The sentences given below, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labelled with a number. Decide on the most logical order and enter only the sequence of numbers in the space provided.
- In established companies, putting in extra hours is usually a way to get ahead. Elon Musk once said that no one ever changed the world on a 40-hour workweek. They are less likely to be promoted too.
- There are also other ways to approach this question. You might argue that the optimal workweek is defined by output, not hours. You might say that this is one for policy makers.
- How long people actually work is not the same as how long they ought to. Jobs, incomes and cultural norms vary so wildly that there is no right answer.
- Nine to five is still alive. Sort of. A new survey of labour-force data finds that the world's adult employed population works an average of 42 hours a week.
The sentences given below, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labelled with a number. Decide on the most logical order and enter only the sequence of numbers in the space provided.
- In established companies, putting in extra hours is usually a way to get ahead. Elon Musk once said that no one ever changed the world on a 40-hour workweek. They are less likely to be promoted too.
- There are also other ways to approach this question. You might argue that the optimal workweek is defined by output, not hours. You might say that this is one for policy makers.
- How long people actually work is not the same as how long they ought to. Jobs, incomes and cultural norms vary so wildly that there is no right answer.
- Nine to five is still alive. Sort of. A new survey of labour-force data finds that the world's adult employed population works an average of 42 hours a week.
Entered answer:
Solution
This one is trickier because every sentence could plausibly open the paragraph. Hunt for the strongest connector instead.
Sentence 2 is the surest closer: "There are also other ways to approach this question." That "also" demands a discussion already in progress, and the phrase "this question" needs an earlier question to refer to. So 2 goes last.
Sentence 3 supplies exactly that question: "How long people actually work is not the same as how long they ought to." It is a normative wrinkle - and 2's "other ways to approach this question" hooks straight onto it.
Pair: 3 then 2
Now the opener. Sentence 1 sets up the cultural frame - in established companies, extra hours mean promotion; Musk's quote on changing the world reinforces it. A strong thematic launch.
Sentence 4 then grounds that frame in data: "Nine to five is still alive. Sort of." A new survey pegs the average workweek at 42 hours. The phrase still alive implicitly responds to 1's culture-of-overwork - the standard week survives, but barely.
Pair: 1 then 4
| Position | Sentence | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Cultural frame - extra hours mean success |
| 2nd | 4 | Data - average workweek is 42 hours |
| 3rd | 3 | Normative twist - actual vs ought |
| 4th | 2 | "Other ways to approach this question" |
Sequence: 1-4-3-2