Ordering of Sentences in a Passage
~12 min read
- What: Ordering of Sentences in a Passage gives 4–5 sentences in jumbled order. The first and sometimes the last sentence are usually fixed; the rest (labelled P, Q, R, S) must be rearranged to form a coherent paragraph.
- Why it matters: NDA carries this block in many papers; it tests paragraph logic — the same skill that decides your accuracy in Reading Comprehension.
- Key habit: Don't rearrange the four parts independently. Find the opener first, then walk through linker cues — pronouns ("this", "it", "they"), discourse markers, and definite articles. Each one tells you what must precede.
Ordering of Sentences is the paragraph-level cousin of Ordering of Words. The technique is the same — find anchors, follow modifier rules, confirm by reading. Only the unit changes: instead of phrases inside one sentence, it is whole sentences inside one paragraph.
NDA's version typically frames the question with two fixed bookend sentences (the first labelled S1, the last S6 or similar) and four jumbled sentences in the middle labelled P, Q, R, S. The task: find the order P, Q, R, S that fits between the bookends.
This page is built around the Opener-Linker-Closer method. Pair it with Discourse Markers (the linkers) and Reading Passages (the comprehension skill underneath).
What This Topic Covers
NDA Ordering of Sentences — Question Format
- Item type: Either (a) six sentences with S1 and S6 fixed and P, Q, R, S in between to be rearranged, OR (b) four sentences P, Q, R, S to be fully rearranged.
- Options: Four sequences such as PQRS, QPRS, SPRQ, RQSP.
- Number: 3–5 items per paper.
- Difficulty: Mostly medium. Hard items have one "trap" pair — two sentences that could connect either way, decided only by a careful reading of subtle cues.
The Opener-Linker-Closer Method
- Identify the opener. The opener introduces the topic. It usually contains a noun phrase introduced for the first time (no preceding "the", "this", "it", "they"). If S1 is fixed, the topic is already set; the next sentence must follow on from S1's last idea.
- Walk the linker chain. Each subsequent sentence must connect back to a previous one. Look for: pronoun reference ("this idea", "such a system", "they"), definite articles ("the problem" referring back), discourse markers ("however", "for instance", "moreover"), and continuation of the same subject.
- Identify the closer. A closer often contains a summary marker ("in short", "thus"), a concluding emphasis ("indeed", "ultimately"), or wraps up with a wider implication.
- Confirm by reading the candidate paragraph. Plug the sequence in and read all six sentences aloud. If any transition jars, re-check.
Six Cues That Lock the Order
Cue 1 — Pronoun Reference
A sentence beginning with this, that, these, those, it, they, he, she — almost always — cannot be the opener. The pronoun's antecedent must be in a previous sentence.
Example: "This shift in tactics ..." → some previous sentence must have introduced a tactical shift.
Cue 2 — Definite Article
"The committee", "the proposal", "the problem" — the definite article suggests the noun has already been introduced. So the sentence belongs after one that introduced the committee / proposal / problem.
Cue 3 — Discourse Marker
A sentence beginning with however, therefore, hence, moreover, for instance, in addition never opens a paragraph (in NDA jumbles). It must follow a sentence whose content the marker connects to. See Discourse Markers for the full category map.
Cue 4 — Time Sequence
"First, ..." then "Then, ..." then "Finally, ...". Time/sequence markers fix order. The same applies to historical narratives — events with dates lock into chronological order.
Cue 5 — Cause-Effect Pairing
A sentence presenting a cause must precede the sentence presenting the effect. "The roads were flooded. The school was closed." — never reversed.
Cue 6 — Specific-After-General
A sentence stating a general claim usually precedes a sentence giving a specific example or instance. "Many idioms use animals. For instance, 'a dark horse' refers to ..." — general first, specific second.
Worked Examples
Worked Example 1 — Pronoun + Example Pattern
S1: The English language has absorbed words from dozens of source languages.
P: They have transformed English into the largest vocabulary among modern languages.
Q: Words like "bungalow" and "veranda" came from India.
R: "Tornado" came from Spanish, "kindergarten" from German.
S: Such borrowings continue even today, especially from technology terms.
S6: The flexibility of the language gives it global reach.
Options: (a) QRPS (b) QRSP (c) RQSP (d) PQRS
Reasoning:
S1 sets up "dozens of source languages". P begins with "They" — refers to the borrowed words. Need P closer to a sentence with explicit examples. Q ("bungalow, veranda") gives Indian examples. R ("tornado, kindergarten") gives Spanish/German examples — extends the example list.
