Question

It is often said that good actors can get out of a play more than the author has put into it.
A. A good actor, bringing to a part his own talent, often gives it a value that the layman on reading the play had not seen in it, but at the utmost he can do no more than reach the ideal that the author has seen in his mind’s eye.
B. In all my plays I have been fortunate enough to have some of the parts acted as I wanted; but in none have I had all the parts so acted.
C. That is not true.
D. He has to be an actor of address to do this; for the most part the author has to be satisfied with an approximation of the performance he visualized.
6. This is obviously inevitable, for the actor who is suited to a certain role may well be engaged and you have to put up with the second or third best, because there is no help for it.

• A. BACD
• B. DACB
• C. CADB
• D. DCBA

Hint:

In sentence arrangement questions, always begin by identifying sentences that directly address or respond to the opening line. Look for a natural flow from claim or counter-claim, to reasoning, to elaboration, and finally to conclusion or personal experience. This approach will help you eliminate illogical sequences.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

We begin by identifying the logical sequence of sentences that best forms a coherent paragraph after the given opening line.
The first sentence makes a broad claim that actors can bring out more from a play than the author intended.
This means the immediate follow-up sentence should either support or contradict this claim in a clear and direct manner.
The sentence C — "That is not true." — is the most fitting immediate response, because it directly challenges the statement in the first line and sets up the author’s perspective.
By placing C right after the opening line, we immediately create a contrast between popular belief and the author’s opinion.
After C, we need to provide reasoning to support the refutation. Sentence A is the logical continuation: it explains that while a good actor can bring additional value to a role, the maximum they can achieve is to match the ideal performance envisioned by the author in his mind.
This reasoning strengthens the author's counter-argument and clearly defines the limit of an actor’s contribution.
Following A, the next sentence should logically elaborate on the challenges of achieving this ideal. Sentence D does exactly that: it points out that only a skilled and resourceful actor can attempt to reach the author’s vision. In most situations, the author must settle for performances that are merely approximations of his ideal, not exact matches.
This provides a realistic and practical dimension to the discussion, explaining why perfection is rare in theatrical performances.
Finally, sentence B serves as the conclusion to this flow of ideas. The author shares personal experience, stating that while some roles have been enacted as desired, never has an entire play met his ideal for all roles. This statement neatly wraps up the argument and smoothly connects to sentence 6, which further discusses the inevitability of compromise due to casting limitations.
Therefore, the correct order of sentences is: C → A → D → B, which corresponds to option (c) CADB.
This sequence ensures a smooth flow from contradiction, to reasoning, to explanation, and finally to personal experience, making it the most coherent arrangement.