Verbal ordering (before & behind)
A before B, C behind D — line up the clues before you pick an answer.
← All countdown tipsVerbal ordering questions give you clues like “A is before B”, “C is behind D”, or “E stands between F and G”. Don’t try to solve them in your head. Draw a tiny sequence for each statement, then combine those sketches into one finished line.
How to do it: one clue → one sketch → combine
Worked example — three statements, three mini-lines, then one answer line.
Clue 1 — draw it
“Ben is behind Amy”
Ben → Amy
Clue 2 — draw it
“Cara is behind Ben”
Cara → Ben
Clue 3 — draw it
“Dan is before Amy”
Amy → Dan
Combine the sketches
Dan sits before Amy → Amy before Ben → Ben before Cara. Slot the pieces together like a puzzle — never erase a clue that already fits.
- Before / in front of → nearer the front / start
- Behind / after → nearer the back / end
- Between → one named person on each side
Remember — the method
- Read all the statements once so you know who is involved.
- For each statement, draw its own mini-sequence (just the people named in that line).
- Combine the mini-sequences into one line — start with the longest clear chain, then attach the next clue.
- If two places are still possible, leave a gap; the next clue usually locks it.
- Re-check the finished line against every original statement before you answer.
Same idea, different words
Nearer the front / top
before · in front of · ahead of · older than · taller than · more than
Nearer the back / bottom
behind · after · younger than · shorter than · less than · fewer than
Ranking questions (“heavier than…”) use the same draw-each-then-combine method — only the labels on the line change.
Exam trap
Children try to hold every clue in memory, or they flip before / behind. One wrong mini-sketch poisons the combined line.
✓ “B is behind A”
✗ Flipped sketch
Question patterns you might see
Each pattern shows the clues, the per-statement sketches, the combined line, and the answer.
1 · Simple — Chain of “before”
1. Amy is before Ben.
2. Ben is before Cara.
Who is in the middle?
Sketch 1
“Amy before Ben”
BACK FRONTBenAmyBen → Amy
Sketch 2
“Ben before Cara”
BACK FRONTCaraBenCara → Ben
2 · Simple — Before + behind mixed
1. Dan is behind Eve.
2. Fay is before Eve.
Who is at the front?
Sketch 1
“Dan behind Eve”
BACK FRONTDanEveDan → Eve
Sketch 2
“Fay before Eve”
BACK FRONTEveFayEve → Fay
3 · Medium — “Between”
1. Gus stands between Holly and Isla.
2. Holly is before Isla.
Who is last?
Sketch 1
“Gus between Holly and Isla” — two possible orders until clue 2:
Holly–Gus–Isla or Isla–Gus–Holly
Sketch 2
“Holly before Isla”
BACK FRONTIslaHollyIsla → Holly
4 · Medium — Count from an end
Five children stand in this order from front to back: P, Q, R, S, T.
Who is 2nd from the back?
Draw the finished line first, then count carefully from the end the question names — front and back are opposite directions.
5 · Trickier — Ranking (taller / heavier / more)
1. Kai is taller than Lee.
2. Mia is taller than Kai.
3. Lee is taller than Nia.
Who is shortest?
Sketch 1
“Kai > Lee”
BACK FRONTLeeKaiLee → Kai
Sketch 2
“Mia > Kai”
BACK FRONTKaiMiaKai → Mia
Sketch 3
“Lee > Nia”
BACK FRONTNiaLeeNia → Lee
6 · Trickier — Compound clue (“behind … but after …”)
One sentence packs two facts. Split it into two mini-sketches, then combine — don’t treat the whole sentence as one vague idea.
1. Finn is behind Holly but after Gus.
2. Gus is before Holly.
3. Isla is behind Finn.
Who is 2nd from the front?
Split the compound sentence (clue 1) into two facts:
• “behind Holly” → Holly is in front of Finn → Holly → Finn
• “after Gus” → Gus is in front of Finn → Gus → Finn
Sketch 1a
“Finn behind Holly”
BACK FRONTFinnHollyFinn → Holly
Sketch 1b
“Finn after Gus”
BACK FRONTFinnGusFinn → Gus
Sketch 2
“Gus before Holly”
BACK FRONTHollyGusHolly → Gus
Sketch 3
“Isla behind Finn”
BACK FRONTIslaFinnIsla → Finn
Same idea with but before / but in front of / but behind — each half is its own arrow. Draw both halves every time, then combine.
7 · Trickier — Incomplete chain (don’t invent)
1. Omar is before Priya.
2. Quinn is before Priya.
Can you say who is first: Omar or Quinn?
Sketch 1
“Omar before Priya”
BACK FRONTPriyaOmarPriya → Omar
Sketch 2
“Quinn before Priya”
BACK FRONTPriyaQuinnPriya → Quinn
Combined truth: both Omar and Quinn are before Priya. Their order with each other was never given.
Answer: No — you cannot decide. Don’t invent a sketch the clues never supported.
8 · Trickiest — Who is exactly in the middle?
1. Sam scored higher than Rio.
2. Rio scored higher than Tess.
3. Tess scored higher than Uma.
4. Uma scored higher than Vic.
Who is exactly in the middle (3rd of 5)?
Sketch 1
“Sam > Rio”
BACK FRONTRioSamRio → Sam
Sketch 2
“Rio > Tess”
BACK FRONTTessRioTess → Rio
Sketch 3
“Tess > Uma”
BACK FRONTUmaTessUma → Tess
Sketch 4
“Uma > Vic”
BACK FRONTVicUmaVic → Uma
Pick the middle of the finished line — not the name that appeared most often in the wording.
Coach tip: if a combined line breaks even one original statement, redraw from the mini-sketches — don’t “force” the answer.
Tomorrow (D-28): multi-select Quest-style English — read “choose two” every time.
Next step
Practice locks the idea in. WhatsApp delivers tomorrow’s tip to your phone — same group as mock updates.