Rearranging Sentence Parts for Meaning

This question asks us to rearrange jumbled parts of a sentence to form a complete and grammatically correct sentence. The sentence starts with a specific phrase, and we need to figure out the correct sequence of the given parts (P, Q, and R) that logically follows.

Understanding the Sentence Parts

The beginning of the sentence is:

What makes this "victory"

The parts to rearrange are:

• P: even more surprising was
• Q: the complete asymmetry of
• R: the two sides involved

Step-by-Step Sentence Construction

Let's try connecting the parts to the beginning phrase "What makes this 'victory'" one by one to see which one fits logically and grammatically.

Step 1: Finding the part that follows the start

The sentence starts with "What makes this 'victory'". This phrase acts as the subject of the sentence. We are looking for what "makes this 'victory'" something. The next part should describe what quality or state is being attributed to "this 'victory'".

• Try connecting P: "What makes this 'victory' even more surprising was..." This sounds correct. It introduces the surprising aspect that results from "what makes this 'victory'".
• Try connecting Q: "What makes this 'victory' the complete asymmetry of..." This doesn't sound right grammatically. The structure doesn't fit.
• Try connecting R: "What makes this 'victory' the two sides involved..." This also doesn't fit the grammatical structure following "What makes...".

So, part P seems to be the correct immediate follower of the starting phrase.

Current sentence draft: What makes this "victory" even more surprising was...

Step 2: Connecting the next part

Now we have "...even more surprising was...". We need to figure out which of the remaining parts (Q and R) follows this phrase.

• Try connecting Q: "...even more surprising was the complete asymmetry of..." This makes sense. The phrase "was the complete asymmetry of" describes *what* was surprising.
• Try connecting R: "...even more surprising was the two sides involved..." This doesn't complete the thought initiated by "was" in a meaningful way.

So, part Q seems to follow P logically.

Current sentence draft: What makes this "victory" even more surprising was the complete asymmetry of...

Step 3: Connecting the final part

We are left with part R: "the two sides involved". Our current sentence draft ends with "...the complete asymmetry of...". The phrase "asymmetry of" requires something to specify what is asymmetrical. Part R fits perfectly here.

• Connect R: "...the complete asymmetry of the two sides involved." This completes the phrase and the sentence, explaining the asymmetry is related to "the two sides involved".

This gives us the complete sentence: What makes this "victory" even more surprising was the complete asymmetry of the two sides involved.

Verifying the Sentence Order

The sequence of parts we found is P, then Q, then R, which corresponds to the order PQR.

Let's read the sentence with this order:

What makes this "victory" Peven more surprising was Qthe complete asymmetry of Rthe two sides involved.

The sentence reads smoothly, is grammatically correct, and makes perfect sense. This confirms that the order PQR is the correct arrangement of the parts.

Revision Table: Sentence Rearrangement Basics

Additional Information: Tips for Rearranging Jumbled Sentences

Rearranging sentence parts is a common type of question testing your understanding of grammar, syntax, and logical flow. Here are some helpful tips:

• Find the Starting Point: Look for the part that introduces the main subject or idea. This is often the independent clause or the part explicitly given as the start.
• Identify Connecting Words: Words like conjunctions (and, but, or), relative pronouns (who, which, that), or phrases indicating cause/effect or contrast can help link parts.
• Look for Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensure that the subject matches its verb in number and person.
• Follow Pronouns: Pronouns (he, she, it, they) usually refer back to a noun mentioned earlier.
• Check for Logical Sequence: The events or ideas in the sentence should flow in a sensible order.
• Read Aloud: Reading the rearranged sentence parts aloud can often help you hear whether the structure sounds natural and correct.
• Test Options: If multiple-choice options are provided, try fitting each option's sequence into the sentence structure to see which one forms a coherent sentence.