NDA Ordering words and parts of a sentence previous year questions with solutions

Answer: (b) Q P R S

Method. inversion: 'inside the pages of all good works of literature lies the truth about …'.

Lock: Q 'inside the pages of all good' + P 'works of literature' + R 'lies the truth about some of' + S 'the more challenging questions posed by humanity'. Locative inversion keeps singular 'truth' with 'lies'. QPRS: complete. (a), (d) start with P or R; (c) QPSR puts 'the more challenging questions' before 'lies the truth about some of', leaving 'some of' without its object.

Answer: (a) QSPR

Method. 'fundamental rights are basic rights and include basic freedoms guaranteed to the individual'.

Lock: Q 'the fundamental rights are' + S 'basic rights and' + P 'include basic freedoms' (compound predicate: 'are … and include …') + R 'guaranteed to the individual' (participle modifying 'freedoms'). QSPR: complete. (b) QRSP: 'are guaranteed to the individual basic rights' makes an object after a passive; (c), (d) lack the subject first.

Answer: (d) QSRP

Method. subject 'the poor visibility' + 'due to fog' + verb 'made … very difficult'.

Lock: Q 'the poor visibility' (subject), S 'due to fog' (modifier directly after it), R 'made the movement of traffic' (verb + object), P 'very difficult' (object complement). QSRP: 'The poor visibility due to fog made the movement of traffic very difficult.' (a), (b) start with S or R; (c) QRPS puts 'due to fog' after 'very difficult', so it modifies the wrong word.

Answer: (c) SQPR

Method. subject 'adoption of the latest technologies and equipment' + 'has made it evolve into …'.

Lock: S 'adoption of the latest' + Q 'technologies and equipment has' (subject + auxiliary, singular 'adoption') + P 'made it evolve' + R 'into a rare centre of excellence'. SQPR: complete. (a) PQRS, (b) RPQS and (d) QSRP begin with the verb or a phrase that cannot be the subject; 'the latest' needs its noun.

Answer: (a) SQPR

Method. indirect question 'what it is to be successful as a human being' after 'have you ever considered'.

Lock: the main clause S 'have you ever considered' opens (question form), the noun clause object follows: Q 'what it is' + P 'to be successful' + R 'as a human being'. SQPR: 'Have you ever considered what it is to be successful as a human being?' The other sequences start with a fragment (R, Q, P) that cannot begin the sentence, and 'considered' must precede its object clause.

Answer: (a) QSRP

Method. subject 'the editors of the present work' + verb 'argue' + 'the need to understand' + object + 'from …'.

Lock: Q (subject) S (verb + object 'the need to understand') R ('the history of social reforms from') P('a much wider array of perspectives', object of 'from'). QSRP: 'The editors of the present work argue the need to understand the history of social reforms from a much wider array of perspectives.' (b) QPRS puts 'argue' last; (c), (d) start with a non-subject. Preposition 'from' must precede its object.

Answer: (c) QSPR

Method. Adverbial opener, subject, verb

Q 'in the arena of sport, perhaps' + S 'the greatest moment in Indian Olympic history' (subject) + P 'was the victory secured by the women's hockey team' (verb) + R 'against Australia in the Tokyo Olympics'. Subject must precede 'was'; the adverbial 'against Australia' closes it. Others invert subject and verb or separate 'victory secured' from its agent.

Answer: (a) QRPS

Method. subject 'the causes of extreme poverty' + 'are often rooted in'.

Lock: subject Q + 'of'-phrase R, then verb phrase P('are often rooted') and its preposition phrase S ('in …'). QRPS: 'The causes of extreme poverty are often rooted in the inequalities of social systems.' Others split verb and its 'in' ('rooted' must be followed by 'in'), or place the subject after the verb (QRSP puts 'in the inequalities' before 'are rooted'; SRQP, SRPQ begin with a prepositional phrase that cannot be the subject). Standard grammar: subject-verb order in a declarative sentence.

Answer: (b) SRQP

Method. subject 'faith and belief' + verb 'are' + complement; 'against' phrase and participle 'brought by bad times'.

Lock: subject + verb S ('faith and belief are'), complement R ('our greatest defence'), then 'against the despondency' (Q), then the participial modifier P 'brought by bad times' after 'despondency'. SRQP: 'Faith and belief are our greatest defence against the despondency brought by bad times.' (a) RQPS, (c) RSQP and (d) QPRS lack an opening subject or put the complement or a modifier ahead of the subject; 'brought by bad times' must follow the noun it modifies.

Answer: (a) PRQS

Method. 'The function … is to + infinitive' (parallel infinitives)

P 'the function of the capillaries' + R 'is to take nutrients, oxygen' + Q 'and other material to all the cells in' + S 'the body and to take away their waste material'. Subject then 'is to take' with a second parallel infinitive 'to take away'. Others start with a predicate.

Answer: (d) S P R Q

Method. Subject-verb agreement, then modifiers

S 'gain sharing-plans' (plural subject) + P 'are now used by more than a thousand firms' + R 'in the United States and Europe' + Q 'and are growing in popularity' (second predicate joined by 'and'). Any order starting with a verb phrase lacks a subject. Rule: subject-verb; compound predicate.

Answer: (a) Q S R P

Method. Subject, verb, object, time adverbial

Q 'unidentified gunmen' + S 'shot dead two workers' + R 'and injured another during' + P 'the urban local body elections'. 'during' needs its object P. Others lack a subject first or put 'during' away from its object.

Answer: (b) P S R Q

Method. Subject + adverb + verb; 'let down by'

P 'the father also' + S 'feels let down' + R 'by the system' + Q 'in his quest for justice'. 'let down' takes its agent 'by the system' then the adverbial of purpose. Others separate the verb from its subject.

