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PTE Reorder Paragraphs: how to find the first sentence and the links
Five sentences, all mixed up, and the clock is running. Most people try every order in their head. There is a faster way.
In Reorder Paragraphs you drag text boxes into the right order. You get marks for each pair of boxes that are next to each other in the correct order, so a partly right answer still earns points.
Take a look at a set
Look at this
Boxes: (A) This change was driven mainly by cost. (B) However, not everyone welcomed it. (C) In 2010 the city replaced its buses with electric models. (D) Electric buses were cheaper to run over ten years.
A, C, D, BA starts with This, so it must point back to something before it. It cannot be first.
C, A, D, BC introduces the topic with a full noun and a date. A says This change, D explains the cost, B turns to the other side with However.
A routine for every set
- Find the opener: a sentence that makes sense alone, often with a full name, date or general statement.
- Rule out openers that start with this, these, it, however, also or such.
- Link pairs: a word like this change must follow the sentence that describes the change.
- Build the pairs you are sure of first. Then fit the rest around them.
- Do not spend more than 2 to 3 minutes on one set. Secure the pairs and move on.
Sources
Exam rules change. Always check with the exam provider and the organisation you are applying to.
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