Given below are four jumbled sentences. Out of the given options, pick the one that gives their correct order. A. Judy reached out one hand and laid it on the soft neck of the fawn. B. He moved forward on all fours until he was close to it. C. He put his arms around its body. D. The touch made him delirious.
ADBC
Understanding Jumbled Sentences: Reordering for Logical Flow
Jumbled sentences require careful reading to identify the correct sequence that forms a coherent paragraph or narrative. We need to look for connections between sentences, such as pronoun references, time sequences, or cause-and-effect relationships.
Analyzing the Sentences
Let's look at the four sentences provided:
- A. Judy reached out one hand and laid it on the soft neck of the fawn.
- B. He moved forward on all fours until he was close to it.
- C. He put his arms around its body.
- D. The touch made him delirious.
We can identify two main characters involved with the fawn: "Judy" (in sentence A) and "He" (in sentences B, C, and D). The context often implies that "He" refers to Jody, a character known for his interactions with a fawn in classic literature.
Finding the Correct Sentence Order
We need to find the logical flow of events or descriptions. Let's consider the possibilities by examining how the sentences connect.
Sentence D mentions "The touch made him delirious". This implies that a touch must have happened before this reaction. Looking at the other sentences, sentence A describes Judy touching the fawn. This suggests that sentence D might logically follow sentence A, with "The touch" in D referring to Judy's touch in A, and "him" referring to Jody, who is perhaps observing or involved in the interaction.
So, the sequence AD seems plausible: Judy touches the fawn (A), and this touch affects "him" (Jody) profoundly (D).
Now consider sentences B and C, which describe actions taken by "He" (Jody) regarding the fawn. Sentence B describes him moving close to the fawn, and sentence C describes him putting his arms around it (hugging it). Logically, one must move close to an animal before one can put arms around it. Therefore, sentence B should come before sentence C (BC).
Now we have two potential pairs or sequences: AD (Judy's touch and its effect on Jody) and BC (Jody's approach and hug). How do these fit together?
Let's test the sequence ADBC:
- A. Judy reached out one hand and laid it on the soft neck of the fawn. (Judy makes contact.)
- D. The touch made him delirious. (Jody reacts emotionally to Judy's touch or the scene.)
- B. He moved forward on all fours until he was close to it. (After witnessing/experiencing the emotion, Jody physically approaches the fawn.)
- C. He put his arms around its body. (Jody embraces the fawn after getting close.)
This sequence tells a story where Judy interacts first, causing an emotional reaction in Jody, which then prompts Jody to approach and embrace the fawn himself. This narrative flow is logical and consistent.
Evaluating Other Options
Let's briefly consider why other orders are less likely:
- BACD: He (Jody) approaches (B). Judy touches (A). He (Jody) hugs (C). The touch made him delirious (D). This order is possible but jumping from Jody's approach (B) to Judy's touch (A) and back to Jody's actions (C, D) feels less smooth than the AD, then BC progression. Also, the reaction (D) might more directly follow the action causing it (A).
- BDAC: He approaches (B). The touch made him delirious (D). (Which touch? No touch mentioned before D). This order breaks the logical flow.
- ABDC: Judy touches (A). He approaches (B). The touch made him delirious (D). He hugs (C). This places the reaction (D) *after* he has already started his approach (B), which is possible, but placing the reaction (D) immediately after the action causing it (A) is often more direct in narrative. Also, the BC pair seems strong.
Based on the logical progression of actions and reactions, the sequence ADBC forms the most coherent narrative.
Summary of Sentence Order
The correct order follows the sequence of events: Judy's initial interaction, the resulting emotional impact on Jody, Jody's approach, and finally, Jody's physical interaction (hug).
