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. SI: Universities are peculiar institutions. S6: It is the most important institution in the complex process of knowledge creation and distribution. P: Traditionally elite institutions, the modern university has provided social mobility to previously disenfranchised groups. Q: The contemporary university stands at the centre of its society. R: They have common historical roots yet are deeply embedded in their societies. S: Established in the medieval period to transmit established knowledge and provide training for a few key professions, universities have become a primary creator of new knowledge through basic research. The proper sequence should be
S P R Q
Solving Jumbled Sentences: Universities Paragraph
The question asks us to arrange the jumbled sentences P, Q, R, and S to form a coherent paragraph, starting with S1 and ending with S6. Let's first look at the fixed sentences:
S1: Universities are peculiar institutions.
S6: It is the most important institution in the complex process of knowledge creation and distribution.
Now, let's examine the jumbled sentences:
- P: Traditionally elite institutions, the modern university has provided social mobility to previously disenfranchised groups.
- Q: The contemporary university stands at the centre of its society.
- R: They have common historical roots yet are deeply embedded in their societies.
- S: Established in the medieval period to transmit established knowledge and provide training for a few key professions, universities have become a primary creator of new knowledge through basic research.
Step-by-Step Analysis for Sentence Sequencing
We need to find a logical flow that connects S1 to S6 through P, Q, R, and S.
- Start with S1: S1 introduces universities as "peculiar institutions". We look for a sentence that explains or expands on this idea of peculiarity or introduces a characteristic of universities.
- Connecting S1 to R: Sentence R says, "They have common historical roots yet are deeply embedded in their societies." This directly addresses the 'peculiar' nature mentioned in S1 – the peculiarity comes from having a shared history but also being tied to local contexts. So, S1 → R is a potential link.
- Connecting S1 to S: Sentence S describes the historical origin ("Established in the medieval period") and contrasts it with their modern role ("become a primary creator of new knowledge"). This also follows S1 by describing the evolution of these 'peculiar' institutions. S1 → S is also a strong potential start.
- Evaluating S1 → R: If R follows S1, what comes after R ("common historical roots yet embedded in societies")? P talks about the *modern* university and social mobility. S talks about the historical origin and shift to *new knowledge creation*. Q talks about the *contemporary* university at the center. Neither P, S, nor Q flow perfectly from R which discusses historical roots and local embedding.
- Evaluating S1 → S: If S follows S1, it describes the historical evolution from knowledge transmission to creation. What comes after S? P talks about the *modern* university's social role (social mobility). This connects well to the idea of universities changing and becoming primary creators of knowledge (S), leading to new roles (social mobility in P). So, S → P is a good connection.
- Continuing from S → P: We have S1 → S → P. We are left with R and Q. P talks about the *modern* university providing social mobility. Where do R ("common historical roots yet embedded") and Q ("contemporary university stands at the centre") fit?
- If Q follows P: P (social mobility) → Q (contemporary university at the centre). This is plausible, describing a key aspect of the modern university (P) and then its overall position (Q).
- If R follows P: P (social mobility) → R (common historical roots yet embedded). This feels less direct. R is more of a general characteristic explaining the 'peculiarity', while P is a specific modern function.
- Continuing from S → P → Q: We have S1 → S → P → Q. This leaves R. S1 → S → P → Q → R → S6. Let's read it: S1(peculiar) → S(historical shift/creation) → P(modern social mobility) → Q(contemporary at centre) → R(historical roots/embedded) → S6(important for creation/distribution). Putting R after Q feels like an interruption of the flow towards S6.
- Continuing from S → P → R: We have S1 → S → P → R. This leaves Q. S1 → S → P → R → Q → S6. Let's read this sequence:
- S1: Universities are peculiar institutions. (Introduces the topic)
- S: Established in the medieval period... become a primary creator of new knowledge... (Explains the evolution and shift in function)
- P: Traditionally elite institutions, the modern university has provided social mobility... (Describes a key social outcome of the modern university)
- R: They have common historical roots yet are deeply embedded in their societies. (Returns to the 'peculiar' nature, explaining how historical origins coexist with local ties)
- Q: The contemporary university stands at the centre of its society. (States the overall position resulting from these changes and characteristics)
- S6: It is the most important institution in the complex process of knowledge creation and distribution. (Summarizes its importance, linking back to knowledge creation mentioned in S and its central position in Q)
This sequence S → P → R → Q provides the most logical and smooth transition from S1 to S6, developing the idea of universities from their peculiar nature and historical evolution to their modern roles, characteristics, and central position.
Evaluating the Options
Based on our analysis, the sequence S P R Q is the most coherent.
