Sentence Rearrangement

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Mandatory pairs: the links that never break

⏱ 5 min read🧩 6 question types🎯 14 practice Q

The idea in one minute

A mandatory pair is two parts that must sit next to each other. Examples are a noun and its pronoun, or a and the later the. Most items are solved by finding two or three such pairs. Trust the strongest link first.

The pair types

Learn these seven pair types. They cover most items.

Pair type	Example	Rule
Noun, then pronoun	...the crow. It flew away.	Pronoun follows its noun.
A, then The	...a piece of bread. The bread was sweet.	The needs an earlier a.
Cause, then effect	...machines replaced workers. This led to unemployment.	This or As a result follows the cause.
Contrast	...banned plastic. Yet people use it.	Yet, But, However follow the claim.
General, then specific	Museums store history. Coins, weapons and paintings...	Example follows claim.
Question, then answer	Who will bell the cat? No one came forward.	Answer follows question.
Name, then role	...the eldest villager. He told stories.	Role follows introduction.

Tip: Gender and number are free checks. He cannot point to the boys. Its cannot point to workers.

The a-to-the rule

Once a noun appears with a, every later mention uses the. So find the part that mentions the noun first with a. It comes before every part with the plus the same noun.

The old man left a small bag on the doorstep. The bag was full of gold coins.

This, that and these

This decision, that scheme, these problems. The word locks onto an earlier abstract noun. Find the noun. Find the pair.

Not all links are equally strong

Rank the links you find. Trust the strong ones first.

Strength	Link	Example
Very strong	Pronoun, then its only noun	a stray dog ... It sat down
Very strong	a + noun, then the + noun	a small bag ... The bag
Very strong	this/these/such + noun	a huge challenge ... this challenge
Strong	As a result, This has led to	sewage flows in ... This has filled
Strong	There, Here, Inside	moved abroad ... There she studied
Medium	But, Yet, However	fast messages ... Yet a letter...
Weak	Same topic, no grammar link	two parts about trains

Rule: The stronger link always wins. Never break a pronoun pair to please a weak topic link.

Hidden pointers

Some pointer words are easy to miss.

also, too, as well: the part is a second item and needs a first one.
Others, Some, the rest: Others have built study halls needs Many now lend e-books before it.
Even: Even the principal could not keep a straight face needs others laughing first.
the same, such, so many: they point back to a noun or number already given.

Pairs join into chains

If P-S is a pair and S-Q is a pair, then P-S-Q is one block of three. Pairs usually cover three of the four parts. One more fact places the last part. Write the blocks down as you find them.

Checking a pair

Read the two parts together. A true pair reads as one smooth thought. A false pair makes you ask which one? or what is this about?

But, Yet and However are medium links, because the claim can sit in S1. Confirm with the content. Yet a letter carries something a message cannot contrasts with the speed of emails, so it follows the email part.

Question types you will see

Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.

Type 1very common2 practice Q

Noun to pronoun or place-word pair

How to spot it:

One part names a person, animal or place. Another begins with He, She, It or There and points to it.

Method

List each pronoun or place word.
Find the only part that names what it refers to.
Join those two parts as a block.
Check gender and number.

Why it works:

A pronoun must come after its noun, usually straight after.

Try this

S1: Ravi found an injured sparrow. P: She cleaned its wing and gave it water. Q: He carried it to the science teacher. Choose the order of PQ.

Show solution

She in P can only be the science teacher.
Q brings in the teacher.
So Q comes first.

Answer

Type 2very common2 practice Q

A to the pair

How to spot it:

A noun appears with a or an in one part and with the in another (a small bag and The bag).

Method

Scan for nouns that appear twice.
The part with a + noun comes first.
If the the part adds detail, place it directly after.

Why it works:

English introduces a thing with a and refers back to it with the.

Try this

P: The bag was full of gold coins. Q: The old man left a small bag on the doorstep. Choose the order of PQ.

Show solution

Q says a small bag.
P says The bag, so it refers back.