Answer: (b) RSPQ

Method. Main clause, then adverbial of cause

'Newton discovered that' + R 'the apple falls' + S 'on the ground' (place) + P 'due to the gravitational pull' + Q 'of the earth' ('pull' must be followed by 'of the earth'). Orders with Q before P or S after the 'due to' phrase break the noun-complement 'pull of the earth'. Rule: subject-verb-adverbial, phrase kept whole.

Answer: (b) PRQS

Method. Question word order with modal 'will'

P 'Do you think' + R 'this soap' (subject) + Q 'will' (modal) + S 'shrink woollen clothes?' Indirect question inside 'Do you think': subject then modal then verb. Others put the modal before the subject (a question inversion not allowed after 'think').

Answer: (c) PQSR

Method. 'advise' + object + to-infinitive; reflexive object

P 'We advised' + Q 'the hijackers to surrender' + S 'themselves' + R 'to the police'. 'surrender themselves to the police': reflexive object right after the verb, then the 'to' phrase. PQRS puts 'to the police' before 'themselves' which is faulty.

Answer: (b) PQSR

Method. Verb + direct object + prepositional phrase

P 'They' + Q 'should implant' + S 'sound principles' + R 'in the minds of young children'. Object directly after the verb, then the place phrase. PQRS separates the verb from its object.

Answer: (d) R Q S P

Method. adverbial 'somewhere in the back of her mind' placed at the head of the sentence.

Best order: R 'somewhere in the back of her mind' + Q 'she knew that the answer' + S 'to her questions about life' + P 'lay outside her existing life'. RQSP: 'Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that the answer to her questions about life lay outside her existing life.' Option (b) QSPR is also grammatical but ends '…lay outside her existing life somewhere in the back of her mind', where the phrase seems to say where the answer lay, a worse reading. (a) RPQS and (c) QPSR split 'the answer' from 'lay' by placing 'lay' before the subject.

Answer: (c) SRQP

Method. 'all students have been instructed to be present before the Principal for a discussion on …'.

Lock: S 'all students have been instructed' + R 'to be present before the Principal' + Q 'for a discussion on the forthcoming' + P 'science and mathematics exhibition' ('forthcoming' needs its noun). SRQP: complete. (a) SQPR puts the discussion before the instruction ('to be present' is left at the end), (b), (d) lack a first subject.

Answer: (c) RQSP

Method. introductory 'with the selection of another player to the new team, the team now has …'.

Lock: R 'with the selection of another player' + Q 'to the new team' (adverbial phrase, then comma), main clause S 'the team now has' + P 'two bowlers and two batsmen respectively'. RQSP: complete. (a), (b), (d) put the main clause or 'respectively' in a position where 'has' lacks its object or the adverbial splits 'has' from its object.

Answer: (c) RQPS

Method. subject + verb + place adverbial + participial phrase.

Lock: R 'cyclone Emnati crashed into the southeastern' + Q 'coast of Madagascar in the early hours,' (adjective needs its noun) + P 'ripping roofs off houses and raising fears of' + S 'flooding and food shortages in the region' (preposition 'of' needs its object). RQPS: complete. (a), (d) open with participles; (b) RPSQ puts 'southeastern' away from 'coast'.

Answer: (d) QPSR

Method. Main clause then adverbial of time/⁠cause

Q 'India achieved remarkable economic development' + P 'in the years following' + S 'the landmark reforms inaugurated via' + R 'liberalization in the year 1991'. 'following' needs its object (S, the reforms) and 'via' needs 'liberalization'. Others put an adverbial first without finishing it. Rule: preposition + object.

Answer: (b) RPSQ

Method. RPSQ: main clause 'they can twist and shake their wobbly heads' with the adverbial 'with the aplomb…' after it, then participial phrase 'mesmerizing the gullible into believing' + 'that' clause.

Lock: 'believing' needs its 'that'-clause directly after it (S then Q). R (subject + verb) opens; P(adverbial of manner) follows. RPSQ: 'They can twist and shake their wobbly heads with the aplomb of a stage artist, mesmerizing the gullible into believing that they are not men of straw.' (a) PRQS ends 'mesmerizing' with nothing after it and puts 'that' clause before it; (c) SPQR and (d) QRPS open with a participle or 'that' clause with no main clause. Standard grammar: participial phrase attaches to a main clause; 'believing' takes a 'that'-clause.

Answer: (d) QRPS

Method. Adverbial phrase 'even to someone with …' before the clause

Q 'even to someone with' + R 'a tin ear' + P 'like mine' + S 'her singing sounded pretty melodious'. 'someone with' needs 'a tin ear', and 'like mine' closes the phrase. The order S Q R P(clause first) is equally grammatical but is not offered; c (SPQR, 'melodious like mine even to someone with a tin ear') is faulty.

Other grammatical order SQRP is not among the options, so d is the only key.

Answer: (a) P R Q S

Method. Adverbial opener, subject, verb, object, modifiers

P 'several years ago,' (time adverbial) + R 'Professor Andrew Dessler created an introductory' (subject-verb; 'introductory' needs a noun) + Q 'course on climate change at Texas A&M University' + S 'for freshmen and sophomores'. Any order putting Q or S before R leaves 'introductory' without noun or 'created' without subject. Rule: standard grammar.

Answer: (d) P S Q R

Method. Present perfect + adverbials

P 'humans and machines have co-existed' + S 'at the physical level for millennia' + Q 'dating back to the invention of' + R 'the potter's wheel in ancient Mesopotamia'. 'invention of' must be followed by its object R; participial phrase last. Others start with a non-subject.

