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SPI English · Sentence Rearrangement

Opening Part and Word Pairs

A jumbled sentence is rebuilt in two moves: find the part that can open it, then join the parts whose words must sit side by side.

All Sentence Rearrangement notes

Why this matters

Six questions in the bank, three from the 2022 paper: five EASY and one MODERATE. Each sentence is cut into four parts P, Q, R and S, and in most of them the opening part and one fixed pair settle the order before you read the options.

Concept 1 of 2: Find the part that opens the sentence

Most English sentences begin with who or what the sentence is about, and the verb follows. Find the part that names the subject and can stand at the start; it is usually the first letter of the answer.

Definition

Parts that can open a sentence:

  • A name or a noun with its words: Mr Rao, the new teacher, The old bridge.
  • There was, There is, It would appear, It is said.

Parts that almost never open one:

  • Parts that begin with of, by, for, to, in, about: they hang on a word before them.
  • Parts that begin with and, but, though, who, which, that: they join on to something already said.

Once you have the opener, look for the part that carries its verb.

Worked example

Rearrange: P: to the old woman / Q: the young soldier / R: who had lost her way / S: gave his seat
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps

The same idea in a real exam question:

SPI · 2022 · SPI Entrance Examination 2022 · Q149Easy

Example 1 · Sentence Rearrangement · Opening Part and Word Pairs

The next five questions consist 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 alternatives. You are required to rearrange the jumbled sentence and select your response from the given alternative. If the correct alternative is not there, in that case choose option (d) None of these.
throughout the country[P] / of the Peshwa was renowned for[Q]/ Shri Ramshastri Prabhune, the Chief Judicial Official [R] / impartiality and truthfulness [S].

Opening with a joining word

A part that begins with 'though', 'but' or 'which' needs something before it. An option that starts with such a part is almost always wrong.

Stopping at the opener

Two options can share the right first letter. After the opener, check the next pair too before you mark.

Splitting a long subject

A subject with a title, like 'Mr Rao, the head of the school', may run over two parts. Keep the title part right after the name, and the verb part after that.
Drill 2 more on find the part that opens the sentence

Concept 2 of 2: Words that must sit side by side

Some words never stand alone: 'afraid' wants 'of', 'each' wants its noun, 'who' wants the person it is about. When one part ends with such a word and another part begins with its partner, those two parts are glued together.

Definition

Look at the last word of each part and the first word of each part:

  • Word and its preposition: afraid of, proud of, fond of, famous for, in the dark about, interested in.
  • A or each and its noun: 'each' is followed by 'family', 'a beautiful' by 'monument'.
  • Who, which, that come right after the noun they describe.
  • It, he, they, this need a word before them to point back to.

Join every glued pair first. Two or three pairs usually leave only one order.

Worked example

Rearrange: P: proud of / Q: the farmer was very / R: his tall, green / S: field of wheat
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps

The same idea in a real exam question:

SPI · 2022 · SPI Entrance Examination 2022 · Q147Moderate

Example 2 · Sentence Rearrangement · Opening Part and Word Pairs

The next five questions consist 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 alternatives. You are required to rearrange the jumbled sentence and select your response from the given alternative. If the correct alternative is not there, in that case choose option (d) None of these.
and fading light as well as a constant fear[P]/ the river we were about to cross was very wide with very swift current [Q]/ added further to our discomfort [R]/ of being spotted by the enemy patrol or their snipers [S].

Leaving a preposition hanging

A part ending in 'afraid' or 'fond' must be followed by the part starting 'of'. If an option puts anything between them, cut it.

Putting 'who' after the wrong noun

'Who' and 'which' describe the noun just before them. Placed after a different noun, the sentence says something absurd, such as a fence being hungry.

A pronoun with nothing to point to

A part with 'it' or 'he' cannot come before the noun it stands for. Find the noun first and place the pronoun after it.
Drill 2 more on words that must sit side by side

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)

Test yourself on a real paper

Sit a past SPI paper, timed and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.

Sit an SPI past paperDrill all 6 questions