| Sentence | Content | Position in Sequence |
|---|---|---|
| A | Judy touches the fawn. | 1st |
| D | The touch makes him delirious. | 2nd (Reaction to A) |
| B | He approaches the fawn. | 3rd |
| C | He hugs the fawn. | 4th |
Revision Table: Sentence Reordering Concepts
| Concept | Explanation | Example Clues |
|---|---|---|
| Pronoun Reference | Pronouns (He, She, It, They, This, That) refer to nouns mentioned earlier. Identify what the pronoun refers to. | "He went to the store. John needed milk." (John must come before He) |
| Time Sequence | Events happen in a logical order over time. Look for transition words or logical steps. | "First, he woke up. Then, he brushed his teeth. Finally, he left." |
| Cause and Effect | One sentence describes a cause, and another describes its effect or result. | "It rained heavily (Cause). The streets were flooded (Effect)." Sentence D (delirious) is an effect of the touch in A. |
| Establishing Subject | Often, a sentence introduces the main subject or topic before referring to it with pronouns. | Sentence B establishes "He" approaching the fawn before C describes "He" hugging it. |
Additional Information: Mastering Sentence Arrangement
Arranging jumbled sentences effectively is a key skill for reading comprehension and verbal ability tests. It tests your ability to understand the logical connections and flow of ideas within a paragraph. Apart from the clues mentioned above (pronouns, time, cause-effect), pay attention to articles (a/an vs. the - 'the' often refers to something already mentioned), connecting words (like 'therefore', 'however', 'similarly'), and consistency in theme or subject matter.
Practice is essential. Read diverse texts to develop an intuition for how sentences connect to form a cohesive whole. Start by identifying the likely opening sentence (often introduces the main topic or character) and closing sentence (often a conclusion or summary). Then, build the middle sentences by linking ideas logically.
Important Questions from Para Jumbles
Direction: In the items in this section, each passage consists of six sentences. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been removed and jumbled up. These are labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find out the proper order for the four sentences and mark accordingly on the Answer Sheet.
S1: At the roadside, the driver will be asked to blow through a small glass tube into a plastic bag.
S6: The driver will be asked to go to the police station.
P: And if the colour change does not reach the line the driver cannot be punished under the new law.
Q: Inside the tube are chemically treated crystals which change colour if the driver has alcohol on his breath.
R: But if the colour change does reach the line then the test has proved positive.
S: If the colour change goes beyond a certain line marked on the tube this indicates that the driver is probably over the specified limit.
The proper sequence should be
Direction: In the items in this section, each passage consists of six sentences. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been removed and jumbled up. These are labeled P, Q, R, and S. You are required to find out the proper order for the four sentences and mark accordingly on the Answer Sheet.
S1: Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson were spending a weekend in a University town.
S6: It was clear that something very unusual happened.
P: One evening they received a visit from an acquaintance, Mr. Hilton Soames.
Q: On that occasion, he was in a state of great agitation.
R: They were staying in furnished rooms, close to the library.
S: Mr. Soames was a tall, thin man of a nervous and excitable nature.
The proper sequence should be
Direction: In the items in this section, each passage consists of six sentences. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been removed and jumbled up. These are labeled P, Q, R, and S. You are required to find out the proper order for the four sentences and mark accordingly on the Answer Sheet.
S1: The machines that drive modern civilisation derive their power from coal and oil.
S6: Nuclear energy may also be effectively used in this respect.
P: But they are not inexhaustible.
Q: These sources may not be exhausted very soon.
R: A time may come when some other sources have to be tapped and utilised.
S: Power may, of course, be obtained in future from forests, water, wind and withered vegetables.
The proper sequence should be
Direction: In the items in this section, each passage consists of six sentences. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been removed and jumbled up. These are labeled P, Q, R, and S. You are required to find out the proper order for the four sentences and mark accordingly on the Answer Sheet.
S1: The body can never stop.
S6: It comes from food.
P: To support this endless activity, the body needs all the fuel for action.
Q: Sometimes it is more active than at other times, but it is always moving.
R: Even in the deepest sleep we must breathe.
S: The fuel must come from somewhere.
The proper sequence should be
Direction: In the items in this section, each passage consists of six sentences. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been removed and jumbled up. These are labeled P, Q, R, and S. You are required to find out the proper order for the four sentences and mark accordingly on the Answer Sheet.
S1: American idealism is essentially a belief in the idea of progress.
S6: This sense they have inherited from the English.
P: Therefore, he believes that because of human effort the future will be better than the past.
Q: But if Americans are usually optimistic, they are not wholly unrealistic.
R: The American tends to view history as a record of human achievement.
S: They have some common-sense practicality.
The proper sequence should be
