Rearrange the parts of the sentence in correct order to form a meaningful statement: India is extremely short P of water, and there will be even less Q is taken out R of it as groundwater.

Introduction / Context:
This is a sentence rearrangement question in which you must order three labelled segments P, Q, and R after an introductory clause. The sentence discusses water scarcity in India and mentions groundwater extraction. Your task is to decide the correct sequence of these segments to create a grammatical and meaningful statement. Rearrangement questions like this one test your understanding of logical flow and clause structure in English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The fixed starting phrase is: India is extremely short.
• Segment P is: of water, and there will be even less.
• Segment Q is: is taken out.
• Segment R is: of it as groundwater.
• We must place P, Q, and R in the correct order to complete the sentence.
• The intended meaning is that India has little water and even less will remain as more is taken out as groundwater.

Concept / Approach:
To solve rearrangement problems, you should first try to form a complete phrase with the introductory part and one of the segments. Here, after India is extremely short, the natural continuation is of water. That suggests that P should follow first. Then the phrase and there will be even less indicates a second clause, which must be followed by an explanation of why there will be less water. Groundwater extraction is that reason. We must connect the remaining segments so that is taken out precedes the prepositional phrase of it as groundwater in a grammatically correct way.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Attach segment P to the introductory clause. India is extremely short of water, and there will be even less is a grammatically acceptable and meaningful continuation. Step 2: After and there will be even less, we expect a phrase explaining less of what and under what condition. The phrase of it as groundwater is a natural completion, referring back to the water mentioned earlier. Step 3: Segment R, of it as groundwater, clearly refers back to water and must follow the phrase even less to specify that the quantity of water in the form of groundwater will decline. Step 4: Segment Q, is taken out, describes the action causing this reduction. Grammatically, is taken out should follow the phrase of it as groundwater. Step 5: Putting the segments in the order P R Q after the introduction, we get: India is extremely short of water, and there will be even less of it as groundwater is taken out. Although this sentence might sound slightly formal, it is grammatically correct and clearly expresses the intended idea. Step 6: Other orders, such as QRP or RPQ, result in fragments like is taken out of it as groundwater or of it as groundwater is taken out being placed awkwardly without the correct lead in phrase, making the full sentence less clear or ungrammatical. Step 7: Therefore, the correct sequence is P R Q, so PRQ is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative Check:
Read the complete sentence with the chosen order: India is extremely short of water, and there will be even less of it as groundwater is taken out. This sentence maintains logical coherence, linking India's water scarcity to the continued extraction of groundwater. The phrase of water closely follows short, as is standard in English, and the clause there will be even less of it as groundwater is taken out correctly explains the consequence. Trying sequences such as QRP produces India is extremely short is taken out of it as groundwater of water, which is clearly incorrect. This confirms that PRQ is the only viable sequence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, RPQ, would place of it as groundwater immediately after the introduction, breaking the natural connection between short and of water.
Option b, QRP, starts with is taken out after the introduction, leading to an incomplete structure and leaving of water, and there will be even less stranded incorrectly.
Option d, QPR, also misplaces is taken out and fails to attach of water directly to short, creating an awkward and grammatically faulty sentence.

Common Pitfalls:
One common pitfall is to focus only on the meaning of phrases such as is taken out and of it as groundwater without checking how they connect to the earlier clause. Another mistake is ignoring prepositional phrases that naturally attach to specific adjectives or verbs. In this case, short of water is a standard collocation that should not be broken. Always look for natural pairs like short of, full of, or afraid of when deciding how to order segments.

Final Answer:
The order that produces a clear and grammatically correct sentence is PRQ, so option c is correct.