They (P) should implant (Q) in the minds of young children (R) sound principles (S) The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q R S
- (b)P Q S R
- (c)R P Q S
- (d)P R Q S
Correct — B, P Q S R. In this section each label stands immediately after the part it names. So (P) is 'They', (Q) is 'should implant', (S) is 'sound principles' and (R) is 'in the minds of young children'. Reading P Q S R gives 'They should implant sound principles in the minds of young children', which keeps the short direct object next to its verb and lets the long place phrase close the sentence.
- (a)P Q R S — This drops the long place phrase between the verb and its short object, delaying 'sound principles' for no reason and leaving the sentence heavy in the middle.
- (c)R P Q S — Fronting the place phrase is an emphatic literary inversion rather than the plain order the item asks for, and it separates the phrase from the verb it modifies.
- (d)P R Q S — Nothing can be wedged between the subject 'They' and the verb 'should implant', so this sequence breaks the sentence at its core.
A word-order item on the neutral verb, object and place sequence when the place phrase is long.
Two of the wrong sequences can be forced into readable English by a writer chasing emphasis, so the test is not grammar alone but which order is the unmarked one. English keeps a short object beside its verb and saves the longer phrase for the end.
- Accepting the first sequence that can be read aloud, instead of the most natural one.
Asked as an ordering item where more than one sequence is readable and the plain order is the key.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Arrange the parts. They (P) should teach (Q) to the new recruits (R) basic discipline (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q R S
- (b)P Q S R
- (c)R P Q S
- (d)P R Q S
Answer(b) P Q S R — 'They should teach basic discipline to the new recruits.'
- practice — not a real PYQ
Arrange the parts. The gardener (P) planted (Q) along the wall (R) two rose bushes (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q S R
- (b)P Q R S
- (c)P R Q S
- (d)Q P R S
Answer(a) P Q S R — 'The gardener planted two rose bushes along the wall.'