The English Language section of banking and SSC exams is considered a tough nut to crack. Ever wondered why? It’s primarily because of the gap in strategies and conceptual clarity. Questions based on Para-Jumbles carry a significant weightage in both banking and SSC exams. Though the approach and concept remain the same, the types of questions and difficulty level vary from exam to exam.
This post emphasizes on how to solve Para-Jumble questions, which constitutes a major part in any Banking and SSC exams.
Para-Jumble: Overview
As the name suggests, we deal with sentences in random order. Basically, it consists of jumbled paragraphs or sentences. The task is to rearrange the sentences in a meaningful order.
Skills required to master Para-Jumble questions:
- Understanding the theme/central idea: You should identify the central idea of the paragraph. This further helps you in establishing links with various sentences.
- Understanding the flow of paragraph: The second important thing is to connect sentences that illustrate flow of the paragraph. What exactly is the paragraph trying to convey?
Now, let us figure out strategies and smart approach to solve Para-Jumble questions.
Strategies to solve Para-Jumble questions:
STRATEGY 1: Identify the opening sentence/central idea
One of the best ways is to look out for a sentence which introduces the subject or the core idea. Generally, the opening sentence does not begin with words like also, because, therefore, hence, etc. The first sentence always has a subject being discussed in the entire paragraph.
STRATEGY 2: Identify the closing sentence
Contrary to the opening sentence, the concluding sentence summarizes the central idea or brings out a solution, in case, a problem is discussed in the paragraph.
STRATEGY 3: Bring out mandatory pairs
A smart approach to quickly form a coherent paragraph is to form mandatory pairs. These are pairs which will occur in a defined order. For instance, if there is an interrogative sentence, then it will be followed by a sentence talking about the answer to that question. This technique is useful for para-jumble questions asked in SSC exams.
STRATEGY 4: Figure out transition words
Transition words signify a shift from one idea to another in a paragraph. These include: also, besides, furthermore, as well as, in addition, likewise, moreover, consequently, hence, otherwise, therefore, thus. These words also help in identifying mandatory pairs by establishing a link between two sentences.
STRATEGY 5: Identify pronoun antecedents
Generally, an opening sentence does not begin with pronouns. The subject (Noun) is often discussed in the opening sentence.
Let’s understand the above stated strategies through an example:
This type of question is a prominent feature of SSC exams.
S1: Education is the most important factor for the development of human civilization.
S6: If people can understand each other, they will be united. Thus, education can promote national unity.
P: A country needs different kinds of man powers such as doctors, engineers, teachers, administrative officials, economists, judges and other technical hands.
Q: Education provides the nation with those educated hands.
R: Education provides the nation with man powers, promotes national unity and uplifts public awareness.
S: If people are educated, they can understand their duties and rights. In order to uplift human society, each should be capable to understand others.
- PRQS
- RPQS
- RPSQ
- PRSQ
The correct answer is option (B). RP is a mandatory pair because R talks about the advantages of education and P elaborates on types of man powers required to drive a nation. SS6 are again mandatory pairs because sentence S states that people should understand each other to develop a healthy society, while S6 brings out the idea that if people understand each other then we can create a harmonious society.
A valuable piece of advice is to read and practice more.
You might also like to read, how to solve cause and effect questions in banking exams?