Answer: (c) PQSR

Method. Verb + object + adverb of place

P 'Farm workers' + Q 'spend' + S 'most of their time' (object of 'spend') + R 'outdoors'. 'spend' takes its object directly; the adverb of place closes. PQRS ('spend outdoors most of their time') puts the adverb between verb and object, which is awkward.

Answer: (a) PQSR

Method. Verb + object + adverb, then place

P 'He' + Q 'shuffled the papers' + S 'together' + R 'in a drawer'. The object is followed by 'together' and then the place phrase. PQRS ('…in a drawer together') leaves the adverb at the end, less natural; the other options lack a subject first or break the verb from its object.

Answer: (b) PSQR

Method. Modifier next to the noun it qualifies

P 'Sports cars' + S 'with noisy exhausts' (the phrase qualifies 'sports cars') + Q 'appeal' + R 'to some motorists only'. Option d (PQSR: 'Sports cars appeal with noisy exhausts to some motorists only') is also grammatical but changes sense (it appeals by means of exhausts) and places a modifier away from its noun. b reads best.

Second grammatical order d (PQSR) exists; b is preferred because the modifier stays with its noun; the two are not equally good.

Answer: (b) PRQS

Method. Position of the adverb 'almost'

P 'He' + R 'planned the entire strategy of operation' + Q 'almost' + S 'single-handed'. 'almost' must stand directly before the word it modifies, 'single-handed'. RSPQ, SQRP and QPSR start without the subject or place 'almost' wrongly. The order 'He almost planned the entire strategy single-handed' (PQRS) would also be grammatical but is not offered.

Option not offered: PQRS; among those given only b works.

Answer: (c) Q S P R

Method. 'the beneficial outcome of a virtuous life is peace of mind and contentment …'.

Lock: Q 'the beneficial outcome of' + S 'a virtuous life is peace of mind' + P 'and contentment on account of a life lived' + R 'well without retribution or rebuke'. QSPR: complete. (a), (b) start with S; (d) QSRP puts R before P, which breaks 'a life lived well'.

Answer: (c) Q P S R

Method. 'many of the people who had come to participate in the function could not find a seat because the auditorium was over-crowded'.

Lock: Q 'many of the people who had come to' + P 'participate in the function' (infinitive) + S 'could not find a seat because' + R 'the auditorium was over-crowded' (reason). QPSR: complete. (a), (b), (d) start with P or S, or put the reason clause first with 'because' left without its clause.

Answer: (a) S R P Q

Method. definition 'X is an accounting technique used to lower …'.

Lock: S 'amortisation is an accounting technique' + R 'used to periodically lower' (participle + infinitive) + P 'the book-value of a loan or' + Q 'an intangible asset over a set period of time'. SRPQ: complete. (b), (d) start with R; (c) SRQP puts the second item 'an intangible asset' before 'the book-value of a loan or', which breaks the 'or' pair.

Answer: (b) R P S Q

Method. 'the Act mandates X as a fundamental right of all children'.

Lock: R 'the Right to Education Act (RTE) mandates' + P 'good quality elementary education conforming' + S 'to the standards and norms specified in the Act' ('conforming to') + Q 'as a fundamental right of all children'. RPSQ: complete. (c) RQSP puts 'as a fundamental right' before the object; (a), (d) lack the subject first.

Answer: (a) SRQP

Method. 'the Indian nation is the product of a historical process that has been in the making for many millennia'.

Lock: S 'the Indian nation is the product' + R 'of a historical process that has' (relative clause) + Q 'been in the making' (present perfect continues: 'has been') + P 'for many millennia'. SRQP: complete. (b), (c), (d) either put the adverbial inside the relative clause or lack a subject first.

Answer: (a) SQPR

Method. 'India's Independence represented for its people the start of an epoch that was imbued with a new vision'.

Lock: S (subject + verb 'represented'), Q 'for its people the start of', P 'an epoch that was imbued' (relative clause after 'epoch'), R 'with a new vision' ('imbued with'). SQPR: complete. (b), (c), (d) lack a first subject or detach 'imbued' from 'with'.

Answer: (c) QRPS

Method. relative clause 'who held a hostage for hours in the shop' after 'gunman'.

Lock: Q 'a gunman who held' + R 'a hostage' (object of 'held') + P 'for hours in the shop' (adverbial) + S 'demanded ransom…' (main verb). QRPS: 'A gunman who held a hostage for hours in the shop demanded ransom of Rs 10 lakh.' (a), (b), (d) separate 'held' from its object or begin with a non-subject; the subject 'gunman' must precede its verb.

Answer: (b) RPSQ

Method. infinitive 'to leave the country' and participle 'living in Russia' after 'citizens'.

Lock: R 'Ukraine has urged its citizens', then the modifier P 'living in Russia', then S 'to leave the' + Q 'country immediately' (article 'the' needs its noun). RPSQ: 'Ukraine has urged its citizens living in Russia to leave the country immediately.' (a), (d) have no subject first; (c) RSQP puts 'to leave' before the modifier of 'citizens'.

Answer: (c) SPRQ

Method. subject 'the preparation of professionals' + 'in …' + 'through …' + verb 'will be enhanced sharply'.

Lock: subject S, then P 'in agriculture and veterinary sciences through' which needs its object R 'programmes integrated with general education', then the predicate Q 'will be enhanced sharply'. SPRQ: 'The preparation of professionals in agriculture and veterinary sciences through programmes integrated with general education will be enhanced sharply.' (a) SRPQ puts 'through' after its object; (b), (d) put the predicate or P before the subject. Preposition 'through' must precede its object.

Answer: (b) SPRQ

Method. definition: 'GM is the science by which …' with infinitive of purpose.

