Sentences of a paragraph are given below in jumbled order. Arrange the sentences in the correct order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph A. I would attach as many as four of them to a crosspiece, rotably arranged on a thin spindle, and transmit the motion of the same to a large disc and so derive considerable 'power'. B. In my next attempt I seem to have acted under the first instinctive impulse which later dominated me - to harness the energies of nature to the service of man. C. These creatures were remarkably efficient, for once they were started they had no sense to stop and continued whirling for hours and hours and the hotter it was the harder they worked. D. I did this through the medium of May-bugs - or June-bugs as they are called in America - which were a veritable pest in that country and sometimes broke the branches of trees by the sheer weight of their bodies.
BDAC
Solving Paragraph Jumbles: Arranging Sentences to Form a Meaningful Paragraph
Paragraph jumble questions require you to arrange a set of jumbled sentences in the correct, logical order to form a coherent and meaningful paragraph. The key is to look for connections between sentences, identify the topic sentence, and follow the flow of ideas.
Analyzing the Jumbled Sentences
Let's examine each sentence to find clues about its place in the paragraph:
- Sentence A: "I would attach as many as four of them to a crosspiece, rotably arranged on a thin spindle, and transmit the motion of the same to a large disc and so derive considerable 'power'." - This sentence describes a specific action ('attach... them', 'transmit the motion') and seems to detail a mechanism. The word 'them' is a pronoun, indicating it refers back to something mentioned earlier.
- Sentence B: "In my next attempt I seem to have acted under the first instinctive impulse which later dominated me - to harness the energies of nature to the service of man." - This sentence introduces an idea or impulse ('harness the energies of nature'). It sounds like a potential starting point, introducing the theme of the passage.
- Sentence C: "These creatures were remarkably efficient, for once they were started they had no sense to stop and continued whirling for hours and hours and the hotter it was the harder they worked." - This sentence describes 'These creatures' and their characteristics ('efficient', 'whirling for hours'). 'These creatures' is a pronoun phrase, meaning it refers to something mentioned before. It explains *why* they were efficient.
- Sentence D: "I did this through the medium of May-bugs - or June-bugs as they are called in America - which were a veritable pest in that country and sometimes broke the branches of trees by the sheer weight of their bodies." - This sentence talks about doing "this" (referring to something previous) "through the medium of May-bugs". This sentence introduces the specific means used and identifies the 'creatures' (May-bugs). It links the impulse (from B) to the actual method.
Finding the Logical Sequence
Let's try to build the paragraph step-by-step:
- Sentence B introduces the main idea: the impulse to harness nature's energies. This seems like a good opening sentence as it sets the context.
- Sentence D follows logically from B. It explains *how* the author acted on this impulse ("I did this") – by using May-bugs as the "medium". So, B is followed by D.
- Sentence A details what the author *did* with the May-bugs introduced in D. He would "attach as many as four of them" (the May-bugs) to a mechanism to "derive considerable 'power'". This describes the process. So, A follows D.
- Sentence C describes the characteristics of "These creatures" (the May-bugs mentioned in D and used in A) that made them suitable for this task – their efficiency and tendency to keep working. This explains *why* using May-bugs was effective. So, C follows A.
The logical sequence is BDAC.
Forming the Coherent Paragraph
Let's read the sentences in the BDAC order:
B. In my next attempt I seem to have acted under the first instinctive impulse which later dominated me - to harness the energies of nature to the service of man.
D. I did this through the medium of May-bugs - or June-bugs as they are called in America - which were a veritable pest in that country and sometimes broke the branches of trees by the sheer weight of their bodies.
A. I would attach as many as four of them to a crosspiece, rotably arranged on a thin spindle, and transmit the motion of the same to a large disc and so derive considerable 'power'.
C. These creatures were remarkably efficient, for once they were started they had no sense to stop and continued whirling for hours and hours and the hotter it was the harder they worked.
This order creates a smooth flow, starting with the general impulse, then introducing the specific method (May-bugs), describing the mechanism used with them, and finally explaining the efficiency of the May-bugs in this application.
| Sentence | Clues & Function | Logical Placement |
|---|---|---|
| B | Introduces impulse/idea; potential start. | Start of the paragraph. |
| D | Explains how "this" (harnessing nature) was done, introduces May-bugs. | Follows B (explaining the method). |
| A | Details the mechanism using "them" (May-bugs), describes action. | Follows D (detailing the method). |
| C | Describes "These creatures" (May-bugs) & their efficiency. | Follows A (explaining why the method was effective). |
Conclusion: The Correct Order
Based on the logical flow and connections between the sentences, the correct order is BDAC.
Revision Table: Key Strategies for Paragraph Jumbles
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Identify the Topic Sentence | Look for a sentence that introduces the main subject or idea. It's often a general statement. |
| Find Connecting Words/Phrases | Look for pronouns (he, she, it, they, this, these), transition words (however, therefore, also, in addition), and repeated nouns or ideas. |
| Look for Cause and Effect | Sentences describing a result often follow sentences describing a cause. |
| Follow Chronological Order | If the paragraph describes events, look for time markers (first, then, next, finally, dates, years). |
| Check for Noun-Pronoun Links | A sentence using a pronoun (like 'them' or 'these creatures') must usually follow a sentence that mentions the noun (like 'May-bugs'). |
Additional Information: Coherence and Cohesion in Paragraphs
A well-arranged paragraph is both coherent and cohesive.
- Coherence: Refers to the logical connection of ideas. The ideas flow smoothly from one sentence to the next, making sense as a whole unit. Our analysis followed the coherence by looking for the logical progression from impulse > method > specific action > reason for effectiveness.
- Cohesion: Refers to the grammatical and lexical links that hold a text together. This includes using transition words (like 'this', 'these'), pronouns, and repeating or referring back to key nouns or ideas. In this jumble, words like "this" (in D referring to B), "them" (in A referring to May-bugs in D), and "These creatures" (in C referring to May-bugs in D) provide cohesion.
Understanding both coherence and cohesion is vital for mastering paragraph arrangement tasks.
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