Unlocking the secrets of Ordering of Sentences, commonly known as Parajumbles, is a formidable challenge in the English section of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Combined Defence Services (CDS) exams. This article delves into the critical significance of mastering this complex topic, providing insights drawn from the Ordering of Sentences Live Class 2. Let’s explore why Ordering of Sentences is a linchpin in defense competitive exams, effective preparation strategies, and the art of deciphering and arranging jumbled paragraphs logically.

Directions: In questions below, each passage consist of six sentences. The first and sixth sentence are given in the beginning. The middle four sentences in each have been removed and jumbled up. These are labelled as P, Q, R and S. Find out the proper order for the four sentences.

Q) S1: Now-a-days, soap is going almost out of use as a washing agent.

S6: There are better washing agents than soap, but scientists are not yet sure if their use is harmless to man.

P : They produce lather due to the presence of calcium salts in water.

Q : Its place has been occupied by a new range of chemicals, called detergents.

R : So they are called soapless soap.

S : Detergents are not soap because they are not sodium or potassium derivatives of fatty acids, as normal soap is.

The proper sequence should be

(a) S Q R P (b) Q S R P (c) S Q P R (d) Q P R S

Q) S1: Our house is high up on the Yorkshire coast, and close to the sea.

S6: Between the two, shifting backwards and forwards at certain seasons of the year, lies the most horrible quicksand on the shores of Yorkshire.

P : One is called the North spit and one the South.

Q : The sand hills here run down to the sea and end in two stretches of rock, sticking out opposite each other.

R : This one leads through a dark plantation of fir trees, and brings you out between low cliffs to the loneliest and ugliest little bay on all our coast.

S : There are beautiful walls all around us in every direction except one.

The proper sequence should be

(a) S Q R P (b) Q S P R (c) Q P S R (d) S R Q P

Q) S1: Unhappiness and discontent spring not only from poverty.

S6: We suffer from sickness of spirit and hence, we should discover our roots in the eternal.

P : Man is a strange creature, fundamentally different from other animals.

Q : If they are undeveloped and unsatisfied, he may have all the comforts of the wealth, but will still feel that life is not worthwhile.

R : He has far horizons, invariable hopes, spiritual powers.

S : What is missing in our age is the soul, there is nothing wrong with the body.

The proper sequence should be

(a) P R Q S (b) S P R Q (c) S P Q R (d) P R S Q

Q) S1: Before we left Bareilly jail, a little incident took place which moved me then and is yet fresh in my memory.

S6: This spontaneous act of courtesy and the kindly thought that prompted it touched me and I felt very grateful to him.

P : He told me the packet contained old German illustrated magazines.

Q : The Superintendent of Police of Bareilly, an Englishman, was present there, and as I got into the car, he handed to me rather shyly a packet.

R : I had never met him before, nor have I seen him since and I do not even know his name.

S : He said that he had heard that I was learning German and so he had bought these magazines for me.

(a) R Q P S (b) Q P S R (c) Q P R S (d) R Q S P

Q) S1 : One of the gifts of the independence is the awakening of women of our country.

S6 : We even had a woman Prime Minister.

P : Besides, their talent is recognised and they are appointed to high posts in the state.

Q : Free India has seen women as governors, ministers and ambassadors.

R : That is because our government is making efforts to raise their status.

S : Women have bright future in independent India.

The proper sequence should be

(a) S P Q R (b) Q P S R (c) S R P Q (d) Q S P R

Q) S1 : Of course, it is nature that determines a diamond’s clarity and colour.

S6 : Poorly cut diamonds, on the other hand, look less brilliant and beautiful.

P : It results in a diffused display of brilliance.

Q : However, the hand of a master craftsman is needed for releasing its sparkle and beauty.

R : When it is cut to good proportions, light refracts from one mirror-like facet to another and disperses through the top of the diamond.

S : A well-cut diamond invariably scintillates with light.

The proper sequence should be

(a) Q S P R (b) S Q P R (c) S Q R P (d) Q S R P

Q) S1. The bank opened at 10.00 a.m.

S6. The safe was empty.

P. The peon opened the safe and returned the keys to the manager.

Q. The manager and the peon went to the safe in the vault.

R. The manager and the peon looked into the safe.

S. They were shocked at what they saw there.

The proper sequence should be

(a) Q R P S (b) Q P R S (c) S Q R P (d) Q R S P

Q) S1. The colonial powers had a very simple technique to rule the world.

S6. Partition was the culmination.

P. They lumped tribes and people together, played one against the other.

Q. India’s provinces were more elaborately designed to play the game of divide and rule.

R. Africa was divided, believe it or not, on the basis of the lines of longitude and latitude.

S. They also purchased the loyalties of those locals who were needed as supports for the colonial presence.

The proper sequence should be:

(a) P R S Q (b) P S R Q (c) S P Q R (d) R P S Q

Q) S1. While teaching in the class-room, our teacher suddenly fainted.

S6. The headmaster at once sanctioned his leave.

P. The headmaster soon joined us and spoke to them in a soft voice.

Q. He was told that the patient needed complete rest for a month.

R. He was at once taken to the hospital.

S. The doctors examined him with serious faces.

The proper sequence should be:

(a) P Q R S (b) S P Q R (c) Q P S R (d) R S P Q

Q) S1. There were shots as I ran.

S6. Staying submerged was only too easy with so much clothing and my army boots.

P. The water was icy, but I stayed until I thought my lungs would burst.

Q. I tripped at the edge and went in with a splash.

R. The minute I came up I took a breath and plunged down again.

S. I ducked down, pushed between two men and ran for the river.

The proper sequence should be

(a) S Q P R  (b) P R Q S (c) S Q R P (d) Q S P R

Q) S1 : Bill Clinton is the President.

