Paragraph Organization Test Samples Civil Service Exam:

Instruction: Choose the best order and sequence of the following sentences to form
a well-organized paragraph.
1.
A. One effective way is to diversify his funds to different investments like real estate,
stocks and money instruments like bonds and trust funds.
B. It is always best to expand money to different investment wheels.
C. A wise investor must not put all his eggs in one basket.
D. He should always consider the risks involved in investing his money.

1. CBAD 2. CBDA 3. CDAB 4. CDBA

2.
A. It is very vital to have social media presence however personal blogs serve as
web domains.
B. Most people including celebrities and businessmen have blogs nowadays.
C. Therefore, building them will help anyone in promoting himself or his business.
D. Apparently blogs are like our offices only they are in the internet.

1. BDAC 2. BADC 3. BACD 4. BDCA

3.
A. The basic steps in building a website are easy to remember and registering a
domain name is the usual priority.
B. Designing a layout will come after that.
C. Finally, adding more content and social media presence are required to keep your
site active.
D. Then you need a hosting provider to host your site’s content in the World Wide
Web.

1. ABCD 2. ADBC 3. ACBD 4. ADCB

4.
A. Speaking in English every day is also proven effective.
B. Another way is watching English movies and TV shows particularly with English
subtitles.
C. Reading articles in books, newspapers, and magazines is just among the helpful
ways.
D. There are many ways to improve and develop English proficiency.

1. DCBA 2. DACB 3. DABC 4. DCAB

5.
A. Others don’t realize yet what to pursue because they have many dreams.
B. Finding the right course in college is one of the most challenging decisions
anyone can make.
C. Some people want to pursue their dreams ever since they were just little.
D. Indeed destiny is a matter of choice.

1. BDAC 2. BCDA 3. BADC 4. BCAD

6.
A. While passport, airline tickets and valid IDs are required, proof of financial
capacity may be required for visa application.
B. Many Filipinos rejoiced hearing that good news.
C. The Bureau of Immigration announced recently that proof of financial capacity is
not a primary requirement at the airport.
D. Positive points go to the bureau for this.

1. CBAD 2. CADB 3. CABD 4. CBDA

7.
A. This will be one of your tickets to land a job in the government.
B. That is why many people apply to take the Career Service examination.
C. If you passed the exam, you will get a certificate of eligibility.
D. Career Service Eligibility is a major requirement to apply for a job position in the
government.

1. DCBA 2. DBAC 3. DBCA 4. DCAB

8.
A. Your passport will arrive in 7 days if you choose the rush processing.
B. Getting a passport is faster nowadays.
C. Now, it only takes about 10 working days.
D. Compared before, it would take about a month for the regular processing.

1. BCAD 2. BDCA 3. BADC 4. BACD

9.
A. Facebook has been the number one social network in the web and the world for
quite long now.
B. Mobile instant messaging apps are also dominating social presence in the
internet.
C. After many acquisitions, Facebook bought Instagram, one of the fastest growing
photo sharing networks.
D. Because of that, Facebook acquired WhatsApp, a leading instant chat platform
like Kakaotalk.

1. ACBD 2. ABCD 3. ADCB 4. ADBC

10.
A. They will help you to purchase through zero-interest installment schemes.
B. Thus, you must be wise and pay in full if you want to avoid never-ending debts.
C. Credit cards are helpful if you know how and when to use them wisely.
D. However, they will produce interests from interests if you didn’t pay the whole
amount at the due date.

1. CDBA 2. CABD 3. CDAB 4. CADB

11.) A. From it comes the energy which makes life possible.

B. Yet, the sun is all-important to living things on earth.

C. Though the earth seems so large to us; it is only a minor member of the
system; in fact the system’s center and its giant, the sun, is itself only one of the myriad
of stars and is far from being the greatest.

D. Nevertheless, it is important to realize the earth’s place in that broader

scheme of things known as the solar system.

E. The attention of geography is focused on the earth, particularly on the

surface of the earth.

1. DECBA 2. ABCED 3. EDCBA

4. EDBDA 5. EDBAC

12.) A. Science is a game that is inspiring and refreshing.

B. The rewards are great because you find a home in the world, a home you
have made for yourself.

C. The playing field is the universe itself.

D. The stakes are high, because you must put down all your preconceived
ideas and habits of thought.

1. DBAD 2. DCBA 3. ACDB

4. ADBC 5. ABDC

13.) A. There is a need for a highly scientific education of prospective scientist.

B. The development of science and technology is vital to the economic

growth of any country.

C. It will raise the standard of living particularly in developing countries like the
Philippines.

D. To insure this, there must be a well-trained scientist and technologist.

 E. It is in realization of this need that the Philippine Science High School was
established.

1. BCADE 2. CEBAD 3. CEDBA

4. ADEBC 5. ECBAD

14.) A. For the first time, however, the waters of Laguna de Bay are serving a
new and different purpose.

