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SSC CGL English · Sentence Rearrangement

Ordering Sentences in a Paragraph

Putting four jumbled sentences in order by finding the opener and the closer, and by following time when the sentences tell a story or a process.

All Sentence Rearrangement notes

Why this matters

Eighty-eight questions in the bank, 49 from the 2023 shifts, 9 from the 2024 shifts and 30 from the 2025 shifts. Most are settled by finding the sentence that opens and the one that closes, and when the sentences tell a story or a process, the time words fix the middle.

Concept 1 of 2: The opener, the closer and the shape between

A paragraph has a shape. It opens by naming its topic in full, develops it with detail, causes or examples, and closes with a conclusion, a balancing remark or a call to act. Find the opener first, then test only the options that start with it.

Definition

1. Find the opener: the sentence that names or defines the topic and leans on nothing before it. 2. Rule out as openers any sentence that starts with a pronoun, "This", "However", "Also" or "For example". 3. Find the closer: a conclusion ("must", "needs to", "therefore"), a summing up, or a turn to what should be done. 4. Fix one pair that must sit together, then keep the option that has the opener, the pair and the closer.

  • S1 and S6 questions: the first and last sentences are given; the middle sentences must lead from S1 to S6.
  • Fast route: the opener and one fixed pair usually leave a single option.

Worked example

Arrange the sentences: A. Today they also lend e-books and offer free internet. B. Public libraries began as places to borrow printed books. C. Libraries must therefore keep changing to stay useful. D. As reading moved online, many of them added digital services. (a) BDAC (b) DBAC (c) BADC (d) ACBD
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps

The same idea in a real exam question:

SSC CGL · 2025 · Tier I, 24 Sep 2025, Shift 2 · Q99Moderate

Example 1 · Sentence Rearrangement · Ordering Sentences in a Paragraph

Rearrange the following sentences to form a meaningful passage: 1. International space law governs satellite placement and liability. 2. Treaties emerged during the Cold War to prevent militarization. 3. New challenges include space debris and commercial mining. 4. Regulation needs adaptation to current realities.

Opening with the most striking sentence

The opener is the sentence that needs nothing before it, not the most interesting fact. A vivid detail or a figure usually develops a topic some other sentence introduces.

Leaving the balancing remark in the middle

A sentence that weighs up the other side ("its harmful effects must also be addressed") or says what should be done usually closes the paragraph.
Drill 46 more on the opener, the closer and the shape between

Concept 2 of 2: Time order and the steps of a process

When the sentences tell a story, a history or the steps of a process, time decides the order. Dates, time words (initially, later, over the years) and step words (first, next, then, finally) put the events where they happened, and a summary such as "This process" comes after them.

Definition

  • Dates: the earlier year comes first; "The next year" or "Two years later" follows a sentence that names a year.
  • Time words: initially, at first, then, later, over the years, eventually, today.
  • Steps: begins with, the first step, next, then, after that, finally.
  • Natural stages: cause before effect, the earlier stage before the later one.
  • Summary after the steps: "This process" or "The whole cycle" sums up steps already given, so it comes after them.
  • Stories: the sentence that introduces the person or the thing comes before what happened to it.

Worked example

Arrange the sentences: A. After kneading, the dough is left to rise for an hour. B. Bread making begins with mixing flour, water and yeast. C. Finally, the loaf is baked until golden. D. Next, the dough is kneaded until smooth. (a) BDAC (b) BADC (c) DBAC (d) BCDA
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps

The same idea in a real exam question:

SSC CGL · 2025 · Tier I, 16 Sep 2025, Shift 3 · Q100Easy

Example 2 · Sentence Rearrangement · Ordering Sentences in a Paragraph

Rearrange the following sentences to form a coherent paragraph: 1. This process is crucial because it ensures the integrity and reproducibility of experimental results. 2. Scientific experimentation begins with the formulation of a testable hypothesis based on an observation or question. 3. The data collected from these experiments is then analyzed and interpreted to draw conclusions about the hypothesis. 4. Next, a controlled experiment is designed and carried out to collect empirical evidence.

Putting the summary before the steps

"This process ensures ..." names steps already described. Placed first, its "This" points at nothing.

Ignoring a time phrase that points back

"The next year" and "Two years later" count from a year in the sentence just before. Put another sentence between them and the date no longer works.
Drill 40 more on time order and the steps of a process

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 (4)

Test yourself on Sentence Rearrangement

20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.

Take the Sentence Rearrangement chapter testDrill all 88 questions