Directions (26-30) : Rearrange the following six sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) to make a meaningful paragraph and answer the questions that follow. (A) According to it, organized retail stores are not wolves at the doors of friendly neighborhood grocery stores as there is room for expansion of both. (B) Many have been crying foul over the entry of organized retail stores expressing concern over their impact on small store owners. (C) The final winner in the competition, however, is the common man who gets to choose between the most suitable options and in turn fights with the runaway inflation in prices of essential commodities. (D) In spite of this potential for expansion, it is doubtless that the small store owners face a decline in profit in the initial years if organized retailers set up stores in the vicinity. (E) But a study conducted over a period of two years goes a long way allaying these fears. (F) This impact, however, wears off once they learn to take of the competition which in turn enhances efficiency all around.
Which of the following would be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement?
(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D (e) E
Solution: (b)
Sentence (B) serves well as an introductory statement as it’s complete and a meaningful statement that opens a discussion.
Hint : Let’s apply the elimination technique here.
The sentence (A) cannot be the 1st statement as by the phrase ‘According to it’ what the pronoun ‘it’ is referring to is not clear.
In sentence (C), the use of the definite article ‘the’ weakens the sentence from being the 1st statement as again it’s not known which competition is being talked about here.
In sentence (D), the use of the demonstrative adjective ‘this’ before the word potential makes the sentence a poor choice for the 1st statement as it’s not evident what potential is being referred to here.
The sentence (E) clearly cannot be the first statement as it is beginning with ‘But’ , and
We can rule out the sentence (F) as a choice of the first one as it’s not clear what the use of the demonstrative adjective ‘This’ before the word ‘impact’ implies here.
Therefore, we can pick sentence (B) as the most preferred choice for the 1st statement.
Which of the following would be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement? (a) A (b) C (c) D (d) E (e) F
Solution: (d)
The statement (E) is the most suitable choice for the 2nd statement as through it the writer talks about a study that helps small store owners who have been crying foul (to protest strongly about a real or imagined wrong, fear or injustice over), put the fears at rest.
Hint : Key-word/phrase in the 1st statement – Crying foul (over fears)
Linking word/phrase in the 2nd statement – allaying (diminishing) these fears
Which of the following would be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement? (a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D (e) E
Solution: (a)
The sentence (A) is the most suitable pick for the 3rd statement as in it the writer describes what the study (that’s been mentioned in the 2nd statement) says about the organized retail stores.
Hint : Key-word/phrase in the 2nd statement – a study
Linking word/phrase in the 3rd statement – According to ‘it’ (The pronoun ‘it’ is being used for the study that’ been referred to in the 2nd statement.
Which of the following would be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement? (a) A (b) C (c) D (d) E (e) F
Solution: (c)
The sentence (D) would be the most appropriate choice for the 4th statement as in it the writer gives a contradiction to what he said in the 3rd statement.
Hint : Key-word/phrase in the 3rd statement – room for expansion
Linking word/phrase in the 4th statement – In spite of this potential for expansion
Which of the following would be the LAST (SIXTH) sentence after rearrangement? (a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D (e) E
Solution: (c)
Before we find the last sentence, we need to be sure of the 5th one. In the 4th sentence, the writer talks about the impact of the establishment of organized retail stores on the small shop-keepers and in a sentence (F) he or she suggests that this ‘impact’ diminishes if the small-sized retailers take it as a competition that would lead everybody involver’s efficiency.
Hint : The 4th statement talks about how setting up organized retail stores would impact small players.
Linking word/phrase in the 5th statement – This ‘impact’ wears off
The sentence (C) hence will be the last statement.