Answer

Type 3common2 practice Q

This or these plus an abstract noun

How to spot it:

A part begins with this challenge, this effort, this system or this decline. Exactly one other part describes it.

Method

Underline the noun after this.
Find the part that describes that idea.
Join them. A chain of this words can link three parts.

Why it works:

This + noun sums up the idea just before it.

Try this

P: This system shows every engine's position on a screen. Q: Keeping so many trains on time is a huge challenge. R: To meet this challenge, the railways track trains by satellite. Choose the order of PQR.

Show solution

Q states the challenge.
R says this challenge and names the satellite system.
P says This system, so it follows R.

Answer

QRP

Type 4common2 practice Q

Contrast pair (claim, then but, yet, however)

How to spot it:

One part starts with But, Yet or However and contradicts something, such as speed against feeling.

Method

Find what the contrast part contradicts.
Place it right after the part that says that, or after S1 if S1 says it.
Put the explanation of the contrast next.

Why it works:

A contrast only makes sense straight after the claim it contradicts.

Try this

P: Yet a letter carries something a message cannot. Q: The handwriting and the paper bring the writer closer. R: Emails reach people in seconds. Choose the order of PQR.

Show solution

R makes the speed claim.
P says Yet, so it contrasts with R.
Q explains what the something is.

Answer

RPQ

Type 5occasional

Question to answer pair

How to spot it:

One part asks a question. Another gives a reply such as Nobody came forward or Yes, it is.

Method

Find the question part.
Find the part that answers it.
Put the answer directly after the question.

Why it works:

A reply makes no sense before the question it answers.

Try this

S1: The mice held a meeting. P: Nobody came forward. Q: One young mouse asked, "Who will tie a bell round the cat's neck?" R: The meeting ended in silence. Choose the order of PQR.

Show solution

Q asks the question.
P answers it: nobody came forward.
R gives the result.

Answer

QPR

Type 6common

Hidden pointers (others, even, also)

How to spot it:

Parts contain others, even, also or too, and the first item or group is in another part.

Method

Find each pointer word.
Find the first item it refers to.
Place that item before it.

Why it works:

A pointer word needs an earlier item to point to.

Try this

S1: Many students found the exam hard. P: Others just sat quietly for a while. Q: Some left the hall in tears. R: Even the toppers admitted they were nervous. Choose the order of PQR.

Show solution

Others in P needs Some in Q first.
Even the toppers in R comes after both groups.

Answer

QPR

Shortcuts that save time

⚡ Noun-first scan

List the nouns and pronouns in P, Q, R, S. Circle each pronoun and each the noun. Draw an arrow to the part that brings in its noun. The arrows are the answer skeleton.

⚡ This + noun hunt

For every this + abstract noun, find the part that holds that idea. The order is then forced.

⚡ A-to-the cascade

The part with a + noun comes before every part with the + same noun. This orders many food and story passages at once.

Example

P: The bread was sweet. Q: The crow found a piece of bread. Which is first?

Show solution

Q says a piece of bread.
P says the bread.
So Q comes first.

Answer

Q then P

Mistakes to avoid

Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.

Mistake 01

Breaking a noun-to-pronoun pair to fit a time marker.

Keep the pronoun pair. It is a stronger link.

Mistake 02

Missing the second mention of a noun (the bread after a piece of bread).

Scan every part for repeated nouns.

Mistake 03

Placing an effect before its cause because the cause reads well alone.

Put This, As a result and Therefore parts after the cause.

Mistake 04

Ignoring number in a pronoun chain (its for workers).

Match gender and number: its for one thing, their for many.

Mistake 05

Linking two parts only because they share a topic.

Use grammar links: pronoun, a to the, this + noun, connector.

Quick revision

Read this the night before the exam.

Rank links: pronoun, a-to-the, this + noun, as a result, place word, then contrast, then topic.
Hidden pointers: also, others, even, such, the same.
Pairs join into blocks: PS + SQ = PSQ.
Two or three blocks usually decide the item.
Read the pair together. Check number and gender.
The stronger link always wins.

Practice: 14 questions

Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.

Topic test · 10 questions

Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.

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