CDS English · Sentence Rearrangement
A preposition needs its object
A part that ends on of, to, in or with is unfinished, so its object must come right after it. A part that starts with of hangs on a noun that must come right before it.
Why this matters
Examiners often cut a sentence right after a preposition (the study of, warned us about) or right before one (of the government). Such a cut is the strongest clue in the item. The two parts on either side of it must touch, so one look at the options often settles the order.
Concept 1 of 2: A part that ends in of, to, with: its object comes next
Definition
The terms:
- Preposition: a small word that links a noun to the rest of the sentence: of, to, in, with, about, into, for.
- Object of a preposition: the noun phrase that follows it and completes it: in the hills, about the danger.
- Hanging end: a part that ends on a word which cannot finish a sentence, such as a preposition, 'and', 'the' or 'is'.
The method:
- Read the last word of each part. Mark every part with a hanging end.
- For each one ask: of what? to what? with what? The answer is a noun phrase in another part.
- Lock the pair: preposition part, then its object part. Two such links often form a chain of three parts.
- Strike every option that puts a hanging-end part last.
- Some words come with a fixed preposition: unaccustomed to, a testimony of, warned about, the effects of. Use them as clues.
Worked example
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 1 · Sentence Rearrangement · Prepositions and Their Objects (PQRS)
Leaving a preposition at the end
A noun that fits the shape but not the sense
A plain verb after a preposition
Concept 2 of 2: A part that starts with of: its noun comes before
Definition
The terms:
- Head noun: the main noun that a following of-phrase describes: the captain of the team, the completion of the work.
The method:
- Spot a part that starts with of (or another preposition) and so cannot begin the sentence.
- Find the part that ends on a noun the of-phrase can belong to. That noun is its head noun.
- Lock the pair: head-noun part, then the of-part.
- If the of-part also ends on a verb (of the club is), that verb belongs to the head noun. The head-noun part is then the subject and comes first.
- A part that starts with of can never open the sentence.
Worked example
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 2 · Sentence Rearrangement · Prepositions and Their Objects (PQRS)
Opening with an of-part
Attaching the of-phrase to the wrong noun
Missing the verb inside the of-part
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Watch out for (6)
- Leaving a preposition at the end→ A part that ends in of, to, with: its object comes next
- A noun that fits the shape but not the sense→ A part that ends in of, to, with: its object comes next
- A plain verb after a preposition→ A part that ends in of, to, with: its object comes next
- Opening with an of-part→ A part that starts with of: its noun comes before
- Attaching the of-phrase to the wrong noun→ A part that starts with of: its noun comes before
- Missing the verb inside the of-part→ A part that starts with of: its noun comes before
Test yourself on Sentence Rearrangement
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.