TACHS: Sentence order: match each event, then follow the steps
Put a list of events in the order a paragraph requires by matching each event to its sentence and asking what had to happen first.
How do I put a list of events in the order the paragraph describes?
Short answer
Match each listed event to the sentence it comes from, since the events are usually reworded. Then order them by those sentence numbers, using time words and common sense about what must happen first.
Know first: Time words such as *first, after* and *finally*
Step 1 of 5
Match first, then order
Many paragraphs describe a process, like a project or an experiment, carried out in steps. Some steps depend on others. You cannot compare results before you collect them.
In these questions, you see a paragraph and a short list of events numbered 1, 2 and 3. The choices are orders such as 2, 1, 3. The listed events are usually reworded, so the first job is to find each one in the paragraph.
| Signal | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| first, to begin | This step starts the process. |
| after, once, when ... had | This step follows the one named. |
| only then | Nothing in this step happened until the earlier step was done. |
| finally, at last | This step comes last. |
Step 2 of 5
Match each reworded event
Worked example: Festival pumpkins
Put these events in the order required by the paragraph:
1. They planted the seeds.
2. They picked the pumpkins.
3. They checked the soil.
(1) The garden club wanted to grow pumpkins for the fall festival.
(2) In May, members tested the soil to see whether it needed compost.
(3) After adding compost, they planted the pumpkin seeds in two rows.
(4) A neighbor's dog liked to nap under the club's fence.
(5) In October, they harvested the pumpkins and carried them to the festival.
- A3, 1, 2
- B1, 3, 2
- C3, 2, 1
- D1, 2, 3
- 1
Match
Checked the soil is sentence 2. Planted the seeds is sentence 3. Picked the pumpkins matches harvested in sentence 5.
- 2
Order
By sentence number: event 3, then event 1, then event 2.
- 3
Check
In May, after adding compost and in October confirm it. Sentence 4 is about a dog and plays no part.
- 4
See why the other choices are there
1, 3, 2 plants before testing the soil. 3, 2, 1 harvests before planting. 1, 2, 3 simply reads the list from top to bottom.
Answer
3, 1, 2
Find the wrong step
A student orders these events from a paragraph about a letter: 1. He wrote about his new school. 2. He mailed the letter. 3. He sealed the envelope. The paragraph describes writing in sentence 2, sealing in sentence 4, and mailing in sentence 5.
- 1
Matches event 1 to sentence 2, event 3 to sentence 4, and event 2 to sentence 5.
- 2
Writes the order as 1, 2, 3, the order the events are listed.
What went wrong
The list is scrambled on purpose. The order comes from the sentence numbers the student just found.
- 3
Picks the choice 1, 2, 3.
The fix
Order by the matched sentence numbers 2, 4, 5: that gives 1, 3, 2. The envelope is sealed before it is mailed.
Step 3 of 5
Order the events yourself
Check yourself · Question 1
Put these events in the order required by the paragraph:
1. The class put the scenes together.
2. The class planned what each person would say.
3. The class recorded the scenes outdoors.
(1) Our class decided to make a short video about recycling.
(2) First, we wrote a script and divided the speaking parts.
(3) Next, we filmed each scene in the school courtyard.
(4) The courtyard also has a bench donated by last year's class.
(5) Once all the scenes were filmed, we edited them into a five-minute video.
Answer: A
Event 2 is the script (sentence 2), event 3 is filming (sentence 3), and event 1 is editing (sentence 5). First, next and once confirm the order.
Check yourself · Question 2
Put these events in the order required by the paragraph:
1. She cut back the roots.
2. She added soil around the plant.
3. She removed the plant from its pot.
(1) Imani wanted to repot her grandmother's spider plant.
(2) She lifted the plant gently out of its cramped pot.
(3) She trimmed the tangled roots with clean scissors.
(4) She set the plant in a larger pot and filled the sides with fresh soil.
Answer: C
Removing is sentence 2, trimming is sentence 3, and adding soil is sentence 4. You also cannot trim roots still inside a pot.
Trap answer: 3, 2, 1
One step out of place
- Why it looks right
- It starts correctly with removing the plant, so the rest seems likely to be right too.
- Why it's wrong
- Trimmed in sentence 3 matches cut back the roots, which must come before the soil in sentence 4.
- The right answer
- 3, 1, 2: remove, trim, then add soil.
Common mistake
Missing a reworded event, such as not seeing that cut back the roots means trimmed the tangled roots.
- Why it's tempting
- The listed events use different words, so it can seem like they do not appear in the paragraph.
- Do this instead
- Match by meaning. Ask what action each listed event describes, then find the sentence with that action.
Step 4 of 5
What to remember
Remember
- Match each listed event to its sentence, even when the words change.
- Order the events by those sentence numbers and check with time words.
- Ignore sentences that are not part of the process.
Step 5 of 5
Practice on a real question
Use what you just learned on this question, then check the explanation.
Try another one
In your own words
In the practice question, which sentence did each listed event come from, and what words in the paragraph confirmed the order?