S6 : Looking at him, a lot of people feel surprise.

P : But that is not true of Mr. Clinton.

Q : This had led him to be a vegetarian.

R : His philosophy is ‘be simple’.

S : Men as powerful as him usually have lavish tastes.

The proper sequence should be

(a) S P Q R (b) S P R Q (c) R Q P S (d) P Q S R

Q) S1 : Man cannot survive except through his mind. He comes on Earth unarmed.

S6 : To plant he needs a process of thoughts, to hunt he needs weapons and to make weapons the process of thoughts.

P : Man has no claws, no fangs, no horns and no great strength of muscle.

Q : He can obtain food by force.

R : He must plant his food or hunt it.

S : His brain is his only weapon.

The proper sequence should be

(a) R S Q P (b) P Q S R (c) Q P R S (d) P S Q R

Q) S1 : For the average Indian tourist, the mention of Indonesia conjures visions of Bali and little else.

S6 : It is a pity since otherwise this largest archipelago in the world has much to offer to the international visitor.

P : With cash flow problems, the airline has had to cut down its overseas operations.

Q : Tourism has not been much of a priority in this predominately Muslim country of 210 million people.

R : The air connectivity through the national airline is also minimum.

S : This aspect is evident in the low budget allocated each year to this  sector.

The proper sequence should be

(a) Q S R P (b) R P S Q (c) Q R S P (d) S Q P R

Q) S1 : I got on a colourful bus filled with all kinds of strange people.

S6 : It was a gate that neither separated nor connected anything from or to anything.

P : We arrived at a gate like the one in Salvador Dali’s paintings.

Q : The bus rode  across the dirty expanses without roads.

R : At first, I wasn’t aware that the bus roof was loaded with drugs.

S : Everyone was filled with dust and often the wheels would sink into the soft soil.

The proper sequence should be

(a) S P Q R (b) Q R S P (c) R Q S P (d) R S P Q

Q) S1. The bureaucrat and the social worker are men of totally different orientations and styles of functioning.

S6. The world will be a better place to live in if they learn a little from each other.

P. The other is considered to be a man ever on the move.

Q. He is portrayed as a man fond of rules above all other things.

R. The one is regarded as given to sedentary habits, doing a lot of paper work.

S. Driven by an urge to help others he is impatient with red tape and unnecessary delays.

The proper sequence should be

(a) P Q R S  (b) R Q P S (c) S R Q P (d) Q P S R

For more questions, check out NDA-CDS 1 2024 Exam English Live – Ordering of Sentences – Class 2

The Significance of Ordering of Sentences

Ordering of Sentences scrutinizes a candidate’s advanced reading skills, comprehensive ability, and logical prowess. Here’s why excelling in this area is indispensable for NDA and CDS aspirants:

1. Analytical Thinking:

• Why it Matters: Military leadership requires analytical thinkers. Ordering of Sentences questions assess a candidate’s ability to decipher the logical connection between sentences and arrange them coherently.
• How to Excel: Develop a systematic approach to dissecting sentences. Identify keywords and thematic elements that establish logical links between sentences.

2. Comprehensive Ability:

• Why it Matters: Effective communication is pivotal in defense roles. Ordering of Sentences evaluates a candidate’s comprehension skills, ensuring they can extract meaning from a jumbled set of sentences.
• How to Excel: Enhance your reading comprehension by regularly practicing with diverse passages. Focus on understanding the central idea and nuances within each sentence.

3. Time Management:

• Why it Matters: Competitive exams demand adept time management. Mastering the art of swiftly rearranging jumbled sentences enables candidates to tackle questions efficiently.
• How to Excel: Engage in timed practice sessions. Develop a strategy to quickly identify the logical sequence of sentences while maintaining accuracy.

Strategies for Effective Preparation

1. Enhance Reading Speed:
   • Strengthen your ability to quickly absorb information by cultivating advanced reading skills. Practice reading diverse materials to acclimate yourself to various writing styles.
2. Thematic Analysis:
   • Develop the knack for identifying the theme or central idea of each sentence. This skill is instrumental in establishing logical connections between sentences.
3. Focus on Keywords:
   • Pinpoint keywords or phrases that act as linchpins connecting sentences. Recognizing these linguistic cues will guide you in unraveling the intended sequence.
4. Logical Cohesion:
   • Cultivate a sense of logical cohesion by understanding how sentences naturally flow into each other. Pay attention to cause-and-effect relationships and chronological order.

Tips for Deciphering and Arranging Sentences

1. Identify the First and Last Sentences:
   • Start by identifying the sentence that introduces the central theme and the one that concludes the passage. This creates a framework for placing intermediate sentences.
2. Create a Flowchart:
   • Visualize the logical flow of the sentences by creating a flowchart or diagram. This aids in establishing connections and sequencing sentences appropriately.
3. Eliminate Distractors:
   • Rule out options that disrupt the logical flow or introduce inconsistencies. Identify distractors and eliminate them systematically to arrive at the correct sequence.

Conclusion: Unraveling the Parajumble Puzzle

In conclusion, mastering Ordering of Sentences is akin to decoding a linguistic puzzle—an essential skill for aspirants eyeing success in NDA and CDS examinations. The ability to decipher and arrange jumbled sentences demands a nuanced understanding of logical connections and thematic elements. By adopting strategic preparation approaches, honing advanced reading skills, and practicing with diverse passages, candidates can confidently navigate the intricacies of Ordering of Sentences. This proficiency not only ensures success in this specific topic but also cultivates essential skills for effective communication and analytical thinking—qualities paramount for leadership roles in the defense sector.