Lock: S 'genetic modification (GM) is the science' + P 'by which the genetic material of a plant is altered,' (relative clause after its noun) then R 'perhaps to make it more resistant to' + Q 'pests and enhance its nutritional value' (parallel infinitives 'to make … and enhance'; 'resistant to' needs its object). SPRQ is complete and grammatical. (a), (c), (d) start with fragments or detach 'resistant to' from 'pests'.

Answer: (c) SPRQ

Method. Subject-verb, then phrases tied to their nouns

S 'economic progress is determined' + P 'in terms of GDP and GNP,' + R 'which are the two major determinants' (relative clause after GDP and GNP) + Q 'for gauging the success of a nation'. 'determinants' takes 'for gauging…', and 'which' follows the nouns it refers to. Rule: relative clause next to its antecedent.

Answer: (c) RSQP

Method. adverbial 'whenever in doubt' + imperative 'always opt for the option that causes …'.

Lock: the introductory adverbial R opens; imperative S 'always opt for the option'; relative clause Q 'that causes the least discomfort' must follow its noun 'option'; then 'to the greatest number of people' (P). RSQP: 'Whenever in doubt, always opt for the option that causes the least discomfort to the greatest number of people.' (a) RQPS puts a relative clause before its noun; (b), (d) begin with the relative clause or with Q, which has no antecedent.

Answer: (a) QPRS

Method. Subject + 'is symbolic of'; participial modifier

Q 'the Gupta Empire in India is' + P 'symbolic of peace, and prosperity' + R 'represented through numismatic archaeological' + S 'and literary evidences of multiple kinds'. 'is' needs its complement P; 'numismatic archaeological … and literary' is a parallel list. Others place the participle before the subject.

Answer: (c) RSQP

Method. Verb phrase 'can be regarded as a complex mixture of …'

R 'the provision of public goods' + S 'and services can be regarded as a complex' + Q 'mixture of contributions from' + P 'government, market and voluntary organisations'. 'complex' needs 'mixture', and 'contributions from' needs its object P.

Answer: (d) P R S Q

Method. Participial phrases with an object for 'radiates'

P 'the element heats up,' + R 'glowing like a dark orange that radiates' + S 'the visible range,' (object of 'radiates', here read as radiates light across the visible range) + Q 'eventually reaching high temperatures'. Only PRSQ leaves a complete sequence: in PQSR, QPSR and SQRP the sentence ends on 'that radiates' or with 'the visible range' as a subject-less fragment, or splits 'high temperatures' from its phrase. Source text is loosely worded; answer is by elimination of the broken sequences.

Printed phrasing is loose ('radiates the visible range'); d is the only option that ends in a complete clause.

Answer: (c) S R P Q

Method. Subject, verb, object; relative clause 'which' after its noun

S 'the essay 'Of Friendship' by Francis Bacon celebrated the intimacy' + R 'between friends which is subjected to both prosperity and' + P 'adversity without succumbing' + Q 'to the clouds of doubt and jealousy'. Parallel pair 'both prosperity and adversity'; 'succumbing' takes 'to'. Others break the pair 'both … and' or start without a subject. Rule: correlative 'both … and'; verb + preposition.

Answer: (c) R Q P S

Method. 'It is … that' cleft sentence; parallel clauses

R 'it is miserable solitude that compels a person to' + Q 'make friends and a person wills to want true' + P 'friends without which the world is' + S 'nothing other than a place of wilderness'. 'want true' needs 'friends' (P) and 'without which the world is' needs its complement (S). Others break these phrases. Rule: cleft 'it is … that'; relative clause 'without which'.

Answer: (b) R Q P S

Method. Subject (noun + relative clause) before verb

R 'the job' + Q 'that never started' (relative clause right after its noun) + P 'takes the longest' + S 'to finish'. The sentence reads: The job that never started takes the longest to finish. The relative clause stays with its noun and 'takes the longest' (verb) comes before the infinitive 'to finish'. Others put the verb before its subject.

Answer: (d) SRPQ

Method. Subject + its modifiers + predicate; clauses of reason last

The subject 'Domestic fires in Indian villages' takes the participle phrase S 'lit in Chulhas' straight after it, then the verb phrase R 'are wasteful'; the reason clause P 'as the heat is dispersed' follows, with Q 'an unhealthy smoke accumulates…' joined to it. SRPQ gives: Domestic fires in Indian villages lit in Chulhas are wasteful as the heat is dispersed and an unhealthy smoke accumulates in unventilated houses. PQSR/⁠PQRS/⁠SPQR leave the subject without its verb or put 'as' clauses before the participle phrase (modifier misplaced). Rule: standard grammar, subject-verb and modifier placement.

Answer: (b) RQPS

Method. Predicate nominal: 'is the history of …'

'The history of mankind is' + R 'the history of' + Q 'continuous change' + P 'and steady progress' + S 'from barbarism to refinement'. 'the history of' must be followed by its object, 'continuous change and steady progress', and 'from … to' phrase comes last. RQPS also keeps the pair 'change … and progress' parallel. Rule: parallel pair and 'from … to'.

Answer: (c) RPQS

Method. Main clause, purpose clause, relative clause

'After … match' + R 'they came to school in high spirits' (main clause) + P 'so that they might communicate the news … to the headmaster' (purpose) + Q 'who is a keen sportsman' (relative clause, right after 'headmaster') + S 'and takes a very lively interest in school games' (second verb of the same relative clause). Rule: relative clause next to its antecedent.

Answer: (a) RQPS

Method. 'The findings were met with considerable resistance at first because they … challenged the assumptions that had long been accepted by …'.

