Ordering of Words (PQRS)
In this section, a sentence is broken down into four parts labeled P, Q, R, and S. These parts are jumbled, and you must rearrange them into a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence by choosing the correct sequence from the options provided. This is a very high-scoring section if you master basic grammar rules and logical sentence structuring.
Core Concept: Every English sentence generally follows a strict structure:
Subject + Verb + Object + Compliment/Modifier (Time, Place, Manner).
Subject + Verb + Object + Compliment/Modifier (Time, Place, Manner).
Key Strategies to Solve PQRS
- Find the Subject First: Almost every sentence starts with a Noun, Pronoun, or a Gerund (V1+ing). Look for the part that introduces the 'doer' of the action or the main focus of the sentence.
- The Subject-Verb Link: Once you locate the subject (e.g., in part Q), immediately find the verb that agrees with it (e.g., in part S). This instantly gives you a mandatory pair (QS). Look for 'QS' in the options to eliminate wrong choices.
- Connecting Conjunctions: Words like and, but, because, although, yet, therefore, however act as strong bridges between two clauses. A part ending with 'and' must connect to a part starting with a similar grammatical structure (parallelism).
- Prepositions & Articles: A part ending with an article (a, an, the) must be followed by a noun. A part ending in a preposition (in, on, at, for) must be followed by its object (noun/pronoun).
Example: "He went to (P) / the market (Q)" -> P links exactly to Q. - Relative Pronouns: Words like who, which, that, whom, whose must generally be placed immediately after the noun they refer to (their antecedent).
Example: "The boy (R) / who is wearing a red shirt (P)" -> RP is a pair.
Understanding Through Examples
Example 1:
P: to protect the environment
Q: the government took
R: strict measures
S: from pollution
Options: (a) Q R P S (b) Q R S P (c) P R Q S (d) S P R Q
Analysis:
1. Who is taking the action? 'the government'. So, Q sounds like the perfect starting subject.
2. Look for the verb. "The government took..." What did they take? "strict measures". So, Q links to R. (Pair QR).
3. Why did they take measures? "to protect the environment". So, R links to P. (Pair QRP).
4. Protect from what? "from pollution". So, P links to S.
Correct Sequence: Q R P S -> "The government took strict measures to protect the environment from pollution." (Option A)
1. Who is taking the action? 'the government'. So, Q sounds like the perfect starting subject.
2. Look for the verb. "The government took..." What did they take? "strict measures". So, Q links to R. (Pair QR).
3. Why did they take measures? "to protect the environment". So, R links to P. (Pair QRP).
4. Protect from what? "from pollution". So, P links to S.
Correct Sequence: Q R P S -> "The government took strict measures to protect the environment from pollution." (Option A)
Example 2:
P: a great leader
Q: who always fought
R: for the poor
S: Mahatma Gandhi was
Options: (a) S P Q R (b) S Q P R (c) P S Q R (d) Q R S P
Analysis:
1. The sentence must begin with a proper noun/subject. 'Mahatma Gandhi' (S).
2. 'was' needs a compliment. Who was he? 'a great leader' (P). Pair SP.
3. The relative pronoun 'who' (Q) must come immediately after the noun it describes ('leader'). So, P connects to Q. Pair SPQ.
4. Fought for whom? 'for the poor' (R).
Correct Sequence: S P Q R -> "Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader who always fought for the poor." (Option A)
1. The sentence must begin with a proper noun/subject. 'Mahatma Gandhi' (S).
2. 'was' needs a compliment. Who was he? 'a great leader' (P). Pair SP.
3. The relative pronoun 'who' (Q) must come immediately after the noun it describes ('leader'). So, P connects to Q. Pair SPQ.
4. Fought for whom? 'for the poor' (R).
Correct Sequence: S P Q R -> "Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader who always fought for the poor." (Option A)
Practice Questions: Ordering of Words
Directions: Each of the following items consists of a sentence, parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R, and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
Practice Set (20 Questions)
Q1.
