Para Jumbles Quiz: Sentence Rearrangement Practice

Spoilers! These are the Starter quiz’s answers. Easy, Medium, Hard and Mixed rounds show their own answers when you finish.

1. The first sentence is: Ramesh had planned to reach the interview early. Arrange the rest in order. (P) Because of the jam, he reached the venue twenty minutes late. (Q) However, a truck had broken down on the main road. (R) So he left home at seven in the morning. (S) Luckily, the panel was running behind schedule and he was still called in.

   • RQPS
   • QRPS
   • RPQS
   • QPRS

   Answer: RQPS. R follows the plan (so he left early), Q brings the problem (however, a truck), P gives the result (because of the jam) and S closes the story.

2. Arrange the sentences to form a coherent paragraph. (P) The seeds are first soaked in water overnight. (Q) Once they sprout, they are spread on a damp cloth to grow further. (R) Finally, the sprouts are rinsed and eaten raw or lightly cooked. (S) The next morning, the water is drained and the seeds are tied in a muslin cloth.

   • PQSR
   • SPQR
   • PSQR
   • PSRQ

   Answer: PSQR. Time markers set the order: first (P), the next morning (S), once they sprout (Q), finally (R).

3. Arrange the parts to form a meaningful sentence. (P) The old library, (Q) which stands in the heart of the city, (R) was finally reopened (S) after three years of repair.

   • PQRS
   • PRSQ
   • RPSQ
   • SPQR

   Answer: PQRS. The subject (P) is followed by the clause that describes it (Q), then the verb (R) and the time phrase (S).

4. The first sentence is: India's farmers watch the sky closely every June. Arrange the rest in order. (P) A good monsoon fills reservoirs and wells for the rest of the year. (Q) This is because a large share of the country's farmland depends on rain. (R) A weak one, on the other hand, can ruin the kharif crop. (S) Hence the arrival of the monsoon is treated as major news.

   • PQRS
   • QRPS
   • SQPR
   • QPRS

   Answer: QPRS. Q explains the opening (this is because), P and R contrast a good and a weak monsoon ('one' in R needs P before it), and S concludes with hence.

5. Arrange the sentences to form a coherent paragraph. (P) Then she used that time to check her answers once more. (Q) Meera read every question carefully before answering. (R) She finished writing with ten minutes to spare. (S) Satisfied, she handed in her answer sheet.

   • QPRS
   • QRPS
   • RQPS
   • QRSP

   Answer: QRPS. Q opens with the name. 'That time' in P refers to the ten minutes in R, so R comes before P; S ends the paragraph.

6. Arrange the parts to form a meaningful sentence. (P) was postponed (Q) due to heavy rain (R) The final match (S) until next Sunday

   • RPSQ
   • PRQS
   • QRSP
   • SRPQ

   Answer: RPSQ. The sentence starts with the subject (R, which has the capital letter), then the verb (P), then the phrases: 'The final match was postponed until next Sunday due to heavy rain.'

7. Arrange the sentences to form a coherent paragraph. (P) Every year, a huge amount of plastic waste is washed into the sea. (Q) Fish swallow these pieces, mistaking them for food. (R) Over time, the sun and waves break it into tiny pieces called microplastics. (S) In this way, plastic can finally reach our own dinner plates.

   • PQRS
   • RPQS
   • PRQS
   • PRSQ

   Answer: PRQS. 'It' in R refers to the plastic in P, 'these pieces' in Q needs the pieces from R, and 'in this way' (S) sums up the chain.

8. Arrange the sentences to form a coherent paragraph. (P) Even after she began driving a car years later, she could not bring herself to sell it. (Q) For her, it remains a reminder of how far she has come. (R) Anita still keeps an old blue bicycle in her garage. (S) She bought it with her first salary.

   • RPSQ
   • SRPQ
   • PRSQ
   • RSPQ

   Answer: RSPQ. R introduces Anita and the bicycle; S explains where it came from; P ('years later') follows that purchase; Q gives the meaning and closes.

9. Arrange the parts to form a meaningful sentence. (P) Not only did the new policy (Q) but it also (R) reduce paperwork, (S) improved the speed of approvals.

   • PQRS
   • PSQR
   • RPQS
   • PRQS

   Answer: PRQS. 'Not only did ... ' takes the base verb (reduce), and 'but it also' takes the past tense (improved): P R Q S.

10. Which sentence should come FIRST in a paragraph formed from these four? (P) As a result, many young people now take up such work. (Q) Online platforms have made freelance work easier to find than ever before. (R) However, freelancers often lack the job security that salaried employees enjoy. (S) Experts therefore advise them to build a savings cushion.

    • P
    • Q
    • R
    • S

    Answer: Q. Q introduces the topic and depends on nothing before it. P (as a result), R (however) and S (therefore) all respond to an earlier idea.