Introduction to Paragraph Organization

Paragraph Organization in the Civil Service exam is a bit of a challenge. While it is far from being difficult, it is very time consuming. You have to find the correct arrangement of the sentences to form the correct paragraph, article or story. Organize sentences – which comes first, what follows, then next and so on. This part of the test is included in both the Professional and Sub-professional Civil Service License exam so once again, having a high rate on this one is a must.

In this type of test, you are given shuffled sentences and you need to arrange them to form a story or a passage with sense. Paragraph organization requires a hefty amount of time because it involves analyzing the sentences or phrases and placing them in chronological order. Don’t worry though because before we go to the exercises, I’ll give you some pointers first to make this test a bit easier.

 

Tips in Paragraph Organization

Every paragraph, story or an article has a pattern and your goal is to organize the whole pattern to present the main thought chronologically. Try to make an outline of each topic in the sentences so that arranging will be easier. Watch out for signal words which indicates time or events.

Order or sequence:

• First, second, third, first and foremost, afterwards, then, next, at last, until, finally, lastly

Comparison: Similarities and differences:

• But, however, on the other hand, than, likewise, nonetheless, nevertheless, similarly, oppose to, apparently

Cause and effect:

• Because, hence, thus, therefore, consequently, subsequently

Depending on the structure of the paragraph, you’ll usually find these words in the middle part.

 

Paragraph Organization Techniques:

1. First, find the topic sentence. It usually contains the main idea or the main topic of the paragraph.
2. Next, find the supporting sentences that support that topic sentence.
3. Finally, find the concluding sentence or the closing sentence. It’s usually the final thought or conclusion and marks the end of the article, paragraph or story.

Did you notice the signal words that I used to organize the paragraph organization techniques above? Easy, right?

 

Paragraph Organization Test Samples

Do you now have the hang of it? Then let us proceed to some paragraph organization exercises. Consider this your introduction test with this type of questions in the Civil Service Exam. Choose the best order and sequence of the following sentences to form a well-organized paragraph.

1.

A. I was so excited I could barely pack.
B. That all changed the summer after my sophomore year of high school.
C. My dad announced that we were going to Singapore for vacation!
D. Today I’ve been all over the world, but until I was 15 I had never left the United States.

1. DBCA      b. DBAC      c. CDBA      d. CDAB

2.

A. They will help you when your budget is running low or on emergencies.
B. Thus, you must be wise and pay in full if you want to avoid never-ending debts.
C. Cash loans are helpful if you know how and when to use them wisely.
D. However, they will produce interests from interests if you don’t pay the whole amount at the due date.

1. CADB      b. CABD      c. CDBA      d. CDAB

3.

A. A sprain is an injury to a joint, such as the ankle, knee, or wrist.
B. In a sprain, the ligaments are stretched or torn.
C. This is usually caused by stretching, twisting or pressure at the joint, which appears very quickly.
D. You also can’t use the joint without increasing pain, and it may look discolored.

1. ACBD      b. DCBA      c. ABCD      d. BCDA

4.

A. Your driver’s license will arrive in 2 weeks if you choose the rush processing.
B. Getting a driver’s license is faster nowadays.
C. Now, it only takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
D. Compared before, it would take about a 6 months for the regular processing.

1. BADC      b. BACD      c. BCAD      d. BDCA

5.

A. They throw their garbage on the streets.
B. Worst of all, they spit everywhere and fill the air with germs.
C. Yet many people do not cooperate in keeping our communities clean.
D. They also litter in the public parks and public buildings.
E. Everyone knows that “Health is Wealth”.

1. EDCAB      b. ECADB      c. EDBCA      d. EBACD

6.

A. It compares the skeletons and skulls of prehistoric man with those of modern man.
B. It also deals with the customs and religions of various tribes and people to find out how races differ and how they develop.
C. This is called ethnology.
D. This science deals with the physical differences between the various human races.
E. The study of anthropology is concerned with the various races of men and their classification.

1. BCDAE      b. ECDAB      c. DCEBA      d. EDCAB

7.

A. Filipino values that are naturally good should be preserved and that which corrupt the mind should be rejected.
B. But the fact that there exists in the Philippines today a plurality of attitudes and customs does not mean that Filipinos should accept all of them without question.
C. Our society is rigidly ruled by a body of beliefs and traditions which largely determine our cultural pattern of behavior.
D. In doing so, they preserve and treasure the sense that makes them true Filipinos–the sense value.
E. This is widely known as Filipino custom.

1. AEBDC      b. CEBAD      c. CADEB      d. AECBD

8.

A. This will be one of your tickets to land a job in the government.
B. Career Service Eligibility is a major requirement to apply for a job position in the government.
C. That is why many people apply to take the Career Service examination.
D. If you passed the exam, you will get a certificate of eligibility.

1. BCAD      b. BDCA      c. BADC      d. BCDA

9.

A. He must get the amino acids from the protein in the food he eats.
B. They are important to man because they provide him with the amino acids that his body cannot make for itself.
C. These include milk, eggs, lean meats, fish, peas, beans, peanuts, and certain grains.
D. Many of the foods that are considered important for us to eat are so because of the proteins they contain.

1. DBCA      b. DCBA      c. ADBC      d. CBAD

10.

A. This condition has been brought about by many factors which include industrial plants belching out smoke, emissions from vehicles, and improperly burned fuel in private residences.
B. And if conditions warrant, all traffic may be halted, the burning of trash may be forbidden and in extreme cases, factories may be shut down.
C. Air pollution is becoming a serious problem throughout the world.
D. Warning is also given to the public when pollution becomes a real menace to health.
E. To counteract such factors, state health departments now measure the amount of pollution in the air as well as the kind of pollutants.

1. CAEBD      b. CAEDB      c. CABDE      d. CEADB

As usual, after you are done with this practice test, click the sharing buttons below to see the correct answers.

Don’t forget to deepen your vocabulary by checking out CSE Reviewer’s vocabulary exercises.