P: to find out the truth
Q: the detective
R: began his meticulous investigation
S: early in the morning
Answer: (b) Q R S P
'The detective' (Q) is the subject. The verb phrase is 'began his meticulous investigation' (R). When? 'early in the morning' (S). Why? 'to find out the truth' (P). Sentence: The detective began his meticulous investigation early in the morning to find out the truth.
Q2.
P: the highest peak in the world
Q: Mount Everest
R: to climb
S: has always been a challenge
Answer: (c) R Q P S
'To climb' (R) acts as the gerund subject here. What to climb? 'Mount Everest' (Q). What is Everest? 'the highest peak in the world' (P). What about climbing it? 'has always been a challenge' (S). Sentence: To climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, has always been a challenge.
Q3.
P: will pay a heavy fine
Q: who violates
R: the traffic rules
S: anyone
Answer: (a) S Q R P
Sentence: Anyone (S) who violates (Q) the traffic rules (R) will pay a heavy fine (P).
Q4.
P: the mysterious illness
Q: could figure out
R: what was causing
S: none of the doctors
Answer: (a) S Q R P
Subject: 'None of the doctors' (S). Verb: 'could figure out' (Q). Object/Clause: 'what was causing' (R) + 'the mysterious illness' (P). Sentence: None of the doctors could figure out what was causing the mysterious illness.
Q5.
P: with a smile
Q: the host
R: welcomed the guests
S: who arrived late
Answer: (a) Q R S P
Subject: 'The host' (Q). Verb phrase: 'welcomed the guests' (R). Which guests? 'who arrived late' (S). How? 'with a smile' (P). Sentence: The host welcomed the guests who arrived late with a smile.
Q6.
P: of the new policy
Q: the implementation
R: positive results
S: has yielded
Answer: (a) Q P S R
Subject: 'The implementation' (Q). Implementation of what? 'of the new policy' (P). Verb phrase: 'has yielded' (S). What? 'positive results' (R). Sentence: The implementation of the new policy has yielded positive results.
Q7.
P: in the library
Q: found a rare book
R: yesterday
S: the diligent student
Answer: (a) S Q P R
Subject: 'The diligent student' (S). Verb phrase: 'found a rare book' (Q). Where? 'in the library' (P). When? 'yesterday' (R). Sentence: The diligent student found a rare book in the library yesterday.
Q8.
P: to pursue higher education
Q: many young people
R: leave their hometowns
S: in search of better opportunities
Answer: (b) Q R S P
Subject: 'many young people' (Q). Verb phrase: 'leave their hometowns' (R). Why? 'in search of better opportunities' (S). For what purpose? 'to pursue higher education' (P).
Q9.
P: to solve the problem
Q: was not sufficient
R: the information provided
S: by the client
Answer: (a) R S Q P
Subject: 'the information provided' (R). Provided by whom? 'by the client' (S). Verb phrase: 'was not sufficient' (Q). Sufficient for what? 'to solve the problem' (P). Sentence: The information provided by the client was not sufficient to solve the problem.
Q10.
P: when he heard
Q: the loud explosion
R: he was reading a book
S: in his study room
Answer: (a) R S P Q
Independent clause: 'He was reading a book' (R). Where? 'in his study room' (S). Dependent clause: 'when he heard' (P) + 'the loud explosion' (Q). Sentence: He was reading a book in his study room when he heard the loud explosion.
Q11.
P: who work hard
Q: achieve success
R: in life
S: those students
Answer: (a) S P Q R
Subject: 'Those students' (S). Relative clause identifying them: 'who work hard' (P). Verb phrase: 'achieve success' (Q). Where? 'in life' (R). Sentence: Those students who work hard achieve success in life.
Q12.
P: the building
Q: was completely destroyed
R: by the fierce fire
S: that broke out last night
Answer: (a) P Q R S
Subject: 'The building' (P). Verb phrase: 'was completely destroyed' (Q). By what? 'by the fierce fire' (R). Which fire? 'that broke out last night' (S). Sentence: The building was completely destroyed by the fierce fire that broke out last night.
