Question:
Five jumbled sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence out and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
Five jumbled sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence out and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
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Look for sentences that introduce or explain the main topic, while others support it or provide additional details.
Updated On: Jul 6, 2026
- About half of all the oxygen we breathe is made near the surface of the ocean by phytoplankton that photosynthesize just like land-dwelling plants.
- A team of scientists that includes Boston University experts has discovered they also produce oxygen on the seafloor.
- The research team used deep-sea chambers that land on the seafloor and enclose the seawater, sediment, polymetallic nodules, and living organisms.
- The discovery is a surprise considering oxygen is typically created by plants and organisms with help from the sun—not by rocks on the ocean floor.
- The deep-sea rocks, called polymetallic nodules, don’t only host a surprising number of sea critters.
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The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
Approach: In odd-one-out, first build the strongest chain you can from four sentences; whatever refuses to slot into that chain is the misfit. Look for the sentence that operates at a different level of detail than the shared storyline.
Step 1 - Find the spine: The topic is oxygen production in the ocean. Sentence 1 sets the familiar fact - phytoplankton near the surface make about half our oxygen. Sentence 2 brings the twist - scientists found oxygen is also produced on the seafloor (\(\text{they}\) refers back to ocean oxygen-makers).
Step 2 - Continue the chain: Sentence 4 reacts to that twist - the discovery is surprising because oxygen normally needs sunlight and plants, not rocks. Sentence 5 then identifies the source - the polymetallic nodules (rocks) that host sea life. So a clean paragraph runs 1, 2, 4, 5: known fact \(\to\) surprising new finding \(\to\) why it surprises \(\to\) the rocks responsible.
Step 3 - Test the leftover: Sentence 3 describes the experimental method - deep-sea chambers that enclose seawater and sediment. That is a procedural detail. The other four narrate the discovery and its significance; methodology sits at a different register and is not needed for the narrative to cohere.
Answer: Sentence 3 is the odd one out.
Step 1 - Find the spine: The topic is oxygen production in the ocean. Sentence 1 sets the familiar fact - phytoplankton near the surface make about half our oxygen. Sentence 2 brings the twist - scientists found oxygen is also produced on the seafloor (\(\text{they}\) refers back to ocean oxygen-makers).
Step 2 - Continue the chain: Sentence 4 reacts to that twist - the discovery is surprising because oxygen normally needs sunlight and plants, not rocks. Sentence 5 then identifies the source - the polymetallic nodules (rocks) that host sea life. So a clean paragraph runs 1, 2, 4, 5: known fact \(\to\) surprising new finding \(\to\) why it surprises \(\to\) the rocks responsible.
Step 3 - Test the leftover: Sentence 3 describes the experimental method - deep-sea chambers that enclose seawater and sediment. That is a procedural detail. The other four narrate the discovery and its significance; methodology sits at a different register and is not needed for the narrative to cohere.
Answer: Sentence 3 is the odd one out.
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Approach Solution -2
To solve this jumbled paragraph problem effectively, we need to identify which sentence does not belong with the others based on context and logical arrangement. Let's analyze each sentence:
- Sentence 1: "About half of all the oxygen we breathe is made near the surface of the ocean by phytoplankton that photosynthesize just like land-dwelling plants."
This sentence introduces the role of phytoplankton in producing oxygen. - Sentence 2: "A team of scientists that includes Boston University experts has discovered they also produce oxygen on the seafloor."
This sentence indicates a discovery related to the production of oxygen on the seafloor. - Sentence 3: "The research team used deep-sea chambers that land on the seafloor and enclose the seawater, sediment, polymetallic nodules, and living organisms."
This sentence describes a specific method used by a research team, but does not directly relate to the discovery or main topic discussed in the other sentences. - Sentence 4: "The discovery is a surprise considering oxygen is typically created by plants and organisms with help from the sun—not by rocks on the ocean floor."
This sentence elaborates on the surprise factor of the discovery that oxygen is being produced by unconventional means. - Sentence 5: "The deep-sea rocks, called polymetallic nodules, don’t only host a surprising number of sea critters."
This sentence provides additional information about polymetallic nodules related to sea creatures.
To form a coherent paragraph, sentences 1, 2, 4, and 5 can be logically connected as they pertain to oxygen production and the surprising discovery related to the seafloor. Sentence 3, however, is more about the methodology (deep-sea chambers) used by researchers and does not directly contribute to the central topic of oxygen production.
Therefore, the odd sentence out, which does not fit well with the main topic of the other sentences, is:
The research team ed deep-sea chambers that land on the seafloor and enclose the seawater, sediment, polymetallic nodules, and living organisms.
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