Let's check the options:
- Option 1: P S Q R - Starts with P (modern role) which doesn't follow S1 well.
- Option 2: S Q R P - S followed by Q is okay, but R (historical roots) after Q (contemporary centre) feels less natural than Q leading into S6.
- Option 3: S P R Q - Matches our derived sequence.
- Option 4: R P S Q - Starts with R (historical roots/embedded) which follows S1 well, but S (medieval origin/creation) after P (modern social mobility) breaks the flow.
Therefore, the proper sequence is S P R Q.
| Sentence | Key Idea | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| S1 | Peculiar Institutions | Introduction |
| S | Historical origin & shift to knowledge creation | Explains evolution after S1 |
| P | Modern social role (mobility) | Describes outcome of modern university (from S) |
| R | Historical roots vs. local embedding | Expands on 'peculiarity' from S1, fits after discussing specific roles |
| Q | Contemporary central position | Summarizes current standing, leads to S6 |
| S6 | Importance for knowledge creation/distribution | Conclusion, reinforces Q & S |
Final Answer Derivation
By following the logical flow and connections between the sentences, we determined that the sequence S P R Q creates the most coherent paragraph structure when placed between S1 and S6. This sequence traces the evolution of universities from their origins and changing function (S), to their modern social impact (P), their dual nature of history and local context (R), and finally their central contemporary position (Q), which naturally leads to the concluding statement about their importance (S6).
Revision Table: Mastering Jumbled Sentences
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Read S1 and S6 | Understand the opening and closing context. |
| Identify the Core Topic | What is the main subject of the paragraph? (Here: Universities). |
| Look for Connectors | Words/phrases linking sentences (e.g., pronouns like "They", transition words like "Traditionally", "However", "Therefore", "Also", references to time like "medieval period", "modern", "contemporary"). |
| Identify the Flow | Look for chronological order, cause-and-effect, general-to-specific, problem-solution, or comparison/contrast structures. |
| Check Sentence Pairs | See which sentences logically follow each other (e.g., S → P). |
| Test the Full Sequence | Once a potential sequence is found, read S1 + the sequence + S6 to see if it makes sense as a whole paragraph. |
Additional Information: Understanding Paragraph Structure
A well-structured paragraph typically follows a logical pattern. In jumbled sentence questions, identifying this inherent structure is key. Common structures include:
- Chronological: Events or ideas presented in the order they happened (e.g., historical development in sentence S).
- Topical: Breaking down a broad topic into smaller parts.
- Cause and Effect: Explaining why something happens and what its results are.
- Comparison and Contrast: Highlighting similarities and differences.
- Problem and Solution: Presenting an issue and then discussing ways to solve it.
- General to Specific: Starting with a broad statement and narrowing down to details (S1 often functions like this).
In this passage about universities, we see elements of chronological structure (S), general characteristics (R), specific roles/impacts (P, Q), and a general concluding statement (S6). The correct sequence combines these elements logically to present a coherent picture of universities.
Similar Questions
Direction: The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : Consider the potential effect of just a small increase in the earth's atmospheric temperature.
S6 : If the sea level rose only a few feet, dozens of coastal cities would be destroyed and life would change utterly.
P : Some deserts might anyway bloom.
Q : But lands now fertile might turn to deserts, and many hot climates could become uninhabitable.
R : A rise of only a few degrees could melt the polar ice caps and submerge the planet in a short time.
S : Rainfall patterns would change.
The correct sequence should be
Direction:The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : In the ancient times, the kings and the royal families had their own banner and seal.
S6 : So the high officials commanded o great respect because of the descent, ability and character.
P : All the members of the royal family shared in the administration as far as possible.
Q : The royal palace was maintained in a great state.
R: The king was in theory an autocrat.
S : There were opportunities to influence the king in the formulation of policies.
The correct sequence should be
Direction: The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : Like many of its tropical counterparts, India was a colony of Britain, which ruled out any move to adjust the exchange rate.
S6 : Banks were left with unrecoverable assets.
P : Indebted business failed.
Q : With devaluation made politically impossible, fall in export demand led to sustained and deep deflation.
R : Indebted households liquidated a variety of assets to repay loans when they could.
S : Real interest rates rose.
The correct sequence should be and
Direction: In this section, item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : The rise of East Asia in the late twentieth century may ultimately prove to be a more important world-historical event than the collapse of communism.
S6 : Translated into political terms, this means that industrial capitalism is always accompanied by liberal democracy.
P : In the final two decades of the twentieth century, economic growth rates on the western rim of the Pacific Basin were between two and four times higher than those in the 'developed' economies of Europe and North America.
