LESSON 3: SENTENCE INSERTION
Sentence Insertion questions have been introduced in CAT 2022 . In this question type, we are given a paragraph with four blanks in between it. We are also given a sentence which has been taken from this paragraph. We need to fit the given sentence in one of the four blanks, after finding out where it is appropriate to position this sentence, by understanding the key message of the paragraph and the given sentence. This question type was brought in as a replacement for Odd One Out questions, where we had five jumbled sentences and had to pick one of those five which was not part of the sequence. These questions are considered Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) with 4 options (4 blanks), and are scored as MCQs in CAT (you score 3 marks if you get it right, and -1 mark if you get it wrong).
Currently, this is a recent addition to CAT, with 2 questions of this type in each slot. It remains to be seen if this question type comes up in other entrance tests, as a replacement for Jumbled Paragraph questions (where we have 4 or 5 jumbled up sentences, and have to choose the correct sequence), or Paragraph Completion questions (where we have a paragraph and have to select the last sentence from 4 or 5 options).
We need to understand the author's Key Message in order to solve this such questions correctly. Questions can come from any genre or topic, such as Science and Technology, Socio-culture or Social Sciences (history, geography, politics), Economics or Business, Psychology, Philosophy, Narrative sources or even Fiction. Reading articles or books from these genres and practising finding the key message will help in this. This is covered in depth in the Reading Comprehension lesson, and we will learn the techniques in this lesson as well. We also need to understand the Function of the given sentence which has to be fit into one of the blanks. A sentence can act as an introductory sentence, a connecting sentence, a contrasting sentence or a conclusion. It can also provide a reason or argument, explain a concept, provide data or an example. Once we understand the key message of the paragraph and the function of the given sentence, it will become easier to solve Sentence Insertion questions. We will practice all of this in this lesson, and also learn more techniques to solve these questions correctly.
Let's solve some examples to get a better idea of this question type.
Example 1
There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.
[CAT 2022 Slot 1]
Sentence: Having made citizens more and less knowledgeable than their predecessors, the Internet has proved to be both a blessing and a curse.
Paragraph: Never before has a population, nearly all of whom has enjoyed at a least a secondary school education, been exposed to so much information, whether in newspapers and magazines or through YouTube, Google, and Facebook. ___(1)___. Yet it is not clear that people today are more knowledgeable than their barely literate predecessors. Contemporary advances in technology offered more serious and inquisitive students access to realms of knowledge previously unimaginable and unavailable. ___(2)___. But such readily available knowledge leads many more students away from serious study, the reading of actual texts, and toward an inability to write effectively and grammatically. ___(3)___. It has let people choose sources that reinforce their opinions rather than encouraging them to question inherited beliefs. ___(4)___.
(1) Option 1
(2) Option 2
(3) Option 3
(4) Option 4
Solution
In this paragraph, the author tells us that we have much more information available now as compared to our predecessors, primarily because of the internet (can be inferred from YouTube, Google, and Facebook). The author explains the benefits of access to so much information, as well as the issues (distractions, not questioning our opinions). The given sentence acts as a conclusion, telling us that the internet is a blessing and a curse at the same time. We can connect this with the benefits and issues of the access to extensive information given in the paragraph. Therefore, we can place the given sentence at the end of the paragraph, in blank (4).
We can eliminate blank (1), as this sentence is a conclusion about the impact of the internet and has to come after the pros and cons have been explained. The first part of the given sentence (Having made citizens more and less knowledgeable than their predecessors) can only come after the author has explained how the internet has made us more and less knowledgeable.
We can eliminate blank (2) and blank (3) because inserting the given sentence in either of these blanks would break the flow of the paragraph. These blanks occur occur in between the part where the author is explaining the benefits and the issues with access to unlimited information.
Therefore, we can eliminate the other options and select option (4) for this question.
Answer: (4) Option 4
Example 2
There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.
