Rearrange the parts of the sentence in the correct order to form a meaningful statement: “A saint or a satyagrahi P–freezing her acts of goodness Q–is often put on a pedestal R–in time”. Choose the correct sequence of the parts.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: QPR

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests your ability to reorder jumbled sentence fragments so that they form a logical and grammatically correct statement. Sentence reordering questions are common in English sections because they check your understanding of sentence structure, subject–verb agreement, and the logical flow of ideas. Here, the sentence is about how a saint or a satyagrahi is treated by society over time.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The fixed beginning is “A saint or a satyagrahi”.
  • There are three parts to arrange: P–“freezing her acts of goodness”, Q–“is often put on a pedestal”, R–“in time”.
  • The final sentence must be grammatically correct and meaningful.


Concept / Approach:
First, identify the main clause and the subject–verb pair. The subject is “A saint or a satyagrahi”. The natural verb phrase that follows this subject is “is often put on a pedestal”. This means that part Q logically comes first after the subject. Next, we consider how the remaining phrases “freezing her acts of goodness” and “in time” fit with this main clause. The idea is that placing someone on a pedestal freezes her acts of goodness in time, so the phrase “freezing her acts of goodness in time” should come together, with “in time” completing the participial phrase.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Begin with the subject “A saint or a satyagrahi”. Look for the main verb phrase that agrees with this subject. Step 2: Part Q contains the verb “is often put on a pedestal”, which directly describes what happens to the saint or satyagrahi. So Q should follow the subject. Step 3: After stating that she is put on a pedestal, we need to describe the effect: “freezing her acts of goodness in time”. Step 4: Part P, “freezing her acts of goodness”, is a participial phrase that explains the result of putting her on a pedestal. Step 5: Part R, “in time”, completes the phrase in a natural way, giving “freezing her acts of goodness in time”. Step 6: Therefore, the correct sequence after the subject is Q–P–R, giving the full sentence: “A saint or a satyagrahi is often put on a pedestal, freezing her acts of goodness in time.”


Verification / Alternative check:
Read the constructed sentence as a whole: “A saint or a satyagrahi is often put on a pedestal, freezing her acts of goodness in time.” It is grammatically sound, uses correct subject–verb agreement, and communicates a clear idea that elevating such a person can fix her reputation at a particular moment in history. Other sequences either break the grammatical flow or create an awkward and incomplete structure.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • PQR: “A saint or a satyagrahi freezing her acts of goodness is often put on a pedestal in time” is confusing and distorts the intended meaning.
  • PRQ: “A saint or a satyagrahi freezing her acts of goodness in time is often put on a pedestal” again creates an unnatural structure where the participial phrase wrongly attaches to the subject.
  • RQP: “A saint or a satyagrahi in time is often put on a pedestal freezing her acts of goodness” places “in time” in an awkward position and breaks the natural phrase “freezing her acts of goodness in time”.


Common Pitfalls:
Many students focus only on grammar and ignore the logical flow of meaning. Others try to attach participial phrases directly to the subject, which can create unintended meanings. A good strategy is to first anchor the main subject and verb, and then see which remaining parts naturally form meaningful modifiers or results, as we did with “freezing her acts of goodness in time”.


Final Answer:
The correct sequence of parts is QPR, giving “A saint or a satyagrahi is often put on a pedestal, freezing her acts of goodness in time.”

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