Rearrange the parts P, Q and R to form a single coherent English sentence: "There was a second part ...", using P: "are ambivalent about", Q: "many people", and R: "of her decision which".

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: RQP

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Sentence rearrangement questions test a learner ability to recognize correct English word order and logical flow. In this item, the opening fragment "There was a second part" is already given, and the candidate must place three segments labelled P, Q, and R in the right sequence to form a meaningful continuation. Such questions mirror real life reading, where we often need to reconstruct implied structure in complex sentences found in editorials or essays about decisions and public reactions.


Given Data / Assumptions:
- The fixed initial fragment is "There was a second part". - Three parts must be arranged: P "are ambivalent about", Q "many people", and R "of her decision which". - The goal is to create a grammatically correct and logically clear sentence. - Only one arrangement expresses the idea naturally in standard English.


Concept / Approach:
The main idea of the sentence is that there was a second part of her decision, and many people are ambivalent about that part. A natural English sentence would therefore be "There was a second part of her decision which many people are ambivalent about." To reach this structure, we need to place the prepositional phrase that links "second part" with "her decision", then introduce "many people" as the subject of the verb phrase "are ambivalent about". In complex rearrangement questions, identifying the subject verb relationship is crucial to solving the order correctly.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: The base clause starts as "There was a second part ...". We need to immediately tell the reader "of her decision", so the part that logically follows is R: "of her decision which". Step 2: Now the sentence reads "There was a second part of her decision which ...". Next we must introduce the people who feel uncertain about this part. Q, "many people", clearly provides the subject of the upcoming verb phrase. Step 3: After adding Q, the sentence becomes "There was a second part of her decision which many people ...". We still need a verb phrase to state how they feel. P, "are ambivalent about", completes the thought. Step 4: The full sentence now reads "There was a second part of her decision which many people are ambivalent about." Despite the slightly formal style, this is grammatically acceptable and logically coherent. Step 5: Therefore, the correct order of the parts is R Q P, which corresponds to option d.


Verification / Alternative check:
As a verification step, try constructing sentences using the other suggested orders. For example, Q R P would give "There was a second part many people of her decision which are ambivalent about." This structure clearly breaks the natural link between "second part" and "of her decision", and the subject "many people" appears in an awkward position. Similarly, P R Q or Q P R fail to produce a clear subject verb structure. Only R Q P maintains the correct flow from the second part, to the decision, to the people, and finally to their attitude of ambivalence.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a QRP leads to "many people of her decision which are ambivalent about", where "many people of her decision" is not a natural English phrase. Option b QPR creates "many people are ambivalent about of her decision which", which misplaces the preposition "of" and results in an ungrammatical string. Option c PRQ produces "are ambivalent about of her decision which many people", a fragment without a clear subject at the correct position and a confused prepositional phrase.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners often rush through rearrangement questions, focusing on one pair of parts they think fits and ignoring the full sentence. Another common mistake is not paying attention to where prepositions such as "of" belong, which leads to unnatural phrases like "many people of her decision". Successful candidates read the prospective sentence aloud in their mind and check for a smooth subject verb object flow, particularly around relative clauses beginning with "which" or "that".


Final Answer:
The correct sequence of parts is R Q P, so the correct option is RQP.

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