Linking Sentences with Pronouns and Connectors

Once the opener is fixed, para jumbles are solved by linking sentences into a chain, and the links are made almost entirely by two devices: pronouns that point back to a noun, and connectors that signal the relationship between two ideas. These reference words are the exam's built-in clues, telling you exactly which sentence must follow which. Learning to read them is the core skill of the whole chapter, because a pronoun always needs its noun nearby and a connector always needs the idea it connects to. Follow the references and the correct order reveals itself with almost no reliance on meaning.

Pronoun References: This, These, It, They

A pronoun replaces a noun mentioned just before it, so it acts like an arrow pointing to the previous sentence. If a sentence says 'these measures', a sentence naming the measures must sit immediately before it. 'It', 'he', 'she', 'they', 'this' and 'those' all work the same way — each demands that its noun has already appeared. Match every pronoun to the sentence that first names what it stands for, and you have fixed a firm two-sentence link. These pronoun-to-noun matches are the strongest and most reliable clues in any para jumble, so hunt for them first after the opener.

Connectors and What They Signal

Connectors announce the logical relationship between two sentences, so each one tells you what kind of sentence must come before it. 'However' and 'but' signal a contrast, so a supporting idea precedes them; 'therefore' and 'thus' signal a result, so a cause precedes them; 'moreover', 'also' and 'furthermore' add to a point already made. A sentence beginning with any of these can never be the opener and must follow the idea it responds to. Reading the connector first tells you the shape of the sentence you are looking to place before it.

Shortcut: Mandatory Pairs

The biggest time-saver here is spotting mandatory pairs — two sentences that must sit together because a pronoun or connector in one directly answers a noun or idea in the other. Once you find such a pair, treat the two sentences as a single locked block that cannot be split. This instantly cuts the number of pieces you are arranging: a five-sentence jumble with one mandatory pair becomes a four-block puzzle. Then check the answer options and eliminate every sequence that breaks your pair. Mandatory pairs are the fastest route to the answer and often decide the whole question on their own.

Solved Example

Example: Sentences: (P) The scheme offered free training to youth. (Q) However, few applied in the first month. (R) This low turnout worried the officials. Q's 'However' contrasts with the scheme in P, so P-Q lock together. R's 'This low turnout' refers to the few applicants in Q, so Q-R lock. The chain is P-Q-R, built entirely from one connector and one pronoun.

✗ Placing a 'However' sentence before the idea it contradicts  |  ✓ Placing it right after the point it is contrasting with

Article and Repeated-Word Clues

Two quieter clues reinforce your pronoun and connector links. First, articles: a noun appears with 'a' or 'an' when first mentioned and with 'the' afterward, so 'a proposal' in one sentence and 'the proposal' in another fixes their order — the indefinite article comes first. Second, repeated or echoed words: if one sentence ends on an idea and the next picks up the same word or a synonym, they belong side by side. These quieter signals are perfect for confirming a link you suspect or for breaking a tie when two orders both seem possible, giving you a second layer of proof before you commit to a sequence.