Q: The widespread assumption has been that modernization means westernization.
R : Certainly, the balance of the world's economy shifted markedly but from the West to the East in this period.
S : However, the notion that there is distinctively East Asian political form is less familiar one.
The correct sequence should be
Direction: In this section, item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : Vijayanagara or 'city of victory' was the name of both a city and an empire.
S6 : They remembered it as Hampi, a name derived from that of the local Mother Goddess, Pampadevi.
P : In its heyday, it stretched from send the river Krishna in the North to the extreme South of the peninsula.
Q : The empire was founded in the fourteenth century.
R : In 1565, the city was destroyed and subsequently deserted.
S : Although it fell into ruin in the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries, it lived on in the memories of people living in the Krishna-Tungabhadra Doab.)
The correct sequence should be
Direction: In this section, item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation.
S6 : The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production, Mahatma Gandhi declared, revealed the most oppressive face of the British rule.
P : On 31 January, 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands.
Q : The idea was to make the demands wide-ranging, so that all classes within Indian society could identify with them and everyone could be brought together in a united campaign.
R : Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food.
S : The most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax.
The correct sequence should be
Direction: In this section, item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : In agriculture, water is mainly used for irrigation.
S6 : Hence, it is difficult to practice agriculture without assured irrigation during dry seasons.
P : The large tracts of the country are deficient in rainfall and are drought prone.
Q : Winter and summer seasons are more or less dry in most part of the country.
R : Irrigation is needed because of spatio-temporal variability in rainfall in the country.
S: North-Western India and Deccan Plateau constitute such areas.
The correct sequence should be
Direction: In this section, item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are marked as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. This is followed by four options each suggesting a sequence of the sentences. Identify the most appropriate option.
S1 : Manipur has a long and glorious history from before the beginning of the Christian Era.
S6 : Manipur regained its independence in 1947 and merged into Indian Union in 1949.
P : Then, Manipur came under the British rule in 1891.
Q : The independence and sovereignty remained uninterrupted until the Burmese invasion and occupation for around seven years in the first quarter of the 19th century (1819-1826).
R : The political history of Manipur could be traced back to 33 AD with the coronation of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba.
S : After Pakhangba, a number of kings ruled over the Kingdom of Manipur.
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: According to the legend it was during a famine in China many thousands of years ago that rice first came into the lives of the Asians.
S6: And the little girl gathered a harvest of rice.
P: The golden sunbeams dropped through the meshes and transformed themselves into golden grams.
Q: A little girl went fishing.
R: But instead of catching fish she netted the King of Frogs.
S: The King told her to hold out the net to the sunbeams while he sang a magic song.
The proper 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: Ramu was in a great hurry.
S6: Fortunately, it wasn’t a very serious one.
P: As a result of this carelessness, he met with an accident.
Q: The examination was to begin in five minutes time.
R: He just rushed across the road.
S: So he forgot to look to the left or right as he always did.
The proper sequence should be
Important Questions from Para Jumbles
Rearrange the 4 disorganized sentences P, Q, R and S to form a meaningful paragraph.
P : cricket is a religion in India and
Q : most of the other sports suffer
R : due to the extra importance given to cricket as a game
S : it is known to all
Proper order is
A. PQSR
B. PSQR
C. QSPR
D. SPRQ
Rearrange the 4 disorganized sentences P, Q, R and S to form a meaningful paragraph.
P : is mostly produced in rural farms
Q : India is a leading producer of
R : milk is the most important of them and
S : dairy products by volume
Proper order is
A. SRPQ
B. QSPR
C. QPSR
D. QSRP
Rearrange the 4 disorganized sentences P, Q, R and S to form a meaningful paragraph.
P: mostly decided by the market conditions
Q: Sometimes, a United States dollar is worth only 12 pesos in Mexico
R: the rates of exchange between them vary from time to time
S: and some other time it can be 100 pesos
Proper order is -
A. PRSQ
B. QPRS
C. QSRP
D. QSPR
Directions: Given below are four jumbled sentences. Out of the given options select the one that gives their correct order.
A. Anush was very afraid of stray dogs.
B. Anush’s mother saw the dog chasing her son.
C. One evening, when a street dog barked at him, Anush turned and started running.
D. The dog ran after him barking loudly and fiercely.
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. In arid regions it may form an almost erect shrub.
B. The grape is usually a woody vine, climbing by means of tendrils and often reaching a length of 17 metres or more.
C. Small greenish flowers, in clusters, precede the fruit, which varies in colour from almost black to green, red and amber.
D. The edible leaves are alternate, palmately lobed and always tooth-edged.
