jumbled sentences
1. Paragraph anagrams
Rearrangement of sentences or paragraph anagrams is the most commonly seen question in the CAT and in most of other MBA admission tests. It interesting to know that this question doesn’t examine any previously learnt concepts, neither is it based on any particular logic. What it tests is common sense and speed. Extensive practice is the key.
However, we have a few strategies for you. Study them and use them in the exercise that follow and you’ll be comfortable with them.
Paragraph jumbles questions are presented in different forms.
a) Four/ five sentences either numbered 1,2,3,4,5 or lettered a, b, c, d, e are given in a jumbled form. The sentences are followed by choices of four possible combinations of arrangements of these sentences. You have to choose the most logical order of arrangement of these sentences to form a meaningful, coherent paragraph.
E.g. A. The managers are themselves parts of various hierarchies of managerial influence, coupled to one another by explicit and implicit codes of behaviour and information network.
B. Management science and MIS have introduced new elements of complexity into the manager’s world.
C. Management deals with complex social systems joined by physical and informational mechanisms to other social systems that are the responsibility of other managers.
D. If this seems to make the social system appear complex, it is so intended.
1. DCAB 2. ADCB 3. DBAC 4. CADB
b) A set of six sentences is given, in which the first and the sixth sentences are fixed at their respective positions. The four sentences that falls between the first and the sixth sentences are presented in a jumbled form. You are asked to choose the logical order of sentences from the choices.
E.g. 1. If the phenomenon of down gradation is understood and accepted, brands have to continuously seek options that offer better value to consumers.
A. Therefore, given an option, the consumer was willing to be satisfied by greater value from trusted brands rather than downgrade.
B. Tea in polypacks doubled their volume share between 1989 and 1991 in Bombay.
C. Biscuits in family packs witnessed phenomenal growth of such brands even during periods of inflation.
D. The onset of the down gradation phenomenon seems to be a good time to launch new products, or better still, create new sub-categories.
6. For instance, the more expensive gel toothpaste category upped its share in Bombay by six percent at the expense of popular and economy brands.
1. BCAD 2. CDAB 3. ADBC 4. DCBA
Strategies for sentence anagrams
Strategy 1
Avoid reading the sentences closely; that is not required and is a waste of time. Inspect the choices; if each of the choices begins with different letters, identifying the sentence to begin the sequence leads to the correct answer.
The following example illustrates this.
1. Small companies that compete effectively tend to grow, and growth brings increasing complexity and specialization in each function.
A. Technologists talk about processes, new materials, and worry about prototype results and technical problems; as regards language and interests, they have little in common with marketing.
B. As the company grows it tends increasingly to fragment into separate functional islands, each trying to solve its own problems, each using its own special language and having its own priorities.
C. Marketing people, for instance, talk about market segmentation, market growth, promotions and product image, and worry about changes in share.
D. Production people talk and worry about industrial relations, people arriving on time, and plant and equipment breakdown and delays.
6. They in their turn have little in common with either marketing or the technologists who, they consider, live in ivory towers.
1. DACB 2. BCAD 3. ACBD 4. CDAB
In the above question, the choices begin with different letters. The best strategy then would be to inspect sentence 1 and to identify the sentence that logically follows 1
Sentence 1 deals with growth of companies and sentence B begins with the continuity phrase, as the company grows. Consequently, B has to follow 1 and the answer therefore is choice 2. You require minimum steps in arriving at the answer in such questions.
Strategy 2
In choices that are closely related, identify a mandatory pair of sentences (two sentences that should form a sequence).
A. This linking of politics and music is of course ancient and even Aristotle in his book ‘Politics’ said, “We may compare the best form of government to the most harmonious piece of music.”
B. Mixing metaphors, Mr. Clinton referred to the symphony so central to western music and said, “It is time both nations heard the musical compositions of each other and understood each other better.”
C. The oligarchic and despotic to the more violent tunes; and the democratic to the soft and gentler airs.
D. The US President was confident that if governments and people of the two democracies made a determined bid to understand each other’s perspectives scripts, they could create new symphonies.
E. Such attempts to secure symphony would be so much better than the individual bids for virtuoso improvisations and adherence to classical compositions.
1. BACDE 2. DCAEB 3. DECAB 4. BDEAC
In the above question, observe that the choices are closely related. Two choices begin with D and the other two with B. In such cases avoid working from the first sentence; instead inspect the sentences quickly and identify a particular pair of sentences that are mandatory. In the above case EA is a mandatory sequence. Only choice 4 satisfies this condition, and therefore the most logical sequence.
