Re-order paragraph is a reading module of the PTE test that requires students to re-order the arrangement of the paragraphs or sentences into correct positions.
The test assesses your ability to understand grammatical relations between parts of speech and how paragraphs connect to each other. If you’re looking to ace this module of the PTE exam, then follow the following tips and tricks:
Ideally, the first step should involve reading all the text in the boxes. This will enable you to understand the basic idea of each one of the boxes and get an idea as to the subject of the main text. Understanding the topic as well as the purpose of the text will make it easier for you to find the logical order of the different ideas in the text boxes.
The topic sentence will express the main idea of the paragraph. Mostly, these do not start with any pronoun or link to someone or something. They are standalone statements that do not depend on any previous information. Look for statements that do not start with connectives, such as ‘hence,’ ‘though,’ ‘although,’ ‘whereas,’ etc. That should ideally be your leading sentence.
Once you have found your topic sentence, the next thing you have to do is to find a logical order of sentences. This can be done by looking at the links between the different ideas in the sentences. Basic knowledge of grammar will come in handy here.
Articles, such as ‘A’ and ‘An,’ are mostly used when an idea or subject is being introduced. ‘The’ is used when a sentence is directing the attention to something or someone specific. It can also be used when talking about a thing that has been introduced previously.
Furthermore, you can also find such things as pronouns, adverbs, or connectors like ‘but’ and ‘and.’ This can help you establish a logical sequence between the sentences. Logical order can also be established by finding the time sequence. This can be achieved by being aware of clues that give you an inclination about the past, present, and future.
Every successive paragraph in a text must add meaning to the paragraphs that come before. For instance, if the first paragraph talks about a particular concept, the next paragraph should ideally provide additional details for the same and the paragraph following that should give an example of the concept.
Use such a meaningful set of events to arrange the paragraphs in the correct order. A definition would necessarily precede its example.
One good idea is to use all the strategies listed above and try out the different options by trial and error to see if they make sense. Start with an independent sentence, then identify the next sentence, and then the next. Readout all the possible combinations in your head in a complete paragraph. If something sticks out as or seems out of place, shift it or try to re-establish the structure.
Practice as much as possible, keeping in mind the aforementioned tips. The more you expose yourself to the task, the easier it will become to re-order paragraphs into a cohesive and logical structure.
Over time, things will become almost instinctive and you won’t have to constantly keep all the tips in your conscious mind. This is the point when you will be completely prepared for the exam.
PTE re-order paragraph is a task that requires some basic understanding on your part and the application of the right strategies. However, you still cannot take away the fact that practice is paramount.
With deliberate practice, you will be able to bring the time that will take you to finish the module well below 2 minutes.