Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: YXZ
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question again checks the ability to reorder sentence fragments into a coherent sentence. The main clause begins with “I hear the sound ...”, and the parts X, Y, and Z must be arranged so that the sentence describes hearing the sound of a blow while seeing a tool raised above someone's head. Understanding how prepositional phrases and object phrases attach to the main clause is essential.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Main clause fragment: “I hear the sound ...”
- X: “his tool raised”
- Y: “of the blow while I see”
- Z: “above his head”
- Normal English word order and collocations apply.
Concept / Approach:
The key idea is that “the sound of the blow” is a standard phrase, and “while I see his tool raised above his head” describes a simultaneous visual action. The prepositional phrase “of the blow” must follow “sound”, and “while I see” must introduce the clause that describes what is being seen. The expression “his tool raised above his head” must keep “raised above his head” together. Therefore, the logical arrangement is to first complete “the sound of the blow while I see”, then continue with “his tool raised above his head”.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core structure after the subject and verb. We start from “I hear the sound ...”. The natural completion is “of the blow”. This phrase appears at the start of Y.
Step 2: Note that Y reads “of the blow while I see”. This fits nicely after “sound”, giving “I hear the sound of the blow while I see ...”.
Step 3: The remaining action describes what is seen: “his tool raised above his head”. This is best formed by placing X before Z, that is, “his tool raised” followed by “above his head”.
Step 4: Combining these observations, the sequence after the initial clause should be Y X Z.
Step 5: Insert YXZ after the main clause to get the full sentence: “I hear the sound of the blow while I see his tool raised above his head.”
Step 6: Confirm that every part now fits grammatically and logically, with no dangling phrases or unnatural breaks.
Verification / Alternative check:
Quickly test other orders. XZY would give “I hear the sound his tool raised above his head of the blow while I see”, which is clearly disordered. XYZ becomes “I hear the sound his tool raised of the blow while I see above his head”, which breaks logical groupings. ZYX starts “above his head” directly after “sound”, which does not make sense. ZXY puts “above his head” before “his tool raised”, also breaking the natural sequence. Only YXZ produces a smooth, idiomatic sentence that matches everyday English usage.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
XZY: Places “his tool raised” directly after “sound”, leaving “of the blow” awkwardly at the end.
XYZ: Interrupts the phrase “of the blow” with the noun phrase “his tool raised”.
ZYX: Begins the continuation with “above his head”, which lacks a clear subject or context.
ZXY: Separates “raised” and “above his head”, which should be kept together as one idea.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake in jumbled sentence questions is to rely on random guessing instead of consciously identifying standard English combinations like “sound of the blow” or “raised above his head”. Students sometimes ignore the function of conjunctions such as “while”, which signal the start of a subordinate clause. Paying attention to such clues and grouping words that naturally go together makes the arrangement process much easier and more reliable.
Final Answer:
The correct and most logical order of the parts is YXZ, giving the sentence “I hear the sound of the blow while I see his tool raised above his head.”
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