Strategy 3
Look out for quick clues such as pronouns, conjunctions etc. in the beginning of sentences to help you establish a sequence.
E.g. 1. As a senior economist associated with the reforms programme used to say, a sure indication that the new economic policy was succeeding would be when foreign investors start trekking to Delhi in the sweltering heat of May and June.
A. If nothing else, India Power ‘94 came as a welcome break to the power ministry; most of the participants had complimentary things to say about government policy.
B. And there were would-be entrants like the Hong Kong-based China Light and Power Company who had turned up armed with a fax from the power ministry listing available projects in India.
C. Were that the only yardstick, then judging by the attendance at India Power ‘94, at least the reforms in the power sector could be declared a success.
D. There were the familiar names - Enron, AES, Cogentrix, and Spectrum Technologies.
6. This was in striking contrast to the adverse comments the ministry had been attracting so far.
1. ADBC 2. BDCA 3. CDBA 4. DBCA
In the above question, a smart test taker will quickly identify the phrase ‘ were that the only yardstick” in sentence C. This is a thought continuity of the idea in sentence 1 “ foreign investors trekking to Delhi……”. Consequently C has to follow 1; eliminate choices 1, 2, and 4.Choice 3 is the correct answer.
Strategy 4
In six sentences variety, work backward from sentence 6 if there is no obvious clue to work from sentence 1; many a time we overlook the hints that may be valuable
Let’s take a look at such an example.
1. A recent advertisement of Premier Instruments and Controls Ltd., a leading manufacturer of dashboard instruments, in a financial daily, summed it all up.
A. The fact is that executives from companies, ranging from Daimler Benz to General Motors, have been scouring the Indian countryside looking for suppliers of cheap components for products made in their European and American plants.
B. It obviously does not even have the time to make the investments required to set up a new plant.
C. Today, most Indian automobile component manufactures cannot produce enough to meet demand both domestic and international.
D. The company was soliciting spare capacities for the supply of intricate machines and sheet-metal components.
6. While some of them do find good deals, many have had to go back empty-handed.
1. ADCB 2. CBAD 3. BACD 4. DBCA
In the question given above, see that “them’ in sentence 6 refers to ‘executives’ referred to in sentence A. i.e. A precedes 6; choice 4 is the answer.
1. Paragraph anagrams
Rearrangement of sentences or paragraph anagrams is the most commonly seen question in the CAT and in most of other MBA admission tests. It interesting to know that this question doesn’t examine any previously learnt concepts, neither is it based on any particular logic. What it tests is common sense and speed. Extensive practice is the key.
However, we have a few strategies for you. Study them and use them in the exercise that follow and you’ll be comfortable with them.
Paragraph jumbles questions are presented in different forms.
a) Four/ five sentences either numbered 1,2,3,4,5 or lettered a, b, c, d, e are given in a jumbled form. The sentences are followed by choices of four possible combinations of arrangements of these sentences. You have to choose the most logical order of arrangement of these sentences to form a meaningful, coherent paragraph.
E.g. A. The managers are themselves parts of various hierarchies of managerial influence, coupled to one another by explicit and implicit codes of behaviour and information network.
B. Management science and MIS have introduced new elements of complexity into the manager’s world.
C. Management deals with complex social systems joined by physical and informational mechanisms to other social systems that are the responsibility of other managers.
D. If this seems to make the social system appear complex, it is so intended.
1. DCAB 2. ADCB 3. DBAC 4. CADB
b) A set of six sentences is given, in which the first and the sixth sentences are fixed at their respective positions. The four sentences that falls between the first and the sixth sentences are presented in a jumbled form. You are asked to choose the logical order of sentences from the choices.
E.g. 1. If the phenomenon of down gradation is understood and accepted, brands have to continuously seek options that offer better value to consumers.
A. Therefore, given an option, the consumer was willing to be satisfied by greater value from trusted brands rather than downgrade.
B. Tea in polypacks doubled their volume share between 1989 and 1991 in Bombay.
C. Biscuits in family packs witnessed phenomenal growth of such brands even during periods of inflation.
D. The onset of the down gradation phenomenon seems to be a good time to launch new products, or better still, create new sub-categories.
6. For instance, the more expensive gel toothpaste category upped its share in Bombay by six percent at the expense of popular and economy brands.
1. BCAD 2. CDAB 3. ADBC 4. DCBA
Strategies for sentence anagrams
Strategy 1
Avoid reading the sentences closely; that is not required and is a waste of time. Inspect the choices; if each of the choices begins with different letters, identifying the sentence to begin the sequence leads to the correct answer.
The following example illustrates this.
