Understanding the Sentence Rearrangement Task

The core task here is to take several segments of a sentence, which are currently in a jumbled order, and arrange them logically to form one complete, meaningful, and grammatically correct sentence. We are given five segments labeled A, B, C, D, and E.

Analyzing the Sentence Segments

Let's break down what each segment contributes:

• (A) the past decade shows that: This segment provides a timeframe ("the past decade") and indicates that the information presented reveals something ("shows that"). It likely connects a period of time to a finding or observation.
• (B) a study of university: This segment introduces the main subject of the sentence. It points towards research or an analysis conducted within a university setting.
• (C) women are increasingly opting for: This phrase describes a trend or behavioral pattern. It suggests a shift in choices being made by a specific group (women).
• (D) enrolment figures over: This segment relates to data concerning the number of people enrolling in something. The word "over" suggests a comparison or a period of time.
• (E) professional courses: This specifies the type of courses or programs that are the subject of the trend described in segment (C).

Step-by-Step Sentence Construction

To build the coherent sentence, we need to find the logical connections between these segments:

1. Start with the Subject: Segment (B), "a study of university", provides a clear starting point for the subject of the sentence.
2. Specify the Focus of the Study: Segment (D), "enrolment figures over", logically follows (B) to specify what the study is about – university enrolment figures.
3. Add the Timeframe and Finding Indicator: Segment (A), "the past decade shows that", connects smoothly with the previous segments. It extends the phrase to "enrolment figures over the past decade" and introduces the finding ("shows that"). So far, the order is BD(A).
4. Introduce the Key Finding: The phrase "shows that" in segment (A) requires a clause to explain the finding. Segment (C), "women are increasingly opting for", perfectly describes this finding, indicating a trend related to women's choices. The order is now BD(A)C.
5. Complete the Finding: Segment (E), "professional courses", specifies exactly what women are increasingly choosing, thus completing the thought introduced by segment (C).

Following these steps, the required order of the segments is BDACE.

The Final Coherent Sentence

Arranging the segments in the determined order BDACE results in the following complete and meaningful sentence:

"A study of university enrolment figures over the past decade shows that women are increasingly opting for professional courses."