In the following question, the first and the last sentence of the passage are in order and numbered 1 and 6. The rest of the passage is split into 4 parts and numbered as 2, 3, 4, and 5. These 4 parts are not arranged in proper order. Read the sentences and arrange them in a logical sequence to make a passage and choose the correct sequence from the given options. 1. On Diwali, the family rises early in the morning. 2. The whole family, including the young and the old enjoy doing this. 3. Children set off fireworks later in the night with their friends. 4. During the day, the lamps are lit and the family performs various rituals. 5. Father, mother and children visit relatives and exchange gifts and sweets. 6. The children look so pretty with lamps all around. A. 2, 5, 4, 3 B. 4, 5, 2, 3 C. 5, 4, 2, 3 D. 4, 5, 2, 3

GATE 2015 · General Aptitude · Sentence Ordering · medium

Answer: The correct sequence is 4, 5, 2, 3 — matching option B. The narrative flows: family rises (1) -> daytime rituals and lamp lighting (4) -> visit relatives and exchange gifts (5) -> whole family enjoys together (2) -> children set fireworks at night (3) -> children look pretty with lamps (6).

1. Anchor sentence 4 first using time marker: Sentence 4 contains 'During the day' — this directly follows sentence 1 (family rises early in the morning). Lamp lighting and rituals are the first structured Diwali activities after waking. So 4 is the first of the middle sentences.
2. Place sentence 5 after sentence 4: After home rituals (sentence 4), families go out to visit relatives and exchange gifts (sentence 5). This is natural Diwali social order — first perform your own rituals at home, then go visiting. So 5 follows 4.
3. Place sentence 2 after sentence 5: Sentence 2 says 'The whole family, including the young and the old enjoy doing this.' The pronoun 'this' is anaphoric — it refers to visiting relatives and exchanging sweets (sentence 5). The enjoyment described encompasses the social activity just mentioned. So 2 follows 5.
4. Place sentence 3 last using 'later in the night': Sentence 3 says 'Children set off fireworks later in the night' — the phrase 'later in the night' is an explicit temporal marker placing this event at the end of the day. It must come last among the middle sentences. Full middle sequence: 4, 5, 2, 3.