Coherent ordering of PQRS segments — Compose the narrative about sudden rain on the first of January, running for shelter to a neighbouring house where many people had gathered, by arranging parts for natural chronology.

Given data

• P: ‘‘to celebrate the new year’’
• Q: ‘‘we ran for shelter’’
• R: ‘‘to the neighbouring house’’
• S: ‘‘where many people had gathered’’

Concept/ApproachAfter setting the time cue (given in the stem), the action (running for shelter) should precede destination and relative clause details.

Step-by-step constructionQ: ‘‘we ran for shelter …’’R: ‘‘… to the neighbouring house …’’S: ‘‘… where many people had gathered …’’P: ‘‘… to celebrate the new year.’’ (purpose modifier attaches to ‘‘gathered’’)Full sentence: ‘‘When it began to rain suddenly on the first of January, we ran for shelter to the neighbouring house where many people had gathered to celebrate the new year.’’

Why other orders are wrongPlacing P earlier splits the noun clause modifying ‘‘house/people’’; QRSP keeps the relative clause contiguous.

Common pitfallsDo not detach ‘‘where many people had gathered’’ from its head; it must follow the destination phrase.

Final AnswerQRSP