Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: SQPR
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Parajumble questions test the ability to understand the logical flow of ideas and connect sentences into a meaningful paragraph. In this item, four sentences labelled S, Q, P and R discuss rural life, village artisans, and employment for peasants and educated villagers. We must arrange them so that the paragraph develops smoothly from introduction to conclusion.
Given Data / Assumptions:
The labelled sentences are:
- S: Having discussed the problems and requirements of rural life.
- Q: Let us consider the village artisans.
- P: If all the requirements of the villages are satisfied there by itself, then the peasants will usefully utilize their spare time.
- R: This will also provide employment to all the educated people of the villages.
We assume that S, Q, P and R together must form a coherent paragraph that continues an earlier discussion about rural development.
Concept / Approach:
The usual approach for sentence ordering questions is to first identify the sentence that can logically begin the paragraph (typically a broad or introductory statement). Then we look for markers such as “this”, “therefore”, or pronouns that refer back to earlier ideas. We also track the gradual progression of ideas: from problems, to focus area, to proposal, to consequences. Sentences that refer to “this” or “this will” must follow something specified earlier.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Sentence S begins with “Having discussed the problems and requirements of rural life”, which clearly sounds like a transition from earlier discussion. It signals that the writer is now moving on to a new but related topic. S is a natural opening sentence for this paragraph.
Step 2: After S, the writer must specify what will be considered next. Sentence Q says, “Let us consider the village artisans.” This fits immediately after S, because it narrows the focus from rural life in general to village artisans in particular.
Step 3: Once village artisans are introduced, we expect a statement about how satisfying village requirements locally will affect peasants. Sentence P states that if village requirements are met within the village itself, peasants can use their spare time productively. This continues the argument about rural self-sufficiency and employment.
Step 4: Sentence R begins with “This will also provide employment…”, clearly referring back to the arrangement mentioned in P. The word “This” sums up the plan of satisfying village needs locally through artisans and then connects it to greater employment for educated villagers.
Step 5: Therefore, the correct order is S – Q – P – R, which corresponds to option SQPR.
Verification / Alternative check:
Try placing any other sentence first. Starting with Q or P feels abrupt, because there is no prior reference to “the problems and requirements of rural life”. Putting R before P also fails, because “This” would have no clear antecedent. Only the order S Q P R provides a smooth movement: from discussion of rural issues, to village artisans, to satisfying village needs locally, to resulting employment opportunities.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- PRQS and QRPS: both start with P or Q and do not provide the natural transitional phrase of S; the paragraph feels incomplete and logically weak.
- PSQR: putting P first introduces “the requirements of the villages” without stating that rural problems have already been discussed, so it seems disconnected.
- SPQR (option e) would place R directly after P but still misses the explicit introduction of artisans at the right position.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to focus only on vague thematic similarity and ignore linking words such as “Having discussed” and “This”. Careful attention to such connectors and pronouns is critical. They act like signposts that show which sentence should follow another. Always look for references like “this” or “these” and check which earlier sentence they clearly refer to before finalizing the order.
Final Answer:
The most logical and coherent order of the sentences is SQPR (S → Q → P → R).
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