Rearrange the given parts of the sentence to form a coherent and grammatically correct sentence: "It is a truth universally P-acknowledged that a single Q-man in possession of a good R-fortune must be in want of a wife." Select the correct order of the parts P, Q, and R.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: PQR

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This rearrangement question is based on the famous opening line of Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice". Such questions test your understanding of sentence structure, logical flow and the relationship between different parts of a sentence. You must place the jumbled parts P, Q and R in the correct order so that the overall sentence reads smoothly and meaningfully.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Fixed beginning: "It is a truth universally"
  • Part P: "acknowledged that a single"
  • Part Q: "man in possession of a good"
  • Part R: "fortune must be in want of a wife"
  • We must decide the correct order of P, Q, R after the fixed beginning.


Concept / Approach:
A grammatically correct English sentence must preserve proper phrase order and meaning. The phrase "It is a truth universally acknowledged" is complete in itself. After that, we expect a clause that explains what this truth is: "that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." To build this clause, the words "a single" must be followed by a noun ("man"), and that noun needs to be completed by a phrase describing him ("in possession of a good fortune"). The approach is to arrange the parts so that these natural grammatical links are preserved.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Start with the fixed segment: "It is a truth universally". This must be followed by a past participle to complete the phrase "universally acknowledged". Step 2: Notice that part P begins with "acknowledged that a single". This fits perfectly: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single ...". Step 3: After "a single", we require a noun to specify what is single. Part Q starts with "man in possession of a good", which completes "a single man" and begins the description of him. Step 4: So far we have "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good ...". Step 5: Part R, "fortune must be in want of a wife", completes the noun phrase "a good fortune" and continues the clause: "must be in want of a wife". Step 6: Combining them in the order P → Q → R gives: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Step 7: Therefore, the correct sequence of parts is PQR, which corresponds to option (b).


Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by quickly checking the other sequences:

  • QRP: "It is a truth universally man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife acknowledged that a single" clearly breaks the structure and leaves phrases hanging.
  • RPQ: Starting the continuation with "fortune must be in want of a wife" after "truth universally" is grammatically impossible.
  • QPR: "It is a truth universally man in possession of a good acknowledged that a single fortune must be in want of a wife" also disrupts logical order and divides phrases incorrectly.
Thus, only PQR forms a well-known, grammatically correct sentence.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • QRP: Begins the continuation with "man", which must be introduced by "a single" first; also postpones "acknowledged" to the end and breaks the phrase "truth universally acknowledged".
  • RPQ: Starts with "fortune must be in want of a wife", which cannot directly follow "truth universally". It leaves "acknowledged" and "a single man" stranded later.
  • QPR: Separates "acknowledged" from "truth universally", producing an unnatural sequence that is neither grammatically correct nor meaningful.


Common Pitfalls:
Students may recognise the famous sentence but still get confused by the labels P, Q and R, especially under time pressure. Another common mistake is to focus only on meaning and ignore grammatical ties, such as the need for an adjective ("single") to be directly followed by the noun it qualifies ("man"). A systematic approach—first forming known fixed phrases, then ensuring that each word group logically leads into the next—helps avoid these errors.


Final Answer:
The correct order of the parts is PQR, giving: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

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