Each of the following items consists of parts of a sentence labelled P, Q, R and S. Select the sequence that arranges the parts correctly. P: lay outside her existing life; Q: she knew that the answer; R: somewhere in the back of her mind; S: to her questions about life
- (a)R P Q S
- (b)Q S P R
- (c)Q P S R
- (d)R Q S P
Correct — D, R Q S P. Read in order, the parts form 'Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that the answer to her questions about life lay outside her existing life.' R is the adverbial opener, Q introduces the clause and its subject ('the answer'), S is the prepositional phrase modifying 'the answer', and P is the verb phrase ('lay outside her existing life') that completes the thought.
- (a)R P Q S — Placing P ('lay outside her existing life') right after the opener leaves the verb with no subject, since the subject 'the answer' only arrives in Q.
- (c)Q P S R — Putting the verb P before its modifier S splits 'the answer ... lay', and ending on the opener R ('somewhere in the back of her mind') strands the scene-setting phrase at the wrong end.
A jumbled-sentence item where an adverbial phrase sets the scene, the subject-clause follows, its modifier stays attached to the subject, and the verb phrase closes the sentence.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Arrange: P: stood a small cottage; Q: at the edge of the forest; R: with a red roof; S: near the quiet stream
- (a)Q P R S
- (b)P Q R S
- (c)R P Q S
- (d)S Q P R
Answer(a) Q P R S — 'At the edge of the forest stood a small cottage with a red roof near the quiet stream.'
- practice — not a real PYQ
Arrange: P: waited for the results; Q: with growing anxiety; R: the young candidates; S: outside the examination hall
- (a)Q R P S
- (b)R P S Q
- (c)R S P Q
- (d)S R Q P
Answer(b) R P S Q — 'The young candidates waited for the results outside the examination hall with growing anxiety.'