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
Directions : in the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to rearrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
and should shift the way (P) / are certainly very important, (Q) / we think about politics (R) / the issues raised by feminists and multiculturalists (S)
Directions : in the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to rearrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
a much wider array of perspectives (P) / the editors of the present work (Q) / the history of social reforms from (R) / argue the need to understand (S)
Directions : in the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to rearrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
by which the genetic material of a plant is altered, (P) / pests and enhance its nutritional value (Q) / perhaps to make it more resistant to (R) / genetic modification (GM) is the science (S)
Directions : in the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to rearrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
for yourself the implications of death, (P) / if you do not reflect and understand (Q) / from one preacher to another (R) / you will go endlessly (S)
Directions : in the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to rearrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
in agriculture and veterinary sciences through (P) / will be enhanced sharply (Q) / programmes integrated with general education (R) / the preparation of professionals (S)