Sentence: Instead, a surprisingly wide range of pundits, from celebrity scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson to former GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio, assert that philosophy is pointless or impractical.
Paragraph: _______(1)_______ Philosophy has been a favorite whipping boy in the culture wars since 399 B.C., when an Athenian jury sentenced Socrates to death. Nowadays, philosophers are no longer accused of “corrupting the youth.” _______(2)_______ In reality, philosophy majors do strikingly well on standardized tests for graduate school. In addition, many successful CEOs and entrepreneurs majored in philosophy. _______(3)_______ Although the critics of academic philosophy may be mistaken about where the problem is, the truth is that departments are failing their students in some critical ways. _______(4)_______
(1) Option 1
(2) Option 2
(3) Option 3
(4) Option 4
Solution
This sentences argues that people's negative opinion about philosophy is wrong. From the first part of the paragraph, we can infer that philosophy was considered to “corrupt the youth” earlier. The second part of the sentence, after blank (2), explains how those who study philosophy actually do well.
The given sentence cites another, relatively modern, opinion about philosophy, and therefore, it should be fit into blank (2) before the author explains that this is not so. In fact, the sentences after blank (2) seem to be a direct counter of the opinion cited in the given sentence. Therefore, this is the most suitable. The word instead (which is a contrasting word) is also suitable as it explains how the accusation has shifted from “corrupting” to “pointless.”
Blank (1) is not suitable as the context in the first sentence has to come before the given sentence.
Blank (3) comes after two sentences which are positive about philosophy, and hence, is unsuitable.
Blank (4) is not logical, we can expect a sentence which explains how philosophy departments are failing the students here instead. Therefore, option (2) is the correct choice.
Answer: Option (2)
Example 3
There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.
[CAT 2022 Slot 3]
Sentence: When people socially learn from each other, they often learn without understanding why what they’re copying—the beliefs and behaviours and technologies and know-how—works.
Paragraph: ___(1)___. The dual-inheritance theory ….says....that inheritance is itself an evolutionary system. It has variation. What makes us a new kind of animal, and so different and successful as a species, is we rely heavily on social learning, to the point where socially acquired information is effectively a second line of inheritance, the first being our genes…. ___(2)___. People tend to home in on who seems to be the smartest or most successful person around, as well as what everybody seems to be doing—the majority of people have something worth learning. ___(3)___. When you repeat this process over time, you can get, around the world, cultural packages—beliefs or behaviours or technology or other solutions—that are adapted to the local conditions. People have different psychologies, effectively. ___(4)___.
(1) Option 1
(2) Option 2
(3) Option 3
(4) Option 4
Solution
In this paragraph, we learn about the dual inheritance theory. This theory postulates that inheritance evolves as humans rely on social learning in dual ways – learning from those who are the smartest, and from everybody (common actions that everybody seems to be doing). This also results in cultural behaviours around different parts of the world. The given sentence is about how people learn from others (by copying, not by understanding in depth).
As the given sentence is about how we learn, it can be placed in blank (2), as an explanation of socially learned information (which is introduced in the sentence just before this blank). This is the most suitable option for the given sentence, as it is an explanation or extension of our second line of inheritance – social learning by copying from others. The sentence following blank (2) also justifies copying without understanding, because copying the smartest people or common actions should help us (doing anything without thinking can be risky otherwise).
We can eliminate blank (1), as the first sentence of the paragraph introduces the dual inheritance theory. The next two sentences elaborate on this theory. The given sentence is explaining one of the types of inheritance of learning, and it will not make sense to place it before the sentence introducing the overall theory itself.
We can also eliminate blank (3) because the sentences before and after it form a logical sequence, leading to learnt cultural behaviours. The given sentence is not related to this, and will break the flow.
It is also not connected with the conclusion (local cultural behaviours or psychologies), and hence, we can eliminate blank (4).
Therefore, we can eliminate the other options and select option (2) for this question.
Answer: (2) Option 2
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