Sentence Improvement and Para-jumbles
Why This Chapter Matters
Sentence improvement (phrase replacement) and para-jumbles (rearranging sentences) together carry 5-10 marks in banking exams. Para-jumbles in particular require a systematic approach.
Part 1: Sentence Improvement / Phrase Replacement
A sentence is given with one phrase underlined. Choose the replacement that improves it.
Approach
1.Identify the error type in the underlined part (grammar, redundancy, wrong word)
2.Choose option that corrects the specific error
3.Read the full sentence with your chosen option to verify it sounds natural
Common Improvements
Wrong verb form:
"She was went to market" → "She went to market"
"He has wrote a letter" → "He has written a letter"
Wrong preposition:
"She is married with him" → "She is married to him"
"He apologised to his mistake" → "He apologised for his mistake"
Redundancy:
"Please revert back at your earliest" → "Please revert at your earliest"
Conciseness:
"Due to the fact that it was raining" → "Because it was raining"
"In spite of the fact that" → "Although/Despite"
No change option: Banking exams often have "No improvement needed" as an option. Use it if the sentence is already correct.
Part 2: Para-jumbles (Sentence Rearrangement)
5-6 sentences are given out of order. Arrange them into a coherent paragraph.
Systematic Approach
Step 1 — Find the Opening Sentence:
•Introduces a topic, person, or concept for the first time
•Has no pronoun referring to something not yet introduced (no "he, she, it, they, this, that" at start unless explained)
•Often starts with an article ("A", "The") + new noun
•Never starts mid-thought ("However, therefore, moreover, but, so")
Step 2 — Find the Closing Sentence:
•Gives conclusion, solution, or summary
•Often uses "thus, therefore, finally, in conclusion, hence"
•Should flow naturally from the preceding sentence
Step 3 — Find Logical Pairs:
•Look for pronoun-antecedent connections: if sentence B says "He did this" — sentence A must introduce "He"
•Cause-effect pairs: sentence A causes what B describes
•Contrast pairs: "However" connects to its contrasting predecessor
•Examples follow general statements
Step 4 — Use Connectors as Clues:
•"However, but, although" → contrast with previous sentence
•"Moreover, furthermore, in addition" → adds to previous point
•"Therefore, thus, hence, consequently" → conclusion from previous
•"For example, for instance" → example follows a general statement
•"This, these, such" → refers to something just mentioned
Example Para-jumble
Sentences: P, Q, R, S, T
P: "The policy was implemented in 2018 to control inflation."
Q: "However, it faced strong resistance from industry."
R: "This resistance led to several amendments."
S: "The Reserve Bank of India announced a new monetary policy."
T: "Eventually, a modified version was accepted by all stakeholders."
Answer: S → P → Q → R → T
•S: introduces RBI and policy (opening sentence)
•P: explains what the policy was
•Q: "However" introduces resistance (contrast)
•R: "This resistance" refers back to Q
•T: "Eventually" gives resolution (closing)
PYQs
SBI PO 2023: Para-jumble with 5 sentences on banking sector. Clue: "this sector" in one sentence → must follow sentence that names the sector.
IBPS PO 2022: Sentence improvement — "He was very much tired after his journey." → Remove "much" ("very tired" is correct).
IBPS Clerk 2022: Odd sentence in para-jumble (which sentence doesn't belong). Find sentence that breaks the logical flow.
Revision Notes
SENTENCE IMPROVEMENT:
Identify error type first (tense, preposition, redundancy, word choice)
Common: wrong verb form, wrong preposition, redundancy, wrong comparison
"No improvement" is a valid answer — don't force a change
PARA-JUMBLES:
Opening sentence: introduces NEW topic/person, no pronoun dependency, no connecting word
Closing sentence: conclusion (thus, therefore, finally)
CONNECTORS:
However/But/Although: contrast → connect to opposite idea
Moreover/Furthermore: addition → builds on previous point
Therefore/Thus/Hence: conclusion → follows from reason
For example/instance: follows general statement
This/These/Such/The + noun: refers to something just mentioned
STEPS:
1. Find opener (no dependency)
2. Find closer (conclusion word)
3. Link pronoun to antecedent
4. Link connectors to their logical pairs
5. Verify full sequence makes sense
