Sentence Arrangement for SSC & Railway Exams

By : Neha Uppal

Updated : Nov 2, 2020, 16:35

Sentence Arrangement questions is one of the common questions found in the English section of most competitive exams. In the case of Sentence Arrangement, the sentences are jumbled, and you need to rearrange them in the right order, so the paragraph makes sense. As there is a time constraint in the exam, we need to work out a way through the sentences and find a connection between them.

Despite being scoring, Sentence Arrangement remains tricky for aspirants to answer. It is due to the very nature of the questions. Some of the exams which feature sentence arrangement questions include SSC and Railways exams.

Important points for Sentence Arrangement Questions

Here are the important points to keep in mind while preparing for sentence arrangement questions for SSC exams.

Identify the purpose of the passage	It is the first step while trying to solve a Sentence Arrangement. In most cases, the sentence would seek to explain a concept or make aware of a situation based on facts. It can also be raising a particular concern about a topic or presenting a certain solution.
Look for the keywords	Every passage has certain keywords which include introductory keywords such as A, an, Beginning. Look out for the concluding remarks such as thus, finally, therefore, finally and comparative keywords which denote comparison between the factors. In addition to this, there are sentence connectors which are useful to provide additional information or supporting arguments about a point.
Form pairs of sentences	The pairs of sentences will help you solve a question easily. While making mandatory pairs, even if one of the choices forms a pair, it increases the chance to mark the correct answer.
Identify the time sequence	The Sentence Arrangement question may consist of certain keywords which may indicate a sequence of events or a thought process. It may mention the date or time or words such as later, then etc., which will help you decode a Sentence Arrangement.
Using nouns and pronouns	It is similar to the time sequencing technique and is another simple way to establish the order of a sentence.

Tips to prepare Sentence Arrangement Questions for SSC exams

The first tip is to understand the context and the subject mentioned in the paragraph.

In order to find out the first statement, you need to look at all the statements closely and identify a fresh statement, which does not have any incomplete ideas.

The next step is to look for an ending or a conclusive sentence. It is the sentence which will try to link with the rest of the sentences.
Understanding the flow of information is important in order to see the purpose of the paragraph.
The last step is to be able to predict the correct order based on the given options.

Importance of Sentence Arrangement Questions for SSC exams

Sentence Arrangement questions are aimed to assess a candidate’s ability to make clear and meaningful paragraphs by arranging the sentence in the correct order.

There are four types of questions asked in the exam, which include the following-

The first one is where five sentences are given, and each sentence is assigned with a letter. Candidates are required to arrange the sentences in a meaningful manner. When the sentences are properly sequences, the obtained paragraph should form a meaning. The candidate should choose the most logical order among the given choices. The questions are required to arrange and judge the organisational ability of candidates.
In this type of questions, there are two fixed sentences, and along with it, there are four other sentences which can be labelled as A,B,C,D or in the P,Q,R,S manner. You will need to arrange them in a way to form a meaningful sentence.
The next type of question is where five sentences are given. As they are jumbled the candidate is required to rearrange them in proper order and then answer the questions in respect to the order of sentences.
The fourth type of sentence involves some parts which are marked in the jumbled form. A candidate is required to rearrange the parts in a sequence so as to form a meaningful sentence. A candidate should read all the parts carefully and try and find a meaningful sequence.

Most Recommended Books for Sentence Arrangement Rules

Some of the sources you can refer to include the following:

Books	Author
English grammar	Wren and Martin
Objective General English	SP Bakshi

You can supplement this by daily newspaper reading. Some of the most read newspapers include The Hindu and Economic Times. Daily reading will help you build up a solid vocabulary.

Why prepare Sentence Arrangement Questions from BYJU'S Exam Prep?

BYJU'S Exam Prep provides extensive study material which will be useful for English preparation. Follow the BYJU'S Exam Prep website regularly to see an increase in your knowledge of the English section. To score well, you can regularly attempt quizzes on the BYJU'S Exam Prep website and keep yourself updated. With so many exams being conducted all the year round you need to have a full proof preparation plan. With BYJU'S Exam Prep your search is over as we cover all the relevant topics for your exams.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to solve Sentence Arrangement questions?

Identify the mandatory Pairs
Identify the transition words which show a shift on the idea
Focus on the words which convey time sequence

How to use completion in a sentence?

Read the sentence thoroughly
Indicate whether the sentence makes senses
Structure the words, visualise and eliminate
Improve your vocabulary

What are some shortcuts to solve sentence arrangement questions?

Look for a sentence which introduces a topic
Try and spot the central theme
Follow the activities and look for connectors, articles, adjectives and pronouns

How do you arrange a sentence?

The rule is to have the subject placed before the verb
It denotes that the sentence should follow the subject-verb-object format

How to quickly identify the main theme?

Read through the sentences at first and try to look for what the author is trying to convey.
It can be information, opinion or a description.
Based on your observation, try and arrange the sentences in order.