Sentence Rearrangement for the Assam Police Constable (AB & UB) Exam
Sentence rearrangement gives a set of jumbled sentences or parts of a sentence and asks the candidate to arrange them into a correct and meaningful order. The parts may be whole sentences of a short paragraph, or they may be fragments of a single long sentence that have to be joined. The question tests the candidate's sense of logical order, of grammar and of the way English sentences open, develop and close. Because the parts are all given, no new words have to be supplied, and the whole answer depends on seeing the links between the parts, such as a pronoun that points back to a noun, a connective that joins two ideas, and a time word that fixes the sequence. This page explains how the question is set, gives the signals that fix the order, lists a step-by-step method, and warns of the traps that cost marks. The material follows standard English usage references and is reviewed before publication.
How This Portion Is Set
In one common form a short paragraph is broken into four or five sentences and the candidate must choose the order in which they should appear. In another form a single long sentence is broken into four parts, marked A, B, C and D, and the candidate must choose the arrangement that reads correctly. A third form gives the first or the last sentence and asks for the rest. In every form the answer is a sequence, and the candidate should build that sequence from the signals in the parts rather than from a guess.
The Opening Sentence
The first sentence of a paragraph introduces the subject and gives the background. It usually contains a full noun, such as a name or a thing, rather than a pronoun, and it does not begin with a connective such as but, so, therefore or however. A sentence that starts with a name and states a fact or sets a scene is therefore a strong candidate for the opening. For example, the sentence Assam is a state in the north east of India can open a passage, but the sentence It is also rich in forests cannot, because the word it needs a subject already named.
The Closing Sentence
The last sentence often draws a conclusion, gives a result, or sums up the passage. It may begin with words such as thus, hence, therefore or finally, and it may complete an idea that was left open. A sentence that carries a general remark or a lesson is more likely to close the passage than to open it. The candidate should look for the sentence that depends on all the others and place it last.
Signals That Fix the Order
- Pronouns such as he, she, it, they and this point back to a noun already named, so they cannot come before that noun.
- Connectives such as but, however and on the other hand join two contrasting ideas and signal that the second idea follows the first.
- Cause and effect words such as because, since, so and therefore fix which idea is the cause and which the result.
- Time words such as first, then, after that, meanwhile and finally arrange the parts in time.
- Words such as also, moreover and furthermore add a further point and therefore come after the point they add to.
- Articles and determiners help also, since a noun is first named with a or an and later named with the.
Order Within a Single Sentence
When the parts belong to one sentence, the order is fixed by grammar. The subject normally comes before the verb, and the object or complement follows the verb. A phrase that begins with a connective or a participle is placed at the front and separated by a comma. An adjective clause introduced by who, which or that follows the noun it describes, and an adverb of time or place may stand at the beginning or at the end. The candidate should first find the subject and the verb, then attach the remaining parts to them.
A Step-by-Step Method
- Read all the parts once, without trying to arrange them, to catch the general theme.
- Find the part that can stand first, using the rule that an opening part names its subject and does not begin with a connective.
- Find the part that must stand last, usually the one that concludes or depends on the rest.
- Join the remaining parts by using pronouns, connectives and time words as links.
- Read the whole passage in your chosen order to check that it flows, and adjust if it does not.
- For single-sentence questions, check that subject, verb and object fall in the right places.
Worked Examples of Linking
- If a part names a boy and a later part says he ran home, the part with he cannot come first.
- If one part says the match was postponed and another says it rained heavily, the rain is the cause and should come before the postponement only if the connective says so.
- If a part says first the fire was seen and another says then the alarm was raised, the time words fix the order.
- If a part says moreover it is cheap, the part carrying the earlier point about price must come before it.
High-Yield Patterns to Memorise
- A passage often moves from a general statement to an example and then to a conclusion.
- A passage may move from cause to effect, so the reason is given before the result.
- A passage may move from problem to solution, so the difficulty is named before the remedy.
- A narrative passage follows time order, so the earliest event comes first.
- A comparison first describes one thing and then the other, joined by words such as while and whereas.
Traps That Cost Marks
- Choosing a part with a pronoun as the opening because it reads well on its own.
- Ignoring a connective and joining two parts that do not agree in sense.
- Treating the last part as the opening because it sounds important.
- Arranging the parts by their meaning alone and ignoring grammar within a single sentence.
- Not reading the final sequence once more, so that a small slip goes unnoticed.
A Revision Plan for This Block
- Practise two paragraph rearrangement sets a day and mark the signal that fixed each link.
- Keep a list of connectives and their meanings, and revise it weekly.
- Take a short English paragraph, jumble it yourself, and rearrange it, to train the eye.
- For single-sentence questions, first identify subject and verb before arranging the rest.
- Attempt one full set a week under time and review every mistake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the first sentence of a paragraph?
The first sentence names its subject fully and does not begin with a connective. A sentence that starts with a name or a full noun and sets the scene is the safest opening.
What is the use of connectives in rearrangement?
Connectives show the relation between two parts, such as contrast, cause or addition, and so they tell us that one part must follow the other. They are the strongest links in the passage.
Why can a sentence beginning with it not come first?
A pronoun such as it points back to a noun already named, so it cannot open the passage, because the noun it stands for has not yet been mentioned.
How are single-sentence rearrangement questions solved?
Find the subject and verb first, then place the object or complement after the verb, and attach clauses and phrases to the words they describe.
Should I read the passage in my chosen order at the end?
Yes. Reading the final sequence once more is the quickest way to catch a broken link or a small slip before you commit to the answer.