Lock: the printed opening 'The findings were' + R 'met with considerable resistance at first' (passive complement), then reason Q 'because they fundamentally challenged the assumptions', relative clause P 'that had long been accepted' + agent S 'by the mainstream scientific community'. RQPS: complete. (b), (c), (d) put P or S before Q so 'challenged the assumptions' loses its object or the relative clause precedes its noun.

Answer: (c) RPQS

Method. 'It is often argued that extraordinary achievements are not the result of … alone but rather the product of …'.

Lock: after 'It is often argued that', the subject R 'extraordinary achievements', verb P 'are not the result of innate talent alone', then the contrast Q 'but rather the product of' + S 'sustained effort and deliberate practice'. RPQS: complete. (a), (b), (d) start with a predicate or 'but', not a subject.

Answer: (b) QPSR

Method. 'The historian noted that the memory of certain communities had been systematically erased from … and replaced with …'.

Lock: after 'noted that', the subject Q 'the memory of certain communities', verb P 'had been systematically erased', source S 'from the official records of the colonial period', then R 'and replaced with a sanitized narrative' (second participle). QPSR: complete. (d) QSPR puts the 'from' phrase before the verb; (a), (c) start with a predicate or 'and'.

Answer: (b) PRQS

Method. 'literature's true power lies in its ability to disturb comfortable assumptions and not in the mere reproduction of social reality'.

Lock: after the printed opening, P 'literature's true power lies in its' + R 'ability to disturb comfortable' + Q 'assumptions and not in the mere' + S 'reproduction of social reality'. PRQS: complete; 'comfortable' needs 'assumptions', 'mere' needs 'reproduction', and the 'not in … ' pair follows the positive. (a) PQRS, (c), (d) break these pairs.

Answer: (d) SQPR

Method. 'The movie had many scenes which were so humorous that it was hardly possible to keep a straight face' (so … that).

Lock: after 'The movie', S 'had many scenes which' + Q 'were so humorous that' (so … that result clause) + P 'it was hardly possible' + R 'to keep a straight face'. SQPR: complete. (a), (c) begin with P or Q, which lack the verb 'had'; (b) SPRQ gives 'which it was hardly possible to keep a straight face were so humorous that', which is not a sentence.

Answer: (d) Q S P R

Method. 'whereas' clause then main clause.

Lock: Q 'whereas traditional fairy tales' + S 'were designed for the entertainment' + P 'of children they also contain deeply embedded' + R 'moral lessons that are relevant even for adults'. QSPR: complete. (a), (c) start with R; (b) QSRP puts R 'moral lessons…' straight after S, so 'were designed for the entertainment moral lessons' is ungrammatical and P is left dangling.

Answer: (a) Q P S R

Method. 'that sporting activities are an integral part of school education is an ineluctable truth that underscores …'.

Lock: Q 'that sporting activities are an integral part' + P 'of school education is an ineluctable truth' + S 'that underscores the learning process and contributes' + R 'meaningfully towards the overall growth of a student'. QPSR: complete. (b), (d) put S before P, so 'truth' lacks its predicate; (c) starts with R.

Answer: (d) S R Q P

Method. 'when service is done for exhibition…, it stunts … and crushes …'.

Lock: S 'when service is done for' + R 'exhibition or for fear of public opinion' + Q 'it stunts the person offering the same and' + P 'crushes the spirit behind the service' (compound predicate with 'and'). SRQP: complete. (a) SQRP, (b) SPQR break 'done for' from its object; (c) starts with R.

Answer: (c) R P S Q

Method. 'for every stride of progress any nation takes …, it takes two back if …'.

Lock: R 'for every stride of progress any nation' + P 'takes on account of its economic successes' (relative clause with omitted 'that') + S 'it takes two back if it is unable' + Q 'to address continuing social inequality'. RPSQ: complete. (a) PRQS, (b) QPRS and (d) RPQS break 'unable to address' (Q must follow S) or begin without 'for every stride'. 'unable to' must stay together.

Answer: (d) S R Q P

Method. 'the G20 was formed in 1999, as a forum of … , in recognition of the fact that there was a major shift in …'.

Lock: S 'the G20 was formed in 1999, as a forum of Finance Ministers' + R 'and Central Bank Governors, in recognition of the fact' + Q 'that there was a major shift in' + P 'the global economic weight from the advanced economies'. SRQP: complete. (a) SPQR puts the object of 'shift in' before 'that'; (b), (c) lack the main clause first.

Answer: (a) SPRQ

Method. 'because' clause with a nested 'when' clause.

Lock: main clause S 'I make at least three drafts of a song', reason P 'because I feel', then the clause 'when you write something,' R followed by the result Q 'you remember it better'. SPRQ: 'I make at least three drafts of a song because I feel when you write something, you remember it better.' Others put the 'when' clause or Q before the main clause with no link ('because I feel' must precede the thing felt).

Answer: (c) QRSP

Method. infinitive of need and 'while' + gerund clause.

Lock: Q 'we need to utilize the resources of water' + R 'for different purposes while' + S 'ensuring that its natural' + P 'ecology is protected and aquatic life thrives' (adjective 'natural' needs 'ecology'). QRSP: complete. (a), (b), (d) start with fragments or leave 'natural' without its noun.

Answer: (d) RQPS

Method. conditional 'if you have any complaint to be made…, please mark …'.

Lock: R 'if you have any complaint to' + Q 'be made in response to this notice' (infinitive passive), then imperative P 'please mark the same' + S 'to the concerned authority'. RQPS: 'If you have any complaint to be made in response to this notice, please mark the same to the concerned authority.' (a), (c) start with the imperative or S; (b) separates 'to' from 'be made'. Conditional: if-clause then main clause.

Answer: (d) SQPR

Method. 'willing to surrender to the idea that + clause'.

