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Shuffled sentences

A shuffled-sentence question jumbles the words of a sentence and adds ONE word that does not belong. You rebuild the sentence in your head and name the extra word. It tests grammar, sense and speed.

What is tested

  • Rebuilding a sentence from jumbled words
  • Spotting the one word that does not fit
  • Using grammar clues: who does what, to whom, how and when

Worked example

Unscramble the sentence and find the word that is not needed: dog the loudly barked postman at the tree

  1. Find the doer and the action: 'the dog barked'.
  2. Add how and at whom: 'loudly at the postman'.
  3. The sentence is 'The dog barked loudly at the postman.'
  4. One word is left over: tree.

Answer: tree

Exam-day checklist

  • Find the subject and the verb first.
  • Build the sentence, then look for the leftover word.
  • Use every other word exactly once.
  • Read the finished sentence to check it makes sense.

Common mistakes

  • Building a sentence that uses the extra word and leaves out a needed one.
  • Choosing a word that sounds odd but is actually needed.
  • Spending too long - the sentence only needs to make sense.

Try it yourself

1. Find the word that is not needed: quickly she homework finished her lunch

Show answer

lunch

'She quickly finished her homework.'

2. Find the word that is not needed: it rained heavily all night sun

Show answer

sun

'It rained heavily all night.'

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More topic guides

Ratio and proportionPercentages, fractions and decimalsAlgebra: equations and sequencesProbabilityVerbal reasoning: codesVerbal reasoning: logic and orderingNon-verbal reasoning: sequences and matricesEnglish: inference and comprehensionArithmeticNumber and place valueFractionsDecimalsProportionNumber sequencesGeometry: angles and shapesMeasurementTimeMoneyAveragesData handlingMulti-step problemsWorded problems3D shapes: volume and surface areaCoordinates and translationsSpeed, distance and timeVenn and Carroll diagramsEnglish: grammarEnglish: spellingEnglish: punctuationEnglish: vocabularyEnglish: editing and proofreadingEnglish: comprehensionEnglish: comparing two textsEnglish: paragraph ordering and cohesionEnglish: register and purposeEnglish: deductionEnglish: sentence completionEnglish: contextEnglish: word relationshipsEnglish: literary understandingEnglish: creative writingClauses: main, subordinate and relativeVerbal reasoning: analogiesVerbal reasoning: classificationVerbal reasoning: letter and word sequencesVerbal reasoning: word relationshipsVerbal reasoning: hidden wordsVerbal reasoning: compound wordsVerbal reasoning: letter patternsMove a letterInsert a letterAnagrams and word laddersLetter and symbol sumsNon-verbal reasoning: transformationsNon-verbal reasoning: rotationsNon-verbal reasoning: reflectionsNon-verbal reasoning: symmetryNon-verbal reasoning: spatial reasoningNon-verbal reasoning: analogiesNon-verbal reasoning: paper foldingNon-verbal reasoning: cube netsNon-verbal reasoning: odd one outPlans and elevations (3D views)Shape assemblyTime management in the examEliminating incorrect optionsIdentifying distractorsChecking your workReading questions carefullySkipping and returning to questionsWorking under pressureHandling unfamiliar questions

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