Reconstruction of Sentence Questions and Answers

Answer: B

Correct answer: QSRP

The sentence reads:

I took cigarettes from my case. I lit one of them and placed it between the lips. Slowly he took a pull at it and coughed violently. Then with a feeble hand he removed the cigarette, but when the fit of coughing was over, he replaced it between his lips. Then he continued to draw on it.

The chain is one of cause and effect: the cigarette is lit and placed (Q), then drawn on and coughed over (S), then removed because of the coughing (R), then replaced once the fit passes (P). Then with a feeble hand in R needs the coughing of S before it, and when the fit of coughing was over in P can only follow both.

Answer: D

Correct answer: PSQR

The sentence reads:

Religion has been used both as a weapon of isolation and as morphia to dull awareness about real problems like education, health and employment.

Both… and is a fixed pair, so P and S must sit together in that order. Q then explains what the morphia does, and R gives what the awareness is of, which the closing list completes.

Answer: B

Correct answer: PSRQ

The sentence reads:

When all the members were seated the secretary came to the dais and read out the report detailing the activities of the organisation during the previous year and plans for the year ahead.

P supplies the main clause after the opening when clause, and S adds the second verb with and. R is a participle describing the report, so it must follow it, and Q gives the period those activities covered.

Answer: A

Correct answer: QRPS

The sentence reads:

In spite of an unprecedented boom in the market the paper dealer could not push up his sales and had to remain content with the volume of sale lower than what he had sold the previous year.

Q gives the subject and the negated verb, and R completes it. P adds the second predicate with and, and S supplies what he had to remain content with, which the closing comparison completes.

Answer: C

Correct answer: RSQP

The sentence reads:

Rahul was successful in his military operations and, alone among conquerors, he was so disgusted by the cruelty and horrors of war that he renounced it.

R completes was successful, and S joins the contrast with and alone among conquerors. Q then begins the so… that construction that the closing clause finishes, and P supplies what disgusted him.

Answer: A

Correct answer: RQPS

The sentence reads:

She said on the phone that she would report for duty next day. But she did not. We waited for a few days, then we decided to go to her place. We found it locked. Even after that we heard nothing.

R contradicts the promise and so must come first. Q describes the response to that silence, and P gives what was found on arriving - it can only be her place. S then looks past all of it with even after that.

Answer: C

Correct answer: RSPQ

The sentence reads:

A connection had long been suspected between the abundance of mosquitoes and the occurrence of malaria, since both were at their worst in the same regions and seasons, but the nature of the connection was unknown.

A connection between A and B cannot be split, so R and S follow the opening at once. P then gives the reason with since, and Q completes that reason and opens the contrast with but.

Answer: B

Correct answer: QPRS

The sentence reads:

Several sub-cities have been planned around the capital. They are expected to alleviate the problem of housing. Dwarka is the first among them. It is coming up in the south west of the capital.

Q must follow the opening sentence because they refers to the sub-cities. P then singles one out, and R describes it - it can only be Dwarka, so R must follow P.

Answer: B

Correct answer: PQRS

The sentence reads:

This being the case, it is generally believed that proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly.

P is an absolute phrase and must open. Q supplies the main clause, R completes depends on, and S is the adverbial pair that modifies recognize.

Answer: A

Correct answer: RQSP

The sentence reads:

Ask anyone in the streets of Zurich what is the single most important issue facing Switzerland today and the chances are they will answer 1992.

R completes the imperative ask anyone. Q begins the indirect question and S completes it. P then joins the second clause with and, which the closing words finish.