Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: PQSR
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question checks your ability to arrange jumbled sentences into a meaningful paragraph. The four sentences discuss what it means to have low self esteem and the emotional and behavioural consequences of that condition. To form a coherent paragraph, we must decide which sentence introduces the central idea, how the negative effects are sequenced, and which sentence logically summarises or follows from the others. Mastering such questions improves both reading comprehension and paragraph structuring skills for competitive examinations.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The usual strategy for para jumbles is to locate the most suitable opening sentence, usually the one that defines a concept or sets the context. Then we look for sentences that naturally follow from that idea by elaborating, giving examples, or describing consequences. Sentences containing phrases like if you feel like this or such a condition often refer back to a state already described, so they usually occur later. We must also ensure that the sequence does not produce abrupt shifts or repeated information out of order.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Sentence P clearly defines low self esteem and is therefore the best opening line. It introduces the main concept of not respecting or valuing yourself.
Step 2: Once low self esteem is defined, sentence Q logically follows by providing a specific effect: you are likely to believe other people and their negative comments more than your own opinions. This is a direct behavioural consequence of not valuing yourself.
Step 3: Sentence S continues the chain of consequences by stating that your confidence may be low, so you will not believe in your ability to be successful. This deepens the description of how low self esteem manifests.
Step 4: Sentence R then summarises and extends the effects. The phrase if you feel like this clearly refers back to the earlier description in P, Q and S. It adds that you will not feel in control and that negativity may dominate your life, which is a culmination of the previous points.
Step 5: The resulting order is P Q S R, corresponding to option PQSR.
Verification / Alternative check:
Reading PQSR as one paragraph shows a natural flow: first the definition of low self esteem, then the specific behaviour of trusting negative comments, then the lowering of confidence, and finally the broader emotional consequence of losing control to negativity. No pronoun or phrase is left without an appropriate reference. Other arrangements either place R too early so that if you feel like this does not clearly point back, or start with sentences that already assume knowledge of low self esteem, which makes the paragraph less coherent.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option PRSQ puts R directly after P, skipping over the more detailed consequences in Q and S, so the phrase if you feel like this does not fully incorporate the later points about confidence. Option RSQP begins with R, which mentions feeling like this without any prior explanation, so the reader is not yet told what this refers to. Option QPSR starts with Q, which assumes the reader already knows about low self esteem, making the introduction weak. Therefore these sequences do not provide as smooth or logical a progression as PQSR.
Common Pitfalls:
Students often choose sequences that simply sound good locally, such as pairing two similar sentences, instead of checking the whole paragraph structure. Another common error is to overlook referential phrases like this or such a state, which always need a clear antecedent. To avoid such mistakes, first identify the sentence that best defines the main term, then arrange the remaining sentences in a chain of consequences or explanations, ensuring that reference words and logical connectors have proper targets.
Final Answer:
The most logical sequence is PQSR, so the correct answer is option PQSR.
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