Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: PRQ
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests your ability to rearrange sentence parts into a grammatically correct and meaningful order. The sentence compares urban and rural health conditions in developing countries. You are given three fragments labelled P, Q and R and must decide which order produces a smooth, logical sentence when they follow the opening phrase In developing countries today.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
We need to form a comparative sentence using better than. In English, the comparative pattern is subject plus verb plus comparative adjective plus than plus comparison. Here, urban health conditions is the subject, seem to be better is the verb phrase plus comparative adjective, and than rural health conditions is the comparison phrase. So the logical order after the introductory phrase is P (subject), R (verb plus better) and Q (than phrase). That gives: urban health conditions seem to be better than rural health conditions.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Combine the beginning with each fragment mentally: In developing countries today urban health conditions, which suggests P should come first because it continues the subject.Step 2: Decide what must follow the subject. We need a verb phrase, and R begins with seem to be better, which functions as the predicate.Step 3: Place R after P to get: In developing countries today urban health conditions seem to be better.Step 4: Recognise that better is a comparative and therefore needs a than phrase to complete the comparison.Step 5: Add Q at the end: than rural health conditions, giving the full sentence: In developing countries today urban health conditions seem to be better than rural health conditions.Step 6: Match this order with the option codes and select PRQ.
Verification / Alternative check:
Check the other permutations quickly. PQR would produce In developing countries today urban health conditions than rural health conditions seem to be better, which is ungrammatical because the than clause appears before the verb. QRP would start with than rural health conditions, which cannot follow directly after the introductory phrase. RPQ would give seem to be better urban health conditions than rural health conditions after the opening, which also breaks normal subject verb order. Only PRQ preserves proper subject, verb, complement and comparison sequence.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B (PQR): Inserts the comparison than rural health conditions immediately after the subject but before the verb, which is not correct in English. Option C (QRP): Starts the main clause with a than phrase, leaving no subject at the expected place after the introductory phrase. Option D (RPQ): Begins with seem to be better, which is a verb phrase without a subject, creating a sentence fragment and misplacing the subject afterwards.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners focus only on the comparative word than and may try to put that fragment immediately after better without considering the need for a complete subject and verb structure first. Others might be tempted by patterns that sound partially right when spoken quickly but actually violate basic word order rules. A reliable strategy for jumble questions is to identify the subject, then the main verb, and then supporting phrases like comparatives or adverbials. Once you recognise that urban health conditions is the subject and seem to be better is the predicate, the position of than rural health conditions naturally falls at the end.
Final Answer:
The correct order of the parts is PRQ, giving the sentence: In developing countries today urban health conditions seem to be better than rural health conditions.
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