Rearrange the parts of the sentence, labelled X, Y, and Z, to form a coherent sentence. They had seen enough of the X: them to come a step farther Y: desert already, and no number Z: of knives would have tempted

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: YZX

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the sentence arrangement type, where parts of a single sentence are labelled and jumbled. The task is to restore the logical and grammatically correct order. Here, the context is descriptive, describing people who have already experienced a harsh desert and will not be tempted to go further, no matter what is offered. Such questions check understanding of sentence flow, placement of clauses, and natural English rhythm.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The base sentence begins with They had seen enough of the and then the three labelled parts must be joined.


    X: them to come a step farther
    Y: desert already, and no number
    Z: of knives would have tempted
    The final sentence must be grammatically correct and meaningful.


Concept / Approach:
We first think about what logically follows the phrase They had seen enough of the. The word desert fits right after of the, and Y contains desert already, and no number, so Y is the best first choice among the segments. After Y, the phrase of knives would have tempted from Z connects smoothly to no number, because we commonly say no number of something would have tempted. That gives us YZ as a continuous stretch. Finally, X completes the idea, because tempted them to come a step farther is a natural continuation. So the coherent order of the labelled parts is Y, then Z, then X.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Attach each fragment mentally to the stem They had seen enough of the and test which sounds natural. Step 2: Notice that Y begins with desert already, and no number, which fits perfectly after of the, giving They had seen enough of the desert already, and no number. Step 3: Add Z next, forming no number of knives would have tempted, which is a correct and familiar phrase in English. Step 4: Add X at the end, producing would have tempted them to come a step farther, and verify that the full sentence now reads smoothly.


Verification / Alternative check:
The complete reconstructed sentence is They had seen enough of the desert already, and no number of knives would have tempted them to come a step farther. This sentence is grammatically correct and logically clear. If we try any other order, for example XZY or XYZ, we obtain unnatural or broken combinations such as They had seen enough of the them to come a step farther desert already or They had seen enough of the desert already, and no number them to come a step farther, which show obvious errors in meaning and structure. Therefore, YZX is the only order that works.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option YXZ yields They had seen enough of the desert already, and no number them to come a step farther of knives would have tempted, which is ungrammatical. Option XZY starts with them right after the, which breaks the phrase and leaves desert out of place. Option XYZ produces They had seen enough of the them to come a step farther desert already, and no number of knives would have tempted, which again is not standard English. Option ZXY puts of knives first after the, giving They had seen enough of the of knives would have tempted, which clearly fails both grammatically and logically.


Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to focus only on the meanings of individual fragments and ignore fixed patterns like no number of something would have tempted them. Another pitfall is to look at the labels in alphabetical order instead of testing actual sentence flow. In sentence arrangement questions, always start by identifying obvious collocations and fixed phrases, then build outwards from them. This approach generally leads to the correct ordering more reliably than random trial and error.


Final Answer:
The most logical order of the parts is YZX, giving the sentence They had seen enough of the desert already, and no number of knives would have tempted them to come a step farther.

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