B. Today, these lands can be planted to playa during off-season.

C. They are being harnessed to water rice field along the shores which are idle
during the dry season.

D. Fish abound in its waters and its shores have been favorable breeding
ground for ducks.

E. Laguna de Bay has for centuries been a major source of livelihood for
people living along its shores.

1. CEABD 2. CEBAD 3. ECABD

4. ABDCE 5. BAECD

15.) A. April 27 marks two historical events, the anniversary of the Battle of
Mactan and the inauguration of the Mactan International Airport.

B. This modern airfield has all the facilities and installation of the most up-
to-date air center.

C. Mactan Island where Magellan met his death today takes pride in
another distinguishing historical feature.

D. It is therefore able to accommodate the world’s largest air jetliners.

E. It is now the new location of the Philippine’s second largest airport.

1. BCEDA 2. ABCDE 3. CEDBA

4. BECDA 5. BAECD

16.) A. Today, the emphasis is to top quality.

B. Further, they are providing a blue print for other nations to follow to
achieve the same goals.

C. Trading companies are mainly responsible for the improvement.

 D. Years ago, many Japanese exports were products that lasted only a few
hours.

E. They also get major credit for making the country economically sound.

1. DACEB 2. CDEBA 3. ACBED

17.) A. The cry of our farmers for water in the rice fields does not have an
exciting ring.

B. It is not a political cry and therefore does not electrify the nation.

C. Most people hearken to the cry with a polite but disinterested look.

D. It is, however, a cry that has serious overtones in the nation’s effort to be
self-sufficient in its all-important crop.

E. Rice shortage has always caused serious dislocations in our economy.

1. CABDE 2. ABDCE 3. ABCDE

4. ADBEC 5. EACDB

18.) A. Advance warning however can do a great deal to reduce opposition.

B. How changes introduced affects their acceptance by employees.

C. To illustrate, sudden change will inevitably meet with great employee

resistance.

D. It also gives a man time to adjust to his new framework and to the
personal and domestic changes that go along.

E. Imposed alterations can lead to dissatisfaction, absenteeism and

inefficiency.

1. BCEDA 2. ECBDA 3. ACBED

4. CEDAB 5. BCEAD

19.) A. The term nationalism defies definition.

B. However, it has come to mean different things to different people.

C. In fact, it has become a complex phenomenon.

D. meanwhile, we say that nationalism stands for the desire of a people for
rational self-determination and assertion.

E. Its meaning has changed through the centuries.

 1. ACDEB 2. EBCDA 3. AECDB

4. AEBCD 5. EBDAC

20.) A. As an English writer has written, “Providence in her wise disposition has
placed these people in the garden of Eden, where the means of
subsistence are found without much labor, and does not require them to toil and slave
to satisfy their personal wants.”

B. Foreign writers have rashly accused the Filipinos of “Indolence.”

C. The Filipinos take life easy because of the tropical climate and the
liberation of nature.

D. By the yard stick of human action in temperature countries, the Filipinos do

not work hard.

E. Such may seem the case, but foreign critics are interpreting it as a
manifestation of racial laziness

1. DECBA 2. ADBCE 3. EDCBA

4. ABCDE 5. EDBAC

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. If it’s hard for you, make
an outline of each topic in the sentences.

Watch out for the following signal words:

Order or sequence:

 First, second, third, first and foremost, afterwards, then, next, at last, until,
finally, lastly
 But, however, on the other hand, than, likewise, nonetheless, nevertheless,
similarly, oppose to, apparently

Cause and effect:

 Because, hence, thus, therefore, consequently, subsequently

Paragraph Organization Techniques:

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

Logical connectors are used to join or connect two ideas that have a particular
relationship. These relationships can be: sequential (time), reason and purpose,
adversative (opposition and/or unexpected result), condition.

Within each category, the words used to join the ideas or clauses are used
differently, with different grammar and punctuation.

Subordinating Introduce adverb clauses

conjunctions
Either the dependent clause or the
independent clause may come first in
the sentence, with no change in
meaning

ex: Before he came, we didn't have a

physical education teacher.

We didn't have a physical education

teacher before he came.

Prepositions Is followed by a noun or noun phrase

Either clause may appear first

ex: He didn't come to class due to his

illness.

Transitions and Joins two sentences separated by a

Conjunctive adverbs period or two clauses separated by a
semi-colon.

Only one possible order of the

sentences

The transition may appear clause

initial, clause final, or between the
subject and verb of
the second sentence.

ex: He was sick. Nevertheless, he

came to class.
Conjunctions One possible order

A comma is used before the

conjunction

In academic writing, do not begin a

sentence with a conjunction

ex: He didn't do his homework, so he

didn't pass the class.