Lock: subject 'many people today' + 'are willing to' (S), then 'surrender to the idea that' (Q), then the content clause P 'there is in all instance a single,' + R 'authoritative truth to be discovered and defended' (adjective 'single, authoritative' must be followed by its noun). SQPR: 'Many people today are willing to surrender to the idea that there is in all instance a single, authoritative truth to be discovered and defended.' (a), (c) begin with the end of the sentence; (b) puts 'there is' before 'surrender'. (Source prints 'in all instance'; read as printed, does not affect the key.)

Answer: (b) QPSR

Method. conditional 'if … , you will …'.

Lock: the 'if'-clause Q ('if you do not reflect and understand') takes its object P('for yourself the implications of death,'); main clause S ('you will go endlessly') takes the 'from … to …' pair R ('from one preacher to another'). QPSR: 'If you do not reflect and understand for yourself the implications of death, you will go endlessly from one preacher to another.' (a), (c) begin with the main clause pieces out of order; (d) QRSP puts 'from one preacher' before the verb is complete. Conditional sentence: if-clause then main clause; 'from … to' pair stays together.

Answer: (d) SQRP

Method. 'it is recognized that' + noun clause: subject + 'will be' + complement + 'for' phrase.

Lock: S 'it is recognized that' introduces the clause; subject Q 'mathematics and mathematical thinking' + verb R 'will be very important' + P 'for India's future'. SQRP: 'It is recognized that mathematics and mathematical thinking will be very important for India's future.' (a) QRPS, (c) QRSP end with or interrupt by the introducer; (b) RPSQ starts with a verb phrase. The 'that'-clause follows its main verb.

Answer: (c) SPRQ

Method. Existential 'there are' + 'so that' clause

S 'there are many ways to restructure' + P 'the transportation system so that it' + R 'provides mobility to everyone' + Q 'and not just the affluent section of society'. 'so that it' needs the verb R; 'everyone and not just …' is the contrast. Rule: purpose clause; 'not just' contrast.

Answer: (b) QRSP

Method. Subject + predicate + 'though' clause

Q 'the Government of India' + R 'under the British was pro-capitalist' + S 'though it took some half-hearted steps to mitigate' + P 'the sorry state of affairs in the modern factories'. 'mitigate' needs its object P. Others begin with an object.

Answer: (b) P S Q R

Method. Concessive 'although' clause, then main clause

P 'although the temperature of this layer of the' + S 'atmosphere should generally track the surface temperature, we must be careful' (completes the noun phrase and the clause) + Q 'when directly comparing the satellite' + R 'measurements of temperature'. 'the satellite' needs 'measurements', and 'we must be careful' takes the 'when' clause after it. Rule: noun phrase kept whole; subordinate clause attached to the main clause.

Answer: (b) Q S R P

Method. Reported clause: 'submitted that'

Q 'the plea filed through the advocate' + S 'submitted that the sale of drugs and prescription medicines' + R 'online is illegal and' + P 'without any mandate of law'. Subject of the 'that' clause is 'the sale … online' with verb 'is illegal'; 'and without any mandate of law' is the parallel complement. Others break the subject from 'is'.

Answer: (d) S P Q R

Method. Subject-verb-object; 'as' clause

S 'global markets also witnessed' + P 'a sell-off as US Treasury yields' + Q 'surged to multi-year highs' + R 'on robust economic data'. 'yields' needs its verb 'surged' straight after; 'witnessed' needs its object P. Rule: subject-verb agreement; clause order.

Answer: (b) SQRP

Method. Subject-verb, then the concessive 'although' clause

'The knocking' + S 'ceased' (verb) + Q 'for some time' (adverbial of time) + R 'although the echoes of it' + P 'were still in the house' (subject 'the echoes' + plural verb 'were'). Others leave 'The knocking' without a verb or split 'although the echoes' from its verb. Rule: subject-verb; subordinate clause after main clause.

Answer: (c) QRPS

Method. Relative clause and 'has reached its peak'

'Scientists point out' + Q 'that it is an aftermath that' + R 'has now reached its peak' + P 'of sunspot activity' + S 'of the eleven-year cycle'. Only QRPS gives 'that' a verb ('has now reached') with the relative 'that' as subject. The printed text is garbled: the others (QSPR 'that of the eleven-year cycle … has') leave a subject-less verb or an ungrammatical 'peak of sunspot' sequence.

UPSC prints the relative 'that' at the end of Q rather than at the start of R, so the order that the sense suggests, QSPR, becomes 'an aftermath that of the eleven-year cycle … has now reached its peak', which is ungrammatical. As printed, only QRPS gives the relative 'that' its verb.

Answer: (c) SPRQ

Method. Subordinate clause, main clause, comparison with 'as'

'As the ship streams from San Diego' + S 'those of us aboard have a personal demonstration of powerful ocean movement' + P 'as walls of gray water … in the North Pacific' + R 'rock and toss the ship' + Q 'making the greener among us miserable with sea sickness'. 'as walls … rock and toss' needs its verb R directly after; the participle Q closes. Rule: subject-verb; participial phrase last.

No correct option. This question is defective as printed in UPSC's paper.

Method. Adverbial clause + main clause (three orders possible)

Three options are grammatical and natural: b PRQS ('When I was a student of class X, I learnt swimming at the age of 15 in a government school'), c QPRS ('I learnt swimming at the age of 15 when I was a student of class X in a government school') and d QSPR ('I learnt swimming at the age of 15 in a government school when I was a student of class X′). Only a (PQRS: 'of class X′ stranded after 'age of 15') is faulty.

Three sequences (b, c, d) give a grammatical, idiomatic sentence, since the 'when' clause may open or close the sentence; no single key is defensible. c keeps 'a student of class X in a government school' together and is the likeliest intended reading, but the question as set has no unique answer.