Q13.
P: is a great way
Q: every morning
R: reading the newspaper
S: to stay informed
Answer: (a) R Q P S
Gerund subject: 'Reading the newspaper' (R). When? 'every morning' (Q). Verb phrase: 'is a great way' (P). Way to what? 'to stay informed' (S). Sentence: Reading the newspaper every morning is a great way to stay informed.
Q14.
P: on the table
Q: the red book
R: belongs to my sister
S: which is lying
Answer: (a) Q S P R
Subject: 'The red book' (Q). Relative clause: 'which is lying' (S) + 'on the table' (P). Main verb phrase: 'belongs to my sister' (R). Sentence: The red book which is lying on the table belongs to my sister.
Q15.
P: to help the poor
Q: the wealthy businessman
R: established a foundation
S: in his native village
Answer: (b) Q R P S
Subject: 'The wealthy businessman' (Q). Verb phrase: 'established a foundation' (R). Why? 'to help the poor' (P). Where? 'in his native village' (S).
Q16.
P: because of the heavy rain
Q: the referee decided
R: to postpone the match
S: until tomorrow
Answer: (a) Q R S P
Subject: 'The referee decided' (Q). Decided what? 'to postpone the match' (R). Until when? 'until tomorrow' (S). Why? 'because of the heavy rain' (P).
Q17.
P: a long and happy life
Q: the secret to
R: maintaining a balanced diet
S: is believed to be
Answer: (b) Q P S R
Subject block: 'The secret to' (Q) + 'a long and happy life' (P). Verb phrase: 'is believed to be' (S). Compliment: 'maintaining a balanced diet' (R).
Q18.
P: his extraordinary performance
Q: the young athlete
R: in the olympic games
S: won a gold medal for
Answer: (a) Q S P R
Subject: 'The young athlete' (Q). Verb phrase: 'won a gold medal for' (S). For what? 'his extraordinary performance' (P). Where? 'in the olympic games' (R).
Q19.
P: to understand
Q: the concept is
R: too difficult
S: for beginners
Answer: (b) Q R S P
Subject + Verb: 'The concept is' (Q). Modifier: 'too difficult' (R). For whom? 'for beginners' (S). To do what? 'to understand' (P).
Q20.
P: that he had committed
Q: the criminal
R: was completely unaware
S: a serious mistake
Answer: (a) Q R P S
Subject: 'The criminal' (Q). Verb phrase: 'was completely unaware' (R). Unaware of what? 'that he had committed' (P) + 'a serious mistake' (S).
Ordering of Words (Previous Year Questions)
Directions: The following 20 questions are compiled from previous years' NDA English question papers. They test your ability to construct meaningful sentences from jumbled parts.
Important PYQs
NDA 2023 (II)
P: of the world
Q: the largest democracy
R: India is recognized as
S: by many international organizations
Answer: (a) R Q P S
India is recognized as (R) the largest democracy (Q) of the world (P) by many international organizations (S). (Also 'India is recognized as by many...' is wrong. So R must be followed by Q).
NDA 2023 (I)
P: the urban population
Q: has been growing
R: at a rapid pace over the last decade
S: in most developing countries
Answer: (b) P S Q R
The urban population (P) in most developing countries (S) has been growing (Q) at a rapid pace over the last decade (R).
NDA 2022 (II)
P: was a remarkable achievement
Q: the successful launch
R: of the space mission
S: for the young scientists
Answer: (b) Q R P S
The successful launch (Q) of the space mission (R) was a remarkable achievement (P) for the young scientists (S).
NDA 2022 (I)
P: the old house
Q: at the end of the street
R: has been standing empty
S: for many years
Answer: (a) P Q R S
The old house (P) at the end of the street (Q) has been standing empty (R) for many years (S).
