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Question

In the following question, there is a sentence of which some parts have been jumbled up. You are required to rearrange these parts which are labelled P, Q, R and S to produce the correct sentence. Choose the proper sequence and mark the corresponding option.

he was a tiny man (P) with a sprightly walk (Q) tall (R) barely five feet (S)

The correct sequence should be

This question was previously asked in
CDS I 2017 General Knowledge Previous Year Paper (05-Feb-2017)
The correct answer is

PSRQ

Understanding Sentence Rearrangement

Sentence rearrangement questions require you to reorder jumbled parts of a sentence to form a coherent and grammatically correct statement. To solve these, you need to identify the subject, verb, and potential connections between the different parts.

Analyzing the Jumbled Sentence Parts

The given sentence parts are:

  • P: he was a tiny man
  • Q: with a sprightly walk
  • R: tall
  • S: barely five feet

We need to arrange these parts P, Q, R, and S in the correct sequence.

Step-by-Step Rearrangement Process

Let's examine the parts to find a logical flow:

  1. Part P introduces the subject: "he was a tiny man". This is likely the beginning of the sentence.
  2. Parts S ("barely five feet") and R ("tall") seem to describe the man's height. The phrase "barely five feet tall" is a common way to express this. So, S followed by R (SR) seems a strong possibility for describing the man's height.
  3. Part Q ("with a sprightly walk") describes the man's manner of walking. This phrase typically follows the description of the person.

Considering the starting point P and the descriptive phrases, let's try combining them:

  • Start with P: "he was a tiny man..."
  • Next, describe the man. We have height (SR) and walk (Q). A common order is physical description then mannerism. So, let's try adding the height description (SR): "...barely five feet tall..."
  • Finally, add the description of the walk (Q): "...with a sprightly walk."

Putting this sequence together gives: P + SR + Q which is PSRQ.

Let's read the sentence formed by the sequence PSRQ:

"he was a tiny man barely five feet tall with a sprightly walk."

This sentence is grammatically correct and makes complete sense. It describes a man who is small ("tiny man"), specifies his height ("barely five feet tall"), and adds a detail about his walk ("with a sprightly walk").

Evaluating Other Options

Let's quickly check how other possible sequences would read:

  • RSQP: tall barely five feet with a sprightly walk he was a tiny man (Does not form a sensible sentence).
  • SRQP: barely five feet tall with a sprightly walk he was a tiny man (Does not flow correctly as a single sentence).
  • QSPR: with a sprightly walk barely five feet tall he was a tiny man (Does not start logically).

Based on this analysis, the sequence PSRQ is the only one that creates a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence.

Conclusion

By identifying the subject and logically connecting the descriptive phrases, we determine that the parts should be arranged in the sequence P, S, R, Q.

The correctly formed sentence is: "he was a tiny man barely five feet tall with a sprightly walk."

Sentence Part Analysis
Part Text Function in Sentence
P he was a tiny man Introduces the subject and main verb
Q with a sprightly walk Describes the manner (walk)
R tall Completes the height description when combined with S
S barely five feet Starts the height description when combined with R

Revision Table: Key Learnings

Sentence Rearrangement Tips
Tip Explanation
Find the Subject/Opening Identify the part that introduces the person, thing, or main idea.
Look for Connections Notice how phrases modify nouns or verbs (e.g., adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases).
Combine Related Parts Group parts that form a common phrase or description (e.g., 'barely five feet' and 'tall').
Check Flow and Grammar Read the sentence formed by each sequence option to see if it makes sense.

Additional Information: Sentence Structure Basics

A basic English sentence typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object structure, although descriptive phrases can be added around these core elements. In this case:

  • Subject: he
  • Verb: was
  • Complement/Description: a tiny man

The phrases "barely five feet tall" and "with a sprightly walk" are descriptive elements that provide more detail about "a tiny man".

  • "barely five feet tall" is an adjective phrase modifying "man".
  • "with a sprightly walk" is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverbial or adjectival modifier.

Understanding how different types of phrases function can help you piece together jumbled sentences more effectively.

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