Q before R (or R before Q — either reads naturally). After examples (Q + R), P generalises ("They have transformed English..."). S adds another related point ("borrowings continue..."). S6 concludes.
Answer: (a) QRPS — Q and R supply examples, then P generalises from them, then S extends to the present.
Worked Example 2 — Cause-Effect Chain
S1: The earthquake struck the village in the early morning.
P: The disaster has affected over 2,000 families.
Q: Aid agencies have set up relief camps in three locations.
R: Houses collapsed within seconds.
S: Many residents are still without shelter or clean water.
S6: Recovery is expected to take several months.
Options: (a) RPSQ (b) RPQS (c) PRQS (d) RPSQ (same as a)
Reasoning:
Cause-effect chain: earthquake → houses collapsed (R) → families affected (P) → residents without shelter (S) → aid agencies respond (Q) → recovery in months (S6).
Answer: (a) RPSQ.
Worked Example 3 — Discourse Marker Test
S1: Many candidates struggle with idioms because they cannot be derived from their words.
P: However, with regular exposure, idioms become familiar within two months.
Q: Idioms have meanings that have drifted from their parts.
R: "Kick the bucket" has nothing to do with kicking or buckets.
S: The figurative leap is what makes them so opaque to learners.
S6: A 200-idiom list is enough to cover most exam needs.
Options: (a) QRSP (b) QSRP (c) PQRS (d) RQSP
Reasoning:
S1 says learners struggle because idioms can't be derived. Q expands ("meanings have drifted from their parts" — same idea). R illustrates ("kick the bucket"). S generalises the illustration ("the figurative leap"). P is the discourse turn ("However ...") leading to S6's optimistic close.
Answer: (a) QRSP.
Worked Example 4 — Definite Article Cue
S1: The chairman called a special meeting last Tuesday.
P: The discussion lasted three hours.
Q: A new policy was to be debated.
R: The policy concerned office working hours.
S: Members were divided in their views.
S6: The chairman promised a follow-up meeting.
Options: (a) QRPS (b) QRSP (c) PQRS (d) RQSP
Reasoning:
Q introduces "a new policy" (indefinite article, new info). R refers to "the policy" (definite — implies prior mention) — so Q must come before R. P talks about the discussion lasting; S says members were divided.
Order: Q (new policy) → R (the policy concerned ...) → P (discussion lasted) or S (members divided) → S6 (follow-up meeting).
The natural order is Q-R-P-S: introduce policy → describe policy → describe discussion length → describe division. Or Q-R-S-P: introduce → describe → division → discussion length. Definite article and topic continuity favour QRPS.
Answer: (a) QRPS.
Three Traps NDA Exploits
- The two-sentences-could-go-either-way trap. Two sentences both link cleanly to a third sentence, but only one of the two link-orders matches all the bookend cues. Reading the full paragraph rules out the wrong order.
- The "topic-continuity broken" trap. A candidate sequence makes one transition fluently but breaks topic continuity elsewhere. Always check every transition, not just the obvious one.
- The "fixed-bookend-ignored" trap. The given S1 or S6 provides crucial context that the candidate ignores. Always read S1 and S6 first, then arrange P, Q, R, S to bridge them.
Preparation Strategy
3-Week Ordering of Sentences Plan
- Week 1: Learn the Opener-Linker-Closer method. Practise 5 items / day, focusing on pronoun and definite-article cues.
- Week 2: Add discourse-marker cues (revise Discourse Markers first). Practise cause-effect and general-specific patterns.
- Week 3: Mixed daily blocks of 5 items at exam pace (3 minutes per block). Track which cue type you miss most.
Drill Ordering of Sentences
NDA-pattern sentence-ordering items with cue-tagged explanations.
Start Free Mock TestFrequently Asked Questions
How many Ordering of Sentences items come in NDA?
3–5 items in most papers since 2015-II. The block appears in most NDA papers though sometimes folded into a broader sequencing block.
What is the single most reliable cue?
Pronoun reference. A sentence beginning with "This / That / These / Those / It / They" cannot be the opener; it must follow a sentence containing its antecedent. This rule alone often locks half the sequence.
Should I read the options first or the sentences first?
Sentences first. Figure out the order on your own, then match to options. Reading options first leads to confirmation bias.
What if two sequences both seem to make sense?
Read each candidate sequence as a full paragraph, including S1 and S6. The wrong sequence will jar at one transition; the right one will flow.
Which NDA English topics connect to Ordering of Sentences?
Ordering of Words (same logic at sentence level). Discourse Markers (the cue vocabulary). Reading Passages (the underlying paragraph-logic skill).