Answer: (a) S Q R P

Method. 'it is widely believed that X differs from Y in as much as the former is more representative than the latter'.

Lock: S 'it is widely believed that the parliamentary system differs' + Q 'from a non-parliamentary system' + R 'in as much as the former is' + P 'more representative than the latter'. SQRP: complete. (b) SPQR, (c), (d) misplace 'more representative than the latter' before its subject clause.

Answer: (a) Q R S P

Method. correlative 'not only … but also'.

Lock: Q 'music not only relieves the burden' + R 'on children and the young' + S 'but also alleviates' + P 'the conflicts and disputes in their mind'. QRSP: complete; 'not only' is balanced by 'but also' each followed by a verb. (b), (d) start with P; (c) puts 'but also' before 'on children'.

Answer: (a) Q R P S

Method. 'but' contrast; 'ice sheet nearly 2 miles thick'.

Lock: Q 'Antarctica is a continent' + R 'nearly twice as large as Australia' + P 'but it is virtually covered by a dome-shaped' + S 'ice sheet nearly 2 miles thick' ('dome-shaped' needs its noun). QRPS: complete. (b), (d) begin with S; (c) QSPR puts R after the 'but' clause.

Answer: (a) S R P Q

Method. 'India is the third largest fish producing and the second largest aquaculture nation in the world and India's products are exported …'.

Lock: S 'India is the third largest' + R 'fish producing and the second largest' (parallel 'third largest … and second largest') + P 'aquaculture nation in the world and' + Q 'India's products are exported to many nations'. SRPQ: complete. (b), (c), (d) start with Q, R or P: no subject or 'and the second largest' separated from 'third largest'.

Answer: (b) RPSQ

Method. 'there are multiple legal avenues for the patients to indict the doctors, but …'.

Lock: R 'there are multiple legal' + P 'avenues for the patients to indict' (infinitive needs its object) + S 'the doctors' + Q 'but rarely is it the other way round' (inverted negative adverb clause with 'but'). RPSQ: complete. (a), (c), (d) either begin with a fragment or put Q (the contrast) before the main statement.

Answer: (c) RPSQ

Method. coordinate clauses with 'his or her own'.

Lock: R 'life is a solo' + P 'flight, and each person' + S 'makes his or' + Q 'her own journey'. RPSQ: 'Life is a solo flight, and each person makes his or her own journey.' 'a solo' needs 'flight'; 'his or' needs 'her own'. All other sequences break these pairs (e.g. 'makes her own journey his or' in (a), (b), (d)).

Answer: (d) QPSR

Method. subject 'a language' + verb 'represents' + object + parallel gerunds.

Lock: Q 'a language represents' (subject + verb), P its object 'a way of understanding the world,' then two parallel gerund phrases S 'differentiating between things' and R 'and relating them to one another' (the pair 'differentiating … and relating …'). QPSR: 'A language represents a way of understanding the world, differentiating between things and relating them to one another.' Other sequences start with a participle/⁠object and lack the subject first, or put 'and relating' ahead of 'differentiating'.

Answer: (d) SQPR

Method. subject 'the issues raised by …' + verb 'are' + compound predicate.

Lock: subject S, verb Q ('are certainly very important,'), then the second verb phrase 'and should shift' P + 'we think about politics' R ('the way we think…'). SQPR: 'The issues raised by feminists and multiculturalists are certainly very important, and should shift the way we think about politics.' (a), (b) begin with 'we think' or R; (c) SPQR puts 'and should shift' before 'are … important'. Compound predicate: first verb then 'and' second verb.

Answer: (c) RSQP

Method. subject + predicate + 'as a … and as a …' parallel + relative clause.

Lock: R 'Pandita Ramabai was truly remarkable' (subject + complement), then the parallel 'as a pioneer in women's education and' (S) and 'as a champion of women's rights,' (Q), then the relative clause P 'for which she fought till the end' on 'rights'. RSQP: complete sentence. (a), (b), (d) start with the relative clause or an 'as' phrase without the main clause; 'and' must join the two 'as' phrases in S Q order.

Answer: (b) QSPR

Method. Verb-object pairing; contrast with 'but'

Q 'there are many ways of dealing' + S 'with intransigent customers' ('dealing with'), then P 'but perhaps the best way is to agree' + R 'with them without excessive argumentation'. 'dealing' needs 'with' and 'agree' needs 'with them'. Others split these. Rule: verb + preposition.

Answer: (d) RPQS

Method. parallel pair 'on the one hand … and on the other' with 'of'-phrase after 'beauty'.

Lock: 'the immense beauty' + 'of its rain-soaked verdure' (R P); then 'and on the other there are' + 'the artifacts of its visible modernity' (Q S). RPQS: 'On the one hand there is the immense beauty of its rain-soaked verdure and on the other there are the artifacts of its visible modernity.' (a) PRQS opens with an 'of'-phrase without its noun; (b) QRSP starts with the second half of the pair; (c) SPQR is meaningless. Parallel correlative 'on the one hand … on the other' keeps order.

Answer: (a) RPQS

Method. correlative 'judge a person by the way he behaves and not by the way he looks'.

Lock: 'you must judge' (R) takes object 'a person' and the adverbial 'by the way' (P); then 'he behaves and' (Q) followed by the negative parallel 'not by the way he looks' (S). RPQS: 'You must judge a person by the way he behaves and not by the way he looks.' (b), (d) begin with 'he behaves' / 'not' with no subject-verb; (c) RSQP breaks 'by the way' from 'a person' and puts the 'not … ' phrase before the positive one. Parallel structure 'by … and not by …'.

