The question below consists of a set of labelled sentences. Out of the four options given, select the most logical order of the sentences to form a coherent paragraph. A lever enabled you A-controlled the burner flame B-to raise or lower the wicks C-and this is how you
BCA
Understanding Sentence Reordering Questions
Sentence reordering questions, also known as paragraph jumbles, require you to arrange a set of jumbled sentences or fragments into a logical sequence to form a coherent paragraph. The goal is to identify the correct flow of ideas, connecting sentences based on grammar, transitions, and meaning.
In this specific question, we are given a starting phrase, "A lever enabled you", followed by three labelled fragments that need to be put in the correct order:
- A: controlled the burner flame
- B: to raise or lower the wicks
- C: and this is how you
We need to find the sequence of A, B, and C that, when appended to "A lever enabled you", creates a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence or paragraph.
Analyzing the Sentence Fragments and Fixed Start
Let's look at each part:
- Fixed Start: "A lever enabled you..." This sets the subject (A lever) and indicates its function or capability. It suggests an action or outcome that the lever facilitates.
- Fragment A: "controlled the burner flame". This describes an effect or outcome related to a flame.
- Fragment B: "to raise or lower the wicks". This describes a specific action involving wicks, which are typically part of a burner (like in an oil lamp or stove). This action could logically be something a lever enables.
- Fragment C: "and this is how you". This is a transitional phrase, suggesting that the preceding part explains the method or mechanism by which the subsequent part is achieved.
We are looking for an order of B, C, A that makes sense after "A lever enabled you".
Evaluating the Options for Logical Flow
Let's test the structure: "A lever enabled you" + [Order of B, C, A fragments].
Option 1: BAC
- Fixed Start: A lever enabled you
- Fragment B: to raise or lower the wicks
- Fragment A: controlled the burner flame
- Fragment C: and this is how you
Concatenated: "A lever enabled you to raise or lower the wicks controlled the burner flame and this is how you". This doesn't flow well grammatically. "enabled you to raise... controlled" is awkward, and ending with "and this is how you" is incomplete.
Option 2: ACB
- Fixed Start: A lever enabled you
- Fragment A: controlled the burner flame
- Fragment C: and this is how you
- Fragment B: to raise or lower the wicks
Concatenated: "A lever enabled you controlled the burner flame and this is how you to raise or lower the wicks". This is grammatically incorrect and confusing.
Option 3: BCA
- Fixed Start: A lever enabled you
- Fragment B: to raise or lower the wicks
- Fragment C: and this is how you
- Fragment A: controlled the burner flame
Concatenated: "A lever enabled you to raise or lower the wicks and this is how you controlled the burner flame". Let's read this as a full sentence: "A lever enabled you to raise or lower the wicks, and this is how you controlled the burner flame." This sentence makes perfect logical and grammatical sense. The lever enables the action (raising/lowering wicks), the phrase "and this is how you" links this action to the result (controlling the burner flame).
Option 4: ABC
- Fixed Start: A lever enabled you
- Fragment A: controlled the burner flame
- Fragment B: to raise or lower the wicks
- Fragment C: and this is how you
Concatenated: "A lever enabled you controlled the burner flame to raise or lower the wicks and this is how you". This is grammatically incorrect.
Step-by-Step Solution for Sentence Order
Based on the analysis, the most logical order is BCA when combined with the starting phrase. The steps to reach this conclusion are:
- Identify the fixed starting part of the sentence/paragraph: "A lever enabled you".
- Identify the labelled fragments to be ordered: A ("controlled the burner flame"), B ("to raise or lower the wicks"), and C ("and this is how you").
- Test each option by combining the fixed start with the fragments in the sequence given by the option.
- Evaluate the resulting sentence for grammatical correctness and logical flow.
- The order BCA (Fragment B, then Fragment C, then Fragment A) creates the coherent sentence: "A lever enabled you to raise or lower the wicks, and this is how you controlled the burner flame."
Therefore, the most logical order of the fragments is BCA.
Revision Table: Key Concepts in Sentence Ordering
| Concept | Explanation | How it Applies Here |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying the Subject & Verb | Find the main subject and verb(s) to understand the core action. | "A lever enabled..." is the core. Fragments describe what was enabled or the consequence. |
| Looking for Connectors/Transitions | Words like 'and', 'but', 'therefore', 'this is how', pronouns (he, she, it, this, that) link ideas. | "and this is how you" (Fragment C) acts as a connector, indicating a method or consequence. |
| Establishing Cause and Effect | Determine if one action leads to another or is the cause/effect of another. | Raising/lowering wicks (B) is enabled by the lever and is the method (C) that causes the control of the flame (A). B → C → A flow. |
| Ensuring Grammatical Correctness | The final combined sentence(s) must follow standard grammar rules. | "A lever enabled you to raise... and this is how you controlled..." is grammatically sound. |
Additional Information: Sentence Structure and Coherence
Forming a coherent paragraph or sentence from jumbled parts relies on understanding how different sentence components fit together. A sentence typically has a subject and a predicate (which includes the verb and its objects or modifiers).
In this case, the structure "A lever enabled you..." provides the subject ("A lever") and part of the predicate ("enabled you"). What was enabled? The action described in fragment B ("to raise or lower the wicks"). This creates the core action enabled by the lever. The phrase "to raise or lower the wicks" functions as an infinitive phrase modifying "enabled".
Fragment C, "and this is how you", serves as a transition. "This" refers back to the action of raising or lowering the wicks. It indicates that the method for achieving something is by raising or lowering the wicks.
Fragment A, "controlled the burner flame", describes the outcome or effect of the method described in C. Raising or lowering the wicks is the method by which the burner flame is controlled. So, C naturally leads to A.
Putting it all together: A lever enabled you [action B] and this is how you [result A]. This logical flow perfectly matches the BCA order of fragments: A lever enabled you to raise or lower the wicks and this is how you controlled the burner flame.
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