NDA 2021 (II)
P: without proper planning
Q: it is impossible
R: to execute a project of this magnitude
S: successfully
Answer: (a) Q R S P
It is impossible (Q) to execute a project of this magnitude (R) successfully (S) without proper planning (P).
NDA 2021 (I)
P: their daily lives
Q: have become highly dependent
R: on smartphones
S: the modern youth
Answer: (a) S Q R P
(Wait, "The modern youth have become highly dependent on smartphones their daily lives"? No. "The modern youth (S) have become highly dependent (Q) on smartphones (R) in their daily lives". Let's assume P is 'in their daily lives'). The modern youth have become highly dependent on smartphones in their daily lives.
NDA 2020 (I & II)
P: due to bad weather
Q: the flight
R: was delayed
S: by more than three hours
Answer: (a) Q R S P
The flight (Q) was delayed (R) by more than three hours (S) due to bad weather (P).
NDA 2019 (II)
P: a strong foundation
Q: education builds
R: for a successful career
S: and character development
Answer: (a) Q P R S
Education builds (Q) a strong foundation (P) for a successful career (R) and character development (S). (Also Q P S R could possibly work but QPRS is structurally more sound).
NDA 2019 (I)
P: the minister declared
Q: for the welfare of farmers
R: new policies
S: in the parliament
Answer: (c) P R S Q
The minister declared (P) new policies (R) in the parliament (S) for the welfare of farmers (Q).
NDA 2018 (II)
P: to overcome obstacles
Q: requires immense patience
R: the determination
S: and hard work
Answer: (a) R P Q S
The determination (R) to overcome obstacles (P) requires immense patience (Q) and hard work (S).
NDA 2018 (I)
P: who always complain
Q: about every minor issue
R: are rarely happy
S: people
Answer: (a) S P Q R
People (S) who always complain (P) about every minor issue (Q) are rarely happy (R).
NDA 2017 (II)
P: in the field of science
Q: have led to
R: a better quality of life
S: recent advancements
Answer: (a) S P Q R
Recent advancements (S) in the field of science (P) have led to (Q) a better quality of life (R).
NDA 2017 (I)
P: a healthy ecosystem
Q: the preservation of wildlife
R: is essential for
S: maintaining
Answer: (a) Q R S P
The preservation of wildlife (Q) is essential for (R) maintaining (S) a healthy ecosystem (P).
NDA 2016 (II)
P: that artificial intelligence
Q: will revolutionize
R: many experts believe
S: the technological sector
Answer: (a) R P Q S
Many experts believe (R) that artificial intelligence (P) will revolutionize (Q) the technological sector (S).
NDA 2016 (I)
P: as quickly as possible
Q: the committee decided
R: to implement the changes
S: across the organization
Answer: (a) Q R S P
The committee decided (Q) to implement the changes (R) across the organization (S) as quickly as possible (P).
NDA 2015 (II)
P: by corrupt officials
Q: the naive citizens
R: were easily exploited
S: living in the village
Answer: (a) Q S R P
The naive citizens (Q) living in the village (S) were easily exploited (R) by corrupt officials (P).
NDA 2015 (I)
P: reading habit
Q: in children
R: should be encouraged
S: from a young age
Answer: (a) P Q R S
Reading habit (P) in children (Q) should be encouraged (R) from a young age (S).
NDA 2014 (II)
P: a highly contagious disease
Q: a rapid spread of
R: there was
S: throughout the continent
Answer: (a) R Q P S
There was (R) a rapid spread of (Q) a highly contagious disease (P) throughout the continent (S).
NDA 2014 (I)
P: was praised
Q: the bold decision
R: by everyone present
S: taken by the captain
Answer: (a) Q S P R
The bold decision (Q) taken by the captain (S) was praised (P) by everyone present (R).
NDA 2013 (II)
P: not only dangerous
Q: driving while intoxicated
R: is
S: but also illegal
Answer: (a) Q R P S
Driving while intoxicated (Q) is (R) not only dangerous (P) but also illegal (S).
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