Rearrange the parts of the sentence, labelled P, Q, and R, to form a coherent sentence. They have now P: by a paternalistic state Q: of goods mandated R: been turned into consumers

Introduction / Context:
This sentence arrangement question is about reconstructing a statement that criticises how people have been shaped by government or authority. The sentence describes how they have now been turned into consumers of goods mandated by a paternalistic state. To obtain the correct order, we need to respect both grammar and logical meaning.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The stem and fragments are as follows.

Stem: They have now
P: by a paternalistic state
Q: of goods mandated
R: been turned into consumers
The final sentence should be smooth and logically coherent.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase been turned into consumers serves as the core predicate and naturally follows have now, so R is a strong candidate to come first among the fragments. After been turned into consumers, we need to say what kind of consumers they have become. The phrase of goods mandated describes this, giving been turned into consumers of goods mandated. Finally, we add the agent who has done the turning, by a paternalistic state, which fits at the end of the sentence. Thus, the logical order of fragments is R, Q, and then P.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Reading the complete sentence aloud confirms that it is grammatically correct and clearly communicates a critical viewpoint: They have now been turned into consumers of goods mandated by a paternalistic state. The structure follows a familiar passive pattern, where have now been turned into consumers is the main clause and by a paternalistic state identifies the agent. Trying different orders, such as QRP or QPR, leads to awkward sentences like They have now of goods mandated been turned into consumers, which are clearly wrong.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option QRP places of goods mandated immediately after They have now, giving They have now of goods mandated, which is ungrammatical because have now needs a past participle. Option QPR and PRQ suffer from similar issues, breaking the passive verb phrase and leaving have now without a proper complement. Option RPQ gives They have now been turned into consumers by a paternalistic state of goods mandated, which misplaces the of phrase and distorts the meaning. Only RQP yields a natural and logical sentence.

Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is to focus on the meaning of individual fragments like paternalistic state and try to place that early in the sentence without checking whether the verb phrase is complete. Another pitfall is to overlook the passive structure have now been turned, which should be kept intact before adding descriptions. In sentence ordering questions, it helps to secure the core grammatical skeleton first, then attach prepositional phrases and modifiers in positions that answer questions like of what or by whom.

Final Answer:
The correct order is RQP, giving the sentence They have now been turned into consumers of goods mandated by a paternalistic state.