Which of the given options arranges the following sentences in the most logical order to form a meaningful paragraph?
1. The police investigated the matter thoroughly.
2. A robbery took place in the local bank.
3. They gathered evidence from the crime scene.
4. Eventually, the culprits were caught and arrested.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
2-1-3-4
Explanation
The passage describes a chronological timeline of events following a criminal incident. To solve this quickly for an exam, follow the natural sequence of a criminal investigation from the incident to the final resolution.
Sentence (2) introduces the initial event—the robbery—which serves as the mandatory starting point for the narrative. Sentence (1) must follow next, introducing the police arrival and investigation. Sentence (3) uses the pronoun "They" to refer back to "The police" in sentence (1), describing their specific investigative action of gathering evidence. Finally, sentence (4) begins with the transition word "Eventually," which signals the final outcome of the timeline: the arrest.
Following this logical chain (Crime - Investigation - Evidence Gathering - Resolution), the sequence must be 2-1-3-4. Therefore, Option 2 is the correct choice.
Key Points
Arranging narrative sentences requires identifying the primary initiating event before tracking subsequent actions in a realistic, chronological order.
Pronoun references, such as "They" linking back to "The police," provide structural clues to connect adjacent sentences correctly.