Sentences of a paragraph are given below in jumbled order. Arrange the sentences in the right order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph. A. Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest and most powerful American women, loved and admired by everyone. B. When she was only 19, she became the first black female assistant to Nashville’s evening news anchor. C. But Oprah had a very difficult and traumatic childhood. D. In 1986, Oprah became the television presenter of her own talk show called ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’.
ABDC
Solving Paragraph Jumbling Questions
Paragraph jumbling questions require arranging given sentences in a logical sequence to form a coherent paragraph. To solve these, we need to identify the opening sentence, connecting ideas, and the concluding sentence. We look for topic introductions, transitions, pronouns, and chronological order or cause-and-effect relationships.
Let's analyse the given sentences about Oprah Winfrey:
- A. Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest and most powerful American women, loved and admired by everyone.
- B. When she was only 19, she became the first black female assistant to Nashville’s evening news anchor.
- C. But Oprah had a very difficult and traumatic childhood.
- D. In 1986, Oprah became the television presenter of her own talk show called ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’.
Identifying the Opening Sentence
Sentence A introduces the main subject, Oprah Winfrey, and her current status. It acts as a general statement about her importance and public perception. This makes it a strong candidate for the opening sentence.
- Sentence B starts with "When she was only 19," indicating a specific event in her life, likely following an introduction.
- Sentence C starts with "But," suggesting a contrast or a point that goes against a previous statement. This cannot be the opening sentence.
- Sentence D starts with "In 1986," indicating a specific time and event, which usually follows an introduction.
Based on this analysis, Sentence A is the most likely opening sentence.
Sequencing the Sentences
We have established A as the likely start. Now let's see how the other sentences can follow A.
Sentence A talks about her current status (rich, powerful, admired). Sentences B and D talk about specific career achievements that contributed to this status.
- Sentence B describes an early career step (at age 19).
- Sentence D describes a major career milestone (her talk show in 1986).
A chronological flow of career steps would place B (age 19) before D (1986). So, A followed by B, and then D seems logical for presenting her career journey contributing to her status mentioned in A.
Now consider Sentence C: "But Oprah had a very difficult and traumatic childhood." The word "But" suggests a contrast with something mentioned before. This contrast could be with her current success and admiration (A) or her successful career journey (B and D). Placing C after ABD presents her difficult childhood as a contrasting background to her achievements and status. The phrase "But..." highlights that despite the difficulties of her childhood, she achieved the success described in A, B, and D.
Therefore, the sequence A → B → D → C forms a coherent paragraph:
- A. Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest and most powerful American women, loved and admired by everyone.
- B. When she was only 19, she became the first black female assistant to Nashville’s evening news anchor.
- D. In 1986, Oprah became the television presenter of her own talk show called ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’.
- C. But Oprah had a very difficult and traumatic childhood.
This order introduces her, outlines her career progression, and then introduces a contrasting background detail about her childhood, linked by the word "But".
Verifying the Order with Options
Let's check if this sequence, ABDC, matches one of the given options:
| Option | Sequence | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CBDA | Starts with C ("But..."), which is unlikely. |
| 2 | BCAD | Starts with B (specific age/event), unlikely introduction. |
| 3 | DACB | Starts with D (specific year/event), unlikely introduction. |
| 4 | ABDC | Starts with A (general introduction), followed by career steps (B, D), and then background contrast (C). This sequence flows logically. |
The sequence ABDC corresponds to Option 4.
Final Coherent Paragraph
Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest and most powerful American women, loved and admired by everyone. When she was only 19, she became the first black female assistant to Nashville’s evening news anchor. In 1986, Oprah became the television presenter of her own talk show called ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. But Oprah had a very difficult and traumatic childhood.
This arrangement provides a clear and logical flow, starting with an introduction, detailing career highlights, and then adding a crucial piece of background information that contrasts with her success.
Revision Table: Paragraph Jumbling
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Identify Topic/Opening Sentence | Look for a sentence that introduces the main subject or theme without depending on previous sentences. |
| Look for Connectors | Identify transition words (e.g., however, therefore, but, also), pronouns (he, she, it, they), and time markers (e.g., in 1986, then, later) that link sentences. |
| Establish Logical Flow | Determine the relationship between sentences: chronological order, cause and effect, general to specific, problem-solution, etc. |
| Group Related Sentences | Identify pairs or groups of sentences that seem to belong together. |
| Test Options | Once a potential order is formed, read the sentences in that sequence to check for coherence and meaning. |
Additional Information: Understanding Coherence
Coherence in a paragraph means that the ideas are logically connected and flow smoothly from one sentence to the next. This makes the paragraph easy to understand. Key elements contributing to coherence include:
- Logical Order: Arranging sentences in an order that makes sense (e.g., chronological, spatial, order of importance).
- Transitions: Using words or phrases that signal the relationship between ideas (like "but" in sentence C).
- Repetition of Keywords or Synonyms: Repeating important terms or using synonyms to maintain focus on the topic.
- Pronoun Reference: Using pronouns (he, she, it, they) that clearly refer back to previously mentioned nouns.
In this question, identifying the introduction, the chronological career events, and the contrast signaled by "But" were crucial for establishing coherence and finding the correct sequence.
Important Questions from Sentence Jumbles
The following question consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly.
S1: Egypt lies in the north-east corner of Africa.
S6: The whole country depends on the water of the Nile.
P: Most of it is desert or semi-desert.
Q: It has very little rainfall.
R: It is four times as big as Great Britain in size.
S: Only a twenty-fifth of the total area is cultivable.
The correct sequence should beThe following question consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly.
S1: In mechanical efforts, you improve by perpetual practice.
S6: There is neither excuse nor temptation for the latter.
P: He cannot go on shooting wide or falling short, and still fancy that he is making progress.
Q: This is so because the object to be attained is a matter of actual experiment in which you either succeed or fail.
R: He must either correct his aim or persevere in his error with his eyes open.
S: If a man aims at a mark with a bow and arrow, he must either hit it or aim it.
The correct sequence should be
The following question consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly.
S1: Isaac’s mother married again.
S6: He had a set of little tools and saw of various sizes made by himself.
P: But he was known to be very clever at making things.
Q: She sent him to school.
R: Isaac was left to the care of his good old grandmother.
S: In his early years Isaac did not appear to be a very bright student.
The correct sequence should be
The following question consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly.
S1: The examination system must be regarded as the chief wrecker of young nerves.
S6: If I become a Vice-Chancellor, my first act would be to abolish all examinations in my university.
P: It makes me jump out of the bed, all in a sweat.
Q: It does this by building up a tension, for a part of the year, all through one’s youth.
R: And after four decades, the same nervousness sometimes recurs to me in nightmares.
S: I remember the desperate nervousness that used to grip me from January to April every year.
The correct sequence should be
The following question consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and the sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly.
S1: History is a subject that is so little valued today that it is almost impossible to win world fame as a historian, yet that is exactly what Toynbee was able to.
S6: Among the civilizations that he studied was that of India.
P: We usually think of history as a chronological account of the development of various states and empires under the ruler.
Q: Toynbee’s view of history was different.
R: He tries to find the pattern behind the birth, growth and decay of civilization.
S: Though he used the recorded history of mankind, he was interested not merely in the chronology of single states or group but in the rise and fall of whole civilizations.
The correct sequence should be
