The writer wants to arrange the following sentences from a draft essay to logically show the progression from the mechanical problem of early typewriters to Christopher Sholes's design solution and its modern legacy. Organize the sentences in the most logical order to achieve this goal.
- 1Early typewriters had keys arranged in alphabetical order, but fast typing caused the metal typebars to clash and jam.
- 2To solve this mechanical issue, Christopher Latham Sholes redesigned the layout, placing frequently paired letters further apart to slow typists down slightly and prevent jams.
- 3This layout, known as QWERTY after the first six letters on the top row, became the standard design for the Remington No. 2 typewriter in 1878.
- 4Today, although modern computer keyboards no longer suffer from mechanical jamming, the QWERTY layout remains the dominant standard worldwide.
Answer
The correct order starts with the sentence describing the mechanical jam of alphabetical keys, followed by the sentence explaining Sholes's design solution to prevent jams, then the sentence introducing the QWERTY layout on the Remington No. 2 typewriter, and concludes with the sentence describing its modern legacy.
The correct sequence begins with the sentence introducing the mechanical problem of alphabetical keyboard layouts. The next sentence logically follows by explaining Christopher Sholes's design solution to address 'this mechanical issue.' The third sentence then introduces the specific name (QWERTY) and commercial standard of 'this layout.' Finally, the last sentence transitions to the modern day, detailing the enduring legacy of the design despite the obsolescence of its original mechanical purpose.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Logical sequence and cohesive transitions in paragraph organization to fulfill specific rhetorical goals.