Answer: (b) RPQS

Method. Compound predicate with parallel verbs

R 'the globe shows Earth's spherical shape' + P 'and accurately displays spatial' + Q 'relationships between landforms and water bodies' + S 'and comparative distance between locations'. 'spatial' needs 'relationships'; 'displays' has two parallel objects joined by 'and'. Others start with a non-subject.

Answer: (c) RSQP

Method. Compound subject; 'was' + complement

R 'a major characteristic of British rule in India' + S 'and the net result of British' + Q 'economic policies was the prevalence' + P 'of extreme poverty among its people'. Two subjects joined by 'and' with the verb 'was' and the complement 'prevalence of extreme poverty'. 'British' needs 'economic policies'; 'prevalence' needs 'of'.

Answer: (a) SQPR

Method. Contrast with 'but'; proverb as second clause

S 'he doesn't look' + Q 'very intelligent, but' + P 'you can't judge' + R 'a book by its cover'. 'look' takes its complement 'very intelligent'; 'judge' takes its object 'a book by its cover'. Others place the verb without subject.

Answer: (a) RQPS

Method. 'evidence … can be found in … as well as in …'

R 'evidence of a crisis in party politics' + Q 'can be found in the decline in party' + P 'membership and partisanship as well as' + S 'in the rise of antiparty groups and movements'. Subject then verb phrase; 'decline in party membership'; parallel 'in … as well as in …'.

Answer: (a) P R Q S

Method. Comparative 'much harder … than'

P 'I realize that solving the climate change problem' + R 'will be much harder' (subject-verb) + Q 'than solving' + S 'the ozone depletion problem'. The comparative 'harder' is followed at once by 'than' and the object of 'solving' closes the sentence. Others place 'than' before the verb or leave 'will be' without its subject. Rule: comparative with 'than'; parallel gerunds 'solving … than solving'.

Answer: (a) P S Q R

Method. Sentence break inside the parts; comparison 'warmer … than'

P 'two people argue about why Venus is so much warmer' + S 'than the Earth. The first argues that it's because Venus is closer' (the comparative closed by 'than', then 'closer' …) + Q 'to the Sun, so it absorbs more solar energy. The second argues' + R 'that it's because Venus has a thick, greenhouse-gas rich atmosphere'. 'closer' must be followed by 'to the Sun', and 'The second argues' by its 'that' clause. Rule: comparative 'warmer … than'; verb 'argues' + 'that' clause.

Answer: (d) R S Q P

Method. Gerund after 'instead of'; relative clause object

R 'instead of worrying about' + S 'what you cannot' + Q 'control, shift your energy' + P 'to what you can create'. 'what you cannot' takes 'control' (the first word of Q), then the imperative 'shift your energy' and its target 'to what you can create'. The pair 'what you cannot control / what you can create' is parallel. Others separate 'worrying about' from its object or start without the gerund frame. Rule: gerund after 'instead of'; parallel 'what' clauses.

Answer: (a) R Q S P

Method. Subject-verb; compound predicate 'and will continue to'

R 'we are deeply concerned' + Q 'by the disturbing allegations' + S 'and will continue to' + P 'closely monitor the situation'. 'will continue to' needs the infinitive P. Others leave 'to' dangling or 'concerned' without its agent.

Answer: (c) Q P S R

Method. Subject-verb; 'but' contrast; 'cautioned against' + gerund

Q 'aromatherapy may also help' + P 'relieve nausea, pain and stress' + S 'but patients are cautioned against' + R 'using lavender oil on their skin'. 'help' takes the infinitive; 'against' takes a gerund. Rule: verb + object; preposition + gerund.

Answer: (d) Q P S R

Method. 'a history of both … and' correlative

Q 'this state has a history of' + P 'both intense political and' + S 'religious contestation and' + R 'of syncretic accomplishments'. Parallel pair: 'both intense political and religious contestation' and a second 'of' object. Others break the correlative 'both … and'.

Answer: (c) RQSP

Method. Subject-verb-comparison (comparative + 'than'), parallel subjects

'Bold rocks near at hand' (plural subject) + R 'are more inspiring' + Q 'than distant Alps' (the comparative must be followed at once by 'than'), then S 'and the thick fern upon a heath' + P 'makes a fine forest for the imagination'. RQSP is the only order with the comparison closed before the second clause. Others separate 'more inspiring' from 'than' or leave P without a subject. Rule: comparative with 'than'; parallel clauses.

Answer: (b) SQPR

Method. Compound subject / two clauses joined by 'and'

'The spirit of man' + S 'has faced all kinds of dangers' + Q 'and his growing intelligence' + P 'has slowly and painfully surmounted' + R 'all the obstacles that have come in his way'. Two coordinate clauses, each subject with its own verb; 'surmounted' takes its object R. (a) QPSR runs two verbs together ('surmounted has faced'); (c) RPQS puts the object before its verb. (d) PRQS is also a grammatical sentence, but it makes the spirit surmount obstacles and the intelligence face dangers; the natural pairing is spirit with dangers (courage) and growing intelligence with obstacles slowly and painfully surmounted, so (b) is the better order.

Answer: (a) PSRQ

Method. Subject + modifier + verb; 'as we saw in … and over …'

'Even a leisurely game like cricket' + P 'demanding grace rather than strength' (participial modifier) + S 'can cause much ill-will' + R 'as we saw in the controversy over body-line bowling' + Q 'and over the rough tactics…' (parallel 'over … and over …'). Rule: parallel 'over' phrases; modifier after subject.

Answer: (d) PQRS

Method. Comparison 'more … than'

P 'She has' + Q 'more' + R 'intelligence' + S 'than we suspected her to possess'. 'more' is followed by its noun 'intelligence' and then 'than' clause. Others put the 'than' clause before the noun.