Arranging Jumbled Sentences into a Coherent Paragraph

The task requires arranging the given sentences (A, B, C, and D) in the correct sequence to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph. To do this effectively, we need to identify the main idea, the introductory sentence, supporting details, and concluding remarks or reactions.

Analyzing the Jumbled Sentences

• Sentence A: "It was in this spirit that my little ones crept about me the other evening to hear about their great-grandmother Field, who lived in a great house in Norfolk..." This sentence describes a specific event – children gathering to hear a story – and connects it to a "spirit," suggesting it follows an introduction that explains this spirit. It introduces characters (little ones, great-grandmother Field) and a setting (great house in Norfolk) related to a story ("Children in the Wood").
• Sentence B: "Here, Alice put out one of her dear mother’s looks, too tender to be called upbraiding." This sentence describes a reaction ("Alice put out... a look"). The word "Here" indicates this reaction happens at a specific point in the narrative or description being shared. It likely follows a statement that would elicit such a look.
• Sentence C: "Children love to listen to stories about their elders when they were children ; to stretch their imagination to the conception of a traditionary great-uncle, or grandame, whom they never saw." This sentence makes a general statement about children's fondness for stories about their ancestors. This serves as a good introductory sentence, setting the context or "spirit" mentioned in sentence A.
• Sentence D: "Certain it is, that the whole story of the children and their cruel uncle was to be seen fairly carved out in the wood upon the chimney-piece of the great hall-the whole story down to the Robin Redbreasts-till a foolish rich person pulled it down..." This sentence provides a specific detail about the "great house" mentioned in sentence A, describing a carving related to the "Children in the Wood" story. The phrase "Certain it is" suggests confirmation or elaboration on something previously mentioned.

Determining the Correct Sequence

Let's build the paragraph step-by-step:

1. The paragraph should start with a general statement that introduces the theme. Sentence C fits this role perfectly by stating that children enjoy hearing stories about their elders.
2. Sentence A begins with "It was in this spirit," which directly refers back to the spirit or love for stories described in sentence C. It then gives a specific example of this – the narrator's children wanting to hear about their great-grandmother and the house associated with a famous story. So, C is followed by A.
3. Sentence D elaborates on the house and the story mentioned in A. It describes a specific carving within the house that depicted the "Children in the Wood" story. This provides supporting detail related to the information presented in A. So, D logically follows A.
4. Sentence B describes a reaction from Alice ("Alice put out one of her dear mother’s looks"). This reaction likely occurs during or immediately after the description of the story, the house, or specifically the carving that was removed as described in D. The word "Here" supports this placement, referring to the point in the narrative where the detail in D is shared. Thus, B follows D.

Following this logical flow, the correct sequence is C, A, D, B.

Verification of the Sequence (CADB)

Let's read the sentences in the order CADB:

C. Children love to listen to stories about their elders when they were children; to stretch their imagination to the conception of a traditionary great-uncle, or grandame, whom they never saw.

A. It was in this spirit that my little ones crept about me the other evening to hear about their great-grandmother Field, who lived in a great house in Norfolk (a hundred times bigger than that in which they and papa lived), which had been the scene-so at least it was generally believed in that part of the country-of the tragic incidents which they had lately become familiar with from the ballad of the Children in the Wood.

D. Certain it is, that the whole story of the children and their cruel uncle was to be seen fairly carved out in the wood upon the chimney-piece of the great hall-the whole story down to the Robin Redbreasts-till a foolish rich person pulled it down to set up a marble one of modern invention in its stead, with no story upon it.

B. Here, Alice put out one of her dear mother’s looks, too tender to be called upbraiding.

This sequence forms a coherent paragraph. It starts with a general statement about children's interests (C), provides a specific instance related to this interest (A), adds a descriptive detail about the story/house mentioned in A (D), and concludes with a reaction from one of the children within this context (B).

Therefore, the correct order of the sentences is CADB.

Revision Table: Jumbled Sentence Arrangement

Reviewing the process of arranging jumbled sentences helps improve logical reasoning and reading comprehension skills. Key steps involve identifying the topic sentence, transitional phrases, and concluding ideas to ensure a smooth flow of information.

Additional Information: Paragraph Coherence and Unity

A coherent paragraph has sentences that are logically connected and flow smoothly. Unity means all sentences in the paragraph relate to the main idea introduced, often by the topic sentence. Techniques for achieving coherence include using transition words and phrases (like "It was in this spirit," "Here," "Certain it is"), pronoun references, and repeating keywords or ideas. Arranging jumbled sentences is an exercise in understanding these principles of paragraph construction.