Rearrange the following sentences to form a coherent paragraph:

Question

Rearrange the following sentences to form a coherent paragraph:

1. It is a process that involves the systematic and objective investigation of a subject to discover new facts or to confirm existing ones.

2. Research is a foundational pillar of academic and scientific progress.

3. This can be either theoretical, aiming to expand knowledge, or applied, seeking to solve a practical problem.

4. The findings of this investigation are then documented and peer-reviewed to ensure validity and credibility.

1. A. 2, 1, 3, 4 (Correct answer)
2. B. 1, 2, 4, 3
3. C. 4, 3, 2, 1
4. D. 3, 4, 1, 2

Correct Answer

Option A — 2, 1, 3, 4

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is 2, 1, 3, 4.

Key Points

• Sentence 2 opens with the general claim that research is a foundational pillar of academic and scientific progress.
• Sentence 1 follows: "It is a process that involves systematic and objective investigation" — the pronoun *it* requires research to have been named first.
• Sentence 3 then subdivides that process: "This can be either theoretical or applied."
• Sentence 4 concludes with what happens to the findings — documentation and peer review.
• The structure runs definition → elaboration → classification → outcome.

Additional Information

• A sentence beginning with a bare pronoun such as *It* or *This* can almost never open a paragraph, which immediately rules out any option starting with 1, 3 or 4.
• That single observation leaves only option A among the four, before any further reasoning is needed — always scan the openers first.
• Expository paragraphs typically move from the general to the specific and close with a consequence or application, a pattern worth expecting in academic-sounding jumbles.