Ordering of Sentences— Concepts, Formulas & Shortcuts
- A noun is introduced first; a pronoun referring to it must come afterwards.
- Connectors are direction signs: "however" reverses, "therefore" concludes, "moreover" adds, "then" continues.
- Chronological or cause-and-effect order usually decides the sequence.
- Find a mandatory PAIR first — two sentences that must be adjacent — and eliminate options that break it.
- Definite articles signal something already mentioned; indefinite articles signal a first mention.
- Check your answer by reading the whole paragraph end to end before marking it.
Ordering of Sentences Practice Questions with Answers
Attempt each question first, then open the explanation. All 5 questions below are free to read and require no signup.
Q1.S1: A farmer had four sons. P: He called them and gave each a stick to break. Q: They quarrelled with one another all the time. R: Then he tied four sticks together and asked them to break the bundle. S: Each of them broke his stick easily. S6: None of them could do it, and the farmer explained the value of unity. Choose the correct order of P, Q, R, S.
Difficult- AQPSR
- BPQRS
- CQRPS
- DPSQR
Ordering of Sentences question 1 of 5+Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: A. QPSR
Explanation: The problem comes first (Q: they quarrelled), then the father's action (P), the easy result (S), and finally the bundle test (R), which leads into S6.
Q2.S1: Rainwater harvesting is a simple technique. P: This water is then stored in tanks or allowed to recharge groundwater. Q: Rain falling on a rooftop is collected through pipes. R: It reduces dependence on municipal supply and lowers water bills. S: Many Indian cities now make it mandatory for new buildings. S6: With rising water scarcity, the practice is spreading rapidly. Choose the correct order.
Difficult- AQPRS
- BPQRS
- CQRPS
- DSQPR
Ordering of Sentences question 2 of 5+Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: A. QPRS
Explanation: The process is described first (Q collection → P storage), then its benefit (R), then the policy response (S), which leads naturally into S6.
Q3.In sentence-ordering questions, a pronoun such as "it" or "they" must:
Easy- ACome before the noun it refers to
- BCome after the noun it refers to
- CAlways open the paragraph
- DAlways close the paragraph
Ordering of Sentences question 3 of 5+Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: B. Come after the noun it refers to
Explanation: A pronoun can only be understood once its noun has been introduced, so the noun sentence always precedes it.
Q4.The connector "however" at the start of a sentence signals that it:
Easy- AContinues the previous idea
- BContrasts with the previous idea
- CConcludes the paragraph
- DIntroduces a new topic
Ordering of Sentences question 4 of 5+Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: B. Contrasts with the previous idea
Explanation: "However" marks a reversal, so the preceding sentence must state the idea being contradicted.
Q5.Which article signals that a noun has already been mentioned earlier in the paragraph?
Moderate- Aa
- Ban
- Cthe
- Dsome
Ordering of Sentences question 5 of 5+Show Answer & Explanation
Answer: C. the
Explanation: The definite article "the" refers back to something already introduced, while "a" and "an" mark a first mention.
Ordering of Sentences — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mandatory-pair technique?+
Find two sentences that clearly must sit next to each other — usually a noun followed by its pronoun — then eliminate every answer option that separates them. This often leaves only one choice.
Should I try to build the whole paragraph from the start?+
No. Building from a confident pair outward is faster and less error-prone than trying to order all four sentences at once from the opening line.
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