Word rearrangement questions: how to solve them, with 8 practice questions

By Jon Petruch · Updated 9 November 2026

Key takeaways

• Word rearrangement questions give a jumbled set of words. Your child has to rebuild the sentence in their head and answer a question about it.
• The three most common forms are: find the extra word, find the word that comes directly after a given word, and find the two words that have been swapped.
• The fastest method is verb first. Find the action, then who does it, then everything else.
• The extra word is usually a trap: a second verb, a wrong verb form, or a second joining word that almost fits.
• These questions appear in verbal reasoning sections, including EduTest-style and AAS-style scholarship tests.

What is a word rearrangement question?

A word rearrangement question gives a set of words in the wrong order. Your child has to work out the sentence they make, then answer a question about it. They don't write the sentence down. They hold it in their head, so the question tests vocabulary, grammar and working memory at the same time.

In my classes, the students who struggled with these weren't weak readers. They were trying every order of the words until one sounded right. That works for six words and falls apart at twelve. The method below replaces guessing with a fixed order of steps.

The three question types

The method: verb first

1. Find the verb. Look for the action word, such as ran, borrowed or observed. If there are two verbs that do the same job, one of them is probably the extra word.
2. Find who or what does the action. That's usually the first noun in the sentence.
3. Attach the details. Add describing words (brass, hungry) to the nouns they belong with, and place time and place phrases (yesterday, through the telescope).
4. Count the words. Every word except one should be used. If two are left over, the sentence is wrong.
5. Read it back in your head. If any part sounds odd, go back to step 1.

Worked example 1: the extra word

Which word is not needed to make a sentence?

library the borrowed she from three books yesterday lend

• Step 1, the verb: there are two verb forms, borrowed and lend. "She lend" isn't correct English, so borrowed is the verb.
• Step 2, who: she.
• Step 3, details: she borrowed three books, from the library, yesterday.
• Sentence: She borrowed three books from the library yesterday.
• Step 4, count: every word is used except lend.

Answer: lend.

Worked example 2: the word after

Which word comes directly after "brass"?

planets the astronomer telescope observed the through brass the

• Verb: observed. Who: the astronomer. What: the planets. How: through the telescope.
• Brass describes an object, and a telescope can be made of brass. Planets can't.
• Sentence: The astronomer observed the planets through the brass telescope.

Answer: telescope.

A word like brass is a gift. It narrows the choice before you've finished the sentence.

Practice questions

Have your child time themselves: about 45 seconds per question is exam pace.

Question 1. Which word is not needed to make a sentence? home the before ran children storm the arrived umbrella A. home B. before C. umbrella D. storm

Question 2. Two words in this sentence have been swapped. Which two? The thirsty glass drank a whole runner of water after the race. A. thirsty and water B. glass and runner C. drank and race D. whole and thirsty

Question 3. Which word is not needed to make a sentence? although tired because she was kept she working until she finished her homework A. although B. until C. because D. kept

Question 4. Which word comes directly before "never"? again found time lost never is A. lost B. time C. found D. is

Question 5. Which word is not needed to make a sentence? bat of discovered new scientists caves the in a species discovering A. species B. discovering C. new D. in

Question 6. Two words in this sentence have been swapped. Which two? The captain steered the storm safely through the ship. A. captain and ship B. steered and through C. storm and ship D. safely and storm

Question 7. Which word comes directly after "if"? carefully find the if answer will you read question you the A. you B. read C. the D. carefully

Question 8. Which word is not needed to make a sentence? the volcano erupted lava hot sending into air the poured A. sending B. poured C. hot D. into

Answers and working

1. C (umbrella). The children ran home before the storm arrived. The verb is ran, and umbrella has no job in the sentence.

2. B (glass and runner). The thirsty runner drank a whole glass of water after the race. A glass can't be thirsty.

3. C (because). Although she was tired, she kept working until she finished her homework. Although and because both join ideas, but only although makes sense: being tired isn't a reason to keep working. This is the classic trap of two joining words.

4. D (is). Lost time is never found again. (Time lost is never found again also works, and is still comes before never.) A "word after" or "word before" question often has the same answer in every sensible order, which is why test writers like them.

5. B (discovering). Scientists discovered a new species of bat in the caves. Two forms of the same verb: only discovered fits after scientists.

6. C (storm and ship). The captain steered the ship safely through the storm. You steer a ship, not a storm.

7. A (you). If you read the question carefully, you will find the answer. Even If you carefully read the question keeps you after if.

8. B (poured). The volcano erupted, sending hot lava into the air. There are three verb forms: erupted, sending and poured. If your child tries The volcano poured hot lava into the air, both erupted and sending are left over. Two leftover words means the sentence is wrong. Only the version with erupted and sending leaves exactly one word.

Common mistakes

• Testing every order. Use the verb-first method instead. It's faster and it doesn't depend on luck.
• Stopping when the sentence sounds right. Always count. If two words are left, start again.
• Picking the "odd" word, not the unused word. The extra word is often a perfectly normal word that simply has no job in this sentence.

Where to practise

Word rearrangement sits alongside synonyms, analogies and logic in the verbal reasoning section. See similar and dissimilar meanings, ordering questions and our verbal reasoning test guide.

For full timed papers with every answer explained, try our EduTest practice tests or AAS-style scholarship tests. Start with a free sample.

Frequently asked questions

Which tests include word rearrangement questions?

They commonly appear in verbal reasoning sections of scholarship and selective-entry tests, including EduTest-style and AAS-style papers. Check your child's test provider for the exact format.

How long should my child spend on each question?

About 45 seconds. If a question takes longer than a minute, they should mark it, move on and come back.

What's the fastest way to improve?

Ten questions a day using the verb-first method, then counting the words every time. Accuracy comes first and speed follows within a couple of weeks.

My child is good at reading but slow at these. Why?

They're usually trying orders at random. Teaching a fixed sequence (verb, who, details, count) usually fixes it quickly.

These are original practice questions written by Practice Tests & Exams. They are not taken from any official test.