately, while 21st century Washington
has demonstrated an impressive ability to spend
money quickly, it has yet to prove that it can spend
money wisely.

45
 Answer Key and Explanation
Practice Exercise - 1
Q. No. Key Explanation
1. 4 R talks of older people, Q contrasts this with
children so RQ is a logical pair. S follows Q,
since it talks of the attitude of the child.
2. 3 Q has no upward links and so is the opening
sentence. The ‘and if’ in R shows that R follows
P.
3. 3 Q has no upward links and is the opening
sentence. S details the reasons for ‘dismay’ of Q.
The ‘but on second thoughts’ of P shows that P
follows R.
4. 2 RP is a clear sentence pair. S has no downward
links and is the closing sentence
5. 1 The ‘disease’ in S is the ‘myeloma’ of Q.
‘They’ of P refer to the ‘treatments’ of S.
R with no downward links is the closing
sentence.
Practice Exercise - 2
Q. Explanation
No.
1. CADEB, The paragraph is talking about the volatility
and how it is an accurate measure of both risk and
return. Hence C is the best opening sentence. The
word this in D refers to the theory mentioned in A –

46
 higher volatility higher risk and higher reward. Hence D
must follow A. Hence CAD will be together.
2. CEABD, The passage is talking about a judge and how
his verdict can reveal about what he criticizes and
what he praises and also his moral character. (Another
way to look at this question is to take B as the first
sentence. However the sequence taking B as the first
sentence is not correct, hence we go with taking the
judge as the first sentence). After C, E will come as it
as it says instead of a judge; his work should be
looked at. A will continue as whatever he judges is
open to examination. B will come after A, as B tells the
reason why it is so. D will conclude the sequence.
3. ACDEB, Notice carefully the words many professionals
in line A, which are taken up very well by professionals
include….. in line C, thereby giving us a logical pair A-C.
Naturally, these lines ought to be followed by line D,
which talks of what the professionals’ work is all about
(A-C-D). The pair E-B is an undeniable combination
wherein the conditions for working with professionals
are talked about. While line E speaks about these
conditions in general, line B talks about these things in
very specific details (ACDEB).
4. CADEB, Logically speaking, we need to first introduce a
person with his full name, followed by another mention
containing his/ her surname. From this perspective,
sentence C should precede all others as it mentions
the full name of the economist. Note the words

47
 government stimulus in line C, which are picked and
elaborated further in sentence A (C-A). This idea is
exemplified in sentence D while sentence E offers
another similar idea (C-A-D-E).
Sentence B brings us to the present times (current
downturn), an idea which should come after a
discussion on what happened in the past.
5. EBADC, Line E makes a generic comment, which is
taken up and elaborated further in other sentences. In
this light, E can be a good opener. Line B introduces us
to the whole list of all possible beneficiaries of this
programme (E-B). Notice the word and in the beginning
of sentence D, which indicates that this sentences
needs to follow sentence A (A-D). Sentence C sums up
the entire chain of ideas by highlighting the problems
associated with the programme.

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