1. Small companies that compete effectively tend to grow, and growth brings increasing complexity and specialization in each function.
A. Technologists talk about processes, new materials, and worry about prototype results and technical problems; as regards language and interests, they have little in common with marketing.
B. As the company grows it tends increasingly to fragment into separate functional islands, each trying to solve its own problems, each using its own special language and having its own priorities.
C. Marketing people, for instance, talk about market segmentation, market growth, promotions and product image, and worry about changes in share.
D. Production people talk and worry about industrial relations, people arriving on time, and plant and equipment breakdown and delays.
6. They in their turn have little in common with either marketing or the technologists who, they consider, live in ivory towers.
1. DACB 2. BCAD 3. ACBD 4. CDAB
In the above question, the choices begin with different letters. The best strategy then would be to inspect sentence 1 and to identify the sentence that logically follows 1
Sentence 1 deals with growth of companies and sentence B begins with the continuity phrase, as the company grows. Consequently, B has to follow 1 and the answer therefore is choice 2. You require minimum steps in arriving at the answer in such questions.
Strategy 2
In choices that are closely related, identify a mandatory pair of sentences (two sentences that should form a sequence).
A. This linking of politics and music is of course ancient and even Aristotle in his book ‘Politics’ said, “We may compare the best form of government to the most harmonious piece of music.”
B. Mixing metaphors, Mr. Clinton referred to the symphony so central to western music and said, “It is time both nations heard the musical compositions of each other and understood each other better.”
C. The oligarchic and despotic to the more violent tunes; and the democratic to the soft and gentler airs.
D. The US President was confident that if governments and people of the two democracies made a determined bid to understand each other’s perspectives scripts, they could create new symphonies.
E. Such attempts to secure symphony would be so much better than the individual bids for virtuoso improvisations and adherence to classical compositions.
1. BACDE 2. DCAEB 3. DECAB 4. BDEAC
In the above question, observe that the choices are closely related. Two choices begin with D and the other two with B. In such cases avoid working from the first sentence; instead inspect the sentences quickly and identify a particular pair of sentences that are mandatory. In the above case EA is a mandatory sequence. Only choice 4 satisfies this condition, and therefore the most logical sequence.
Strategy 3
Look out for quick clues such as pronouns, conjunctions etc. in the beginning of sentences to help you establish a sequence.
E.g. 1. As a senior economist associated with the reforms programme used to say, a sure indication that the new economic policy was succeeding would be when foreign investors start trekking to Delhi in the sweltering heat of May and June.
A. If nothing else, India Power ‘94 came as a welcome break to the power ministry; most of the participants had complimentary things to say about government policy.
B. And there were would-be entrants like the Hong Kong-based China Light and Power Company who had turned up armed with a fax from the power ministry listing available projects in India.
C. Were that the only yardstick, then judging by the attendance at India Power ‘94, at least the reforms in the power sector could be declared a success.
D. There were the familiar names - Enron, AES, Cogentrix, and Spectrum Technologies.
6. This was in striking contrast to the adverse comments the ministry had been attracting so far.
1. ADBC 2. BDCA 3. CDBA 4. DBCA
In the above question, a smart test taker will quickly identify the phrase ‘ were that the only yardstick” in sentence C. This is a thought continuity of the idea in sentence 1 “ foreign investors trekking to Delhi……”. Consequently C has to follow 1; eliminate choices 1, 2, and 4.Choice 3 is the correct answer.
Strategy 4
In six sentences variety, work backward from sentence 6 if there is no obvious clue to work from sentence 1; many a time we overlook the hints that may be valuable
Let’s take a look at such an example.
1. A recent advertisement of Premier Instruments and Controls Ltd., a leading manufacturer of dashboard instruments, in a financial daily, summed it all up.
A. The fact is that executives from companies, ranging from Daimler Benz to General Motors, have been scouring the Indian countryside looking for suppliers of cheap components for products made in their European and American plants.
B. It obviously does not even have the time to make the investments required to set up a new plant.
C. Today, most Indian automobile component manufactures cannot produce enough to meet demand both domestic and international.
D. The company was soliciting spare capacities for the supply of intricate machines and sheet-metal components.
6. While some of them do find good deals, many have had to go back empty-handed.
1. ADCB 2. CBAD 3. BACD 4. DBCA
In the question given above, see that “them’ in sentence 6 refers to ‘executives’ referred to in sentence A. i.e. A precedes 6; choice 4 is the answer.
2 comments:
G8 wrk..really appreciate...dis will be my fst attempt... CAT 2011 {Nov}...thnx I learnt a lot....
really its ag8 work...
definately help a lot..
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