In this English sentence rearrangement question, choose the correct order of the parts P, Q, and R to complete the sentence: "The reference ________ ________ ________." where P: "is simultaneously a matter", Q: "to the size of a vulnerable community", and R: "of legal as well as political and ethical perspective".

Introduction / Context:

This question tests your ability to reorganise sentence fragments into a logically and grammatically correct sentence. Such questions are common in exams to assess understanding of sentence structure, connectors, and the logical flow of ideas. Here, the sentence concerns a "reference" that has both quantitative and legal-ethical dimensions, and you must order the parts P, Q, and R to produce a coherent statement.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Fixed beginning: "The reference".

- Part P: "is simultaneously a matter".

- Part Q: "to the size of a vulnerable community".

- Part R: "of legal as well as political and ethical perspective".

- Exactly one arrangement of Q, P, and R should form a natural and meaningful sentence about the nature of this reference.

Concept / Approach:

To solve rearrangement questions, we look for grammatical dependencies and logical progression. Prepositional phrases like "to the size of a vulnerable community" (Q) and "of legal as well as political and ethical perspective" (R) typically attach to a noun or verb phrase. The phrase "is simultaneously a matter" (P) is clearly a verb phrase that must come after the subject "The reference". Therefore, "The reference" should first be followed by a prepositional phrase that specifies what the reference is about, and then by P and an additional phrase that explains in what sense it is a matter. This approach helps us test all options systematically.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

The full sentence under the order QPR reads: "The reference to the size of a vulnerable community is simultaneously a matter of legal as well as political and ethical perspective." This is grammatically correct and logically meaningful: it states that such a reference is not only a numerical issue but also a matter involving law, politics, and ethics. Other orders fail this test. For example, PRQ gives "The reference is simultaneously a matter to the size of a vulnerable community of legal as well as political and ethical perspective", which is awkward and ungrammatical; the prepositions do not link properly. RPQ and QRP similarly disturb the natural flow of prepositional phrases and the main verb.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option RPQ leads to "The reference of legal as well as political and ethical perspective is simultaneously a matter to the size of a vulnerable community", which makes "reference of perspective" a strange collocation and misuses the preposition "to". Option QRP places "to the size of a vulnerable community of legal as well as political and ethical perspective" after "The reference", which incorrectly implies that the community itself is of legal perspective. Option PRQ makes the sentence grammatically tangled and semantically unclear. Hence, only QPR maintains correct preposition usage and clear meaning.

Common Pitfalls:

Students often attempt to solve such questions purely by intuition, without carefully checking prepositions and how they connect to nouns and verbs. Another common mistake is to assume that the part beginning with "of" must come immediately after "a matter", even if it breaks the earlier phrase unnaturally. The safe method is to build the sentence from the subject, check how each phrase logically attaches, and only then decide the order. Reading the sentence aloud can also highlight awkward or incorrect groupings.

Final Answer:

The correct arrangement of the parts is "QPR", giving the sentence "The reference to the size of a vulnerable community is simultaneously a matter of legal as well as political and ethical perspective."