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Playbook

Sentence Rearrangement (PQRS + Paragraph Sequencing)

114 q. PQRS (92, 19% HARD) reorders 4 sentence parts inside one sentence; S1–S6 (22, 36% HARD) reorders middle 4 of a 6-sentence paragraph. Same lever — opener and closer cues.

questions in the bank
114
tagged HARD
22%
subtopic(s) covered
2
worked examples
2

When you’ll see it

4 sentence-parts (P/Q/R/S) inside one sentence, OR 4 middle sentences (P/Q/R/S) between a fixed S1 opener and S6 closer; arrange them.

How this question type works

114 q. The single hardest chapter in NDA English by load (22% HARD overall, Paragraph Sequencing at 36% HARD). PQRS (92 q) reorders 4 phrase-parts inside one sentence; S1–S6 (22 q) reorders 4 middle sentences in a fixed-opener-fixed-closer paragraph. Same lever for both — find the opener-cue and the closer-cue, then chain the rest by transition logic.

Opener cues: noun without referring pronoun (a name, a topic-setting NP), a definitional or framing statement. Closer cues: 'thus', 'so', conclusion words, a generalisation that the body sets up. Middle pieces chain by transition words (However, Moreover, Therefore) and by repeated noun/pronoun reference (Sentence X uses 'it' → must follow a sentence that introduces the noun).

Most students try to solve from the start. Try from the END: which sentence has 'thus' or 'therefore' or sums up? That's S5/S6 territory. Which sentence introduces a fresh noun? That's S1/S2. Pinning the boundaries shrinks the middle to a forced sequence.

The sub-skills

The rules and habits that decide whether you get this question right.

  • Pin the opener — find the fresh noun

    S1 (or P, in PQRS) introduces a fresh noun without a referring pronoun. Pronouns (it/this/that) refer backwards, so they cannot start.

  • Pin the closer — find the generalisation

    S6 (or last) often contains 'thus', 'so', 'therefore', 'in conclusion', or a generalising claim. Solve from the back if the front is unclear.

  • Use transition + pronoun chains

    'However' starts a contrasting sentence — only after a contrasting claim. 'It' refers to the most-recent same-gender singular noun. Chain by these constraints.

2 worked examples from the bank

Real past-year questions tagged to this playbook. Click to reveal options + solution.

Example 1Sentence RearrangementHARD
Directions : Each of the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence correctly and mark your response accordingly.
P: ecology is protected and aquatic life thrives / Q: we need to utilize the resources of water / R: for different purposes while / S: ensuring that its natural The correct sequence should be :

[Q25 · Apr · 2023]

Example 2Sentence RearrangementHARD
Directions : In this section each item consists of six sentences that comprise a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The sequence of the middle four sentences has been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences and mark your response accordingly on the answer sheet.
S1: The South African Constitution was inaugurated in December 1996. S6: A special constitutional court enforces the rights enshrined in the Constitution. P : Its creation and promulgation took place at a time when South Africa still faced the threat of a civil war after the dissolution of the Apartheid Government. Q : The South African Constitution says that its 'Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa.' R : Apropos, it forbids discrimination on the grounds of 'race, gender, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth'. S : The Bill of Rights grants perhaps the most extensive range of rights to the citizens.

[Q24 · Apr · 2025]

Traps to expect

Distractor shapes specific to this playbook. The page-wide Traps section covers the bank-level patterns.

  • Plausible sentence-start that's actually middle

    A sentence with 'this' or 'however' looks like it could open. It can't — these reference back. Always check for backward-reference.

  • Two-near-identical option orderings

    Often 2 of 4 options differ in just one swap (PRSQ vs PRQS). The hardest distinction — usually decided by a single transition word.

Drill every sentence rearrangement (pqrs + paragraph sequencing) question

114 questions from the bank, scoped to 2 bundled subtopics.

Drill the 114 questions

Related playbooks

Often paired with this one — drill these next if you found the worked examples above tractable.