Sequential (Time)

Subordinating until
conjunctions
after

before

when

while

since

once

whenever

as soon as

as long as

by the time

Prepositions during

after
 before

since

until

upon

Conjunctive adverbs then

and transitions
next

after that

following that

before that

afterwards

meanwhile

beforehand

Conjunctions and then

Causal (Reason and Purpose, Cause and Effect)

Subordinating because
conjunctions
as

since

inasmuch as

now that

as long as

such...that
 [such a/an + adjective
+ noun + that]

so...that

[so +adjective or
adverb + that]

[so
much/many/little/few +
noun + that]

expressing purpose

so that

in order that

Prepositions because of

due to

in order to

Conjunctive adverbs therefore

and transitions
consequently

Conjunctions so

Adversative (unexpected result, contrast, opposition)

Subordinating even though

conjunctions
 although

though

(in spite of the fact

that)

while

whereas

where

Prepositions despite

in spite of

Conjunctive adverbs however

and transitions
nonetheless

nevertheless

on the other hand

in contrast

on the contrary

Conjunctions but...anyway

but...still

yet...still

but
Condition

Subordinating if
conjunctions
unless

even if

providing (that)

provided (that)

in case

whether or not

only if*

*verb inversion, no
comma if only
if appears first in the
sentence

Prepositions

Conjunctive adverbs otherwise

and transitions

Conjunctions or (else)

Reduced Adverb Clauses

Rule: If the subject of the adverb clause and the main clause are the same, the
adverb clause may be reduced.
To reduce, drop the subject and the
verb be in the adverb clause.
If there is not be verb, change the
adverb clause verb to the present
participle.
You may omit the subordinating
conjunction (while) with simultaneous
actions.
Because is always omitted in reduced
clauses.
You may also omit being in the
reduced clause.
Remember: Only sentences in which
the subjects of both clauses are the
same maybe be reduced.
1. I had an accident while I was
driving past the REI climbing
rock.
1. I had an accident while driving
past the REI climbing rock.
1. Even though she was hungry,
she didn’t eat the pie.
1. Even though hungry, she didn’t
eat the pie.
Before she owned a pet, she was
afraid of dogs.
Before owning a pet, she was
afraid of dogs.
While camping at Mt. Rainier, I
saw several mountain goats.
Camping at Mt. Rainier, I saw
several mountain goats.
Because she didn’t get accepted
to the university, she is going to
attend community college.
Not being accepted to the
university, she is going to attend
community college.
Being dyslexic, he doesn’t like to
read in public.
Dyslexic, he doesn’t like to read in
public.
While I was eating corn on the
cob, my tooth fell out. This adverb
clause cannot be reduced because the
subject of the adverb clause is not the
same as the subject of the main
clause.
All 12 Verb Tenses in English – Past, Present and Future Verbs
Present Simple Verb Tense

When you use present simple, you are using a routine. It’s something that you
always do every day, month or year. Or it’s something that you never do.

PRESENT VERB TENSE EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They: travel every day.
 He, She, It: travels every day.
Present Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

When you use present continuous, you are referring to what is happening right now.
Also, it can be an action that is not yet complete.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE EXAMPLES:

 I: am traveling right now.
 You, We, They: are traveling right now.
 He, She, It: is traveling right now.
Present Perfect Verb Tense

Although it’s easy to confuse this verb tense with present simple, the main difference
is that the action is complete for present perfect. In other words, you are looking at
the result right now without any words referring to time.

PRESENT PERFECT EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They: have traveled to France.
 He, She, It: has traveled to France.
Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

In this verb tense, an action starts in the past but it’s still continuing now. You have
been performing the action and still are performing the action in the present.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They: have been traveling for a day.
 He, She, It: has been traveling for a day.
Past Simple Verb Tense

For past simple, it includes a finished action and time.

PAST SIMPLE EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They, He, She, It: traveled to France yesterday.
Past Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

When you use past continuous, you are often using two actions. However, one
action is not finished in the past, and another is complete interrupting the other
action.
PAST CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE EXAMPLES:
 I, He, She, It: was traveling by bus when the deer crossed the road.
 You, We, They: were traveling when the deer crossed the road.
Past Perfect Verb Tense

This verb tense uses two actions at two different times. Before the second action
occurs, the first action is complete.

PAST PERFECT EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They, He, She, It: had traveled by car when the bus arrived.
Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

For colloquial English, we don’t use past perfect continuous very often. But in text
books, it’s a bit more common. This very tense has a complete action that happened
before a second action. But in this case, you can describe how long.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They, He, She, It: had been traveling for one hour when the car
broke down.
Future Simple Verb Tense

This verb tense is about planning things to do in the future. For example, what will
you do tomorrow or next week?

Instead of using “will”, you can use “going to” for future tense. But this lesson uses
“will” for the future tense.

FUTURE SIMPLE EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will travel to France tomorrow.
Future Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

The action is not complete, when another action happens in the future. This is similar
to past continuous, but it refers to the future.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will be traveling when you arrive.
Future Perfect Verb Tense

An action will be completed in the future before another is completed.

FUTURE PERFECT EXAMPLES:

 I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will have traveled to France by the time you
arrive.
Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive Verb Tense

An action will be continuing in the future when it is interrupted by another action. In

this future verb tense, it often includes an indication of how long the action has been
happening.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE EXAMPLES:
 I, You, We, They, He, She, It: will have been traveling for one hour when you
arrive.