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English · Guide 2 of 2

Shuffled sentences

The words of a sentence have been mixed up, and usually one extra word has sneaked in. Rebuild the sentence around its verb and the word left over is your answer.

  • Ages 9 to 11
  • 11+ English
  • Worked examples

What is it?

In a shuffled sentence question, the words of a sentence are in the wrong order. In the most common kind, there is one extra word that doesn't belong: you rearrange the rest into a sentence and pick the word that is left over.

In another kind, two words in a sentence have swapped places and you find the two words that need to swap back. Both test grammar and how well you understand what a sentence means.

A typical question

Rearrange the words to make a sentence. Which word is not needed? postman the dog at barked the loudly were

How to spot it

  • A line of words in a jumbled order, often in lower case with no full stop.
  • 'Which word is not needed?' or 'Find the word that doesn't belong'.
  • 'Which two words must swap places for the sentence to make sense?'

Step-by-step method

  1. Step 1: Count the words. If one is extra, your sentence will use all but one of them.
  2. Step 2: Find the verb (the doing word), then ask who or what is doing it: that's the subject.
  3. Step 3: Build outwards: who did what, to whom or what, then where, when and how.
  4. Step 4: Little words go with the words they belong to: 'the' and 'a' go before a noun, 'at' and 'on' before a place or thing.
  5. Step 5: Say your sentence in your head. It must make sense and use every word except one.
  6. Step 6: The word left over is your answer. Check it really can't fit anywhere.

Worked examples

Example 1: find the extra word

Question: Which word is not needed? postman the dog at barked the loudly were
  1. Step 1: There are 8 words, so the sentence has 7.
  2. Step 2: Verbs: 'barked' and 'were'. A dog barks, so start with 'the dog barked'.
  3. Step 3: Barked at whom? 'at the postman'. How? 'loudly'. → The dog barked loudly at the postman.
  4. Step 4: That uses 7 words. were is left over, and 'the dog were' would be wrong anyway.

Answer: were

Example 2: the extra word makes no sense

Question: Which word is not needed? quietly the library in read children the shouted
  1. Step 1: 8 words, so the sentence has 7. Verbs: 'read' and 'shouted'.
  2. Step 2: 'The children shouted quietly in the library' doesn't make sense: you can't shout quietly.
  3. Step 3: 'The children read quietly in the library' makes sense, so shouted is the extra word.

Answer: shouted

Example 3: two words have swapped

Question: Which two words need to swap? 'The ball kicked the boy across the field.'
  1. Step 1: Who is doing the kicking? A ball can't kick anything.
  2. Step 2: Swap 'ball' and 'boy': 'The boy kicked the ball across the field.' ✓

Answer: ball and boy

Common traps

  • Making a sentence that leaves two words out

    Your sentence must use every word except exactly one. If two are left over, rebuild it.

  • A sentence that's grammatical but silly

    'The children shouted quietly in the library' sounds like English, but doesn't make sense. Meaning matters as well as grammar.

  • Two possible sentences

    Sometimes the same words make two sentences. That's fine as long as the same word is left over in both: that's your answer.

  • Writing the whole sentence

    The question usually wants only the extra word. Write the sentence in your head or on scrap paper, then give just the word asked for.

Top tips

  • Start with the verb: a sentence is built around what is happening.
  • Watch for a second verb or a word that doesn't match in time (were with barked) or number (was with twins).
  • Cross out each word on scrap paper as you use it.
  • Read your sentence back with expression: if it sounds odd, it probably is.

Practice questions

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