Definition sentence word order - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

1. What is Word Order?

Word order is important: it’s what makes your sentences make sense! So, proper word order is an essential part of writing and speaking—when we put words in the wrong order, the result is a confusing, unclear, and an incorrect sentence.

2.Examples of Word Order

Here are some examples of words put into the correct and incorrect order:

I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters at home. CORRECT

2 brothers and 2 sisters have I at home. INCORRECT

I am in middle school. CORRECT

In middle school I am. INCORRECT

How are you today? CORRECT

You are how today? INCORRECT

As you can see, it’s usually easy to see whether or not your words are in the correct order. When words are out of order, they stand out, and usually change the meaning of a sentence or make it hard to understand.

3. Types of Word Order

In English, we follow one main pattern for normal sentences and one main pattern for sentences that ask a question.

a. Standard Word Order

A sentence’s standard word order is Subject + Verb + Object (SVO). Remember, the subject is what a sentence is about; so, it comes first. For example:

The dog (subject) + eats (verb) + popcorn (object).

The subject comes first in a sentence because it makes our meaning clear when writing and speaking. Then, the verb comes after the subject, and the object comes after the verb; and that’s the most common word order. Otherwise, a sentence doesn’t make sense, like this:

Eats popcorn the dog. (verb + object + subject)

Popcorn the dog eats. (object + subject + verb)

B. Questions

When asking a question, we follow the order auxiliary verb/modal auxiliary + subject + verb (ASV). Auxiliary verbs and modal auxiliaries share meaning or function, many which are forms of the verb “to be.” Auxiliary verbs can change form, but modal auxiliaries don’t. Here’s a chart to help you:

As said, questions follow the form ASV; or, if they have an object, ASVO. Here are some examples:

Can he cook? “Can” (auxiliary) “he” (subject) “cook” (verb)

Does your dog like popcorn? “Does” (A) “your dog” (S) “like” (V) “popcorn” (O)

Are you burning the popcorn? “Are” (A) “you” (S) “burning” (V) “popcorn” (O)

4. Parts of Word Order

While almost sentences need to follow the basic SVO word order, we add other words, like indirect objects and modifiers, to make them more detailed.

a. Indirect Objects

When we add an indirect object, a sentence will follow a slightly different order. Indirect objects always come between the verb and the object, following the pattern SVIO, like this:

I fed the dog some popcorn.

This sentence has “I” (subject) “fed” (verb) “dog” (indirect object) “popcorn” (direct object).

b. Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases also have special positions in sentences. When we use the prepositions like “to” or “for,” then the indirect object becomes part of a prepositional phrase, and follows the order SVOP, like this:

I fed some popcorn to the dog.

Other prepositional phrases, determining time and location, can go at either the beginning or the end of a sentence:

He ate popcorn at the fair. -Or- At the fair he ate popcorn.

In the morning I will go home. I will go home in the morning.

c. Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, adding things like time, manner, degree; and often end in ly, like “slowly,” “recently,” “nearly,” and so on. As a rule, an adverb (or any modifier) should be as close as possible to the thing it is modifying. But, adverbs are special because they can usually be placed in more than one spot in the sentence and are still correct. So, there are rules about their placement, but also many exceptions.

In general, when modifying an adjective or adverb, an adverb should go before the word it modifies:

The dog was extremely hungry. CORRECT adverb modifies “hungry”

Extremely, the dog was hungry. INCORRECT misplaced adverb

The extremely dog was hungry. INCORRECT misplaced adverb

The dog was hungry extremely. INCORRECT misplaced adverb

As you can see, the word “extremely” only makes sense just before the adjective “hungry.” In this situation, the adverb can only go in one place.

When modifying a verb, an adverb should generally go right after the word it modifies, as in the first sentence below. BUT, these other uses are also correct, though they may not be the best:

The dog ran quickly to the fair. CORRECT * BEST POSITION

Quickly the dog ran to the fair. CORRECT

The dog quickly ran to the fair. CORRECT

The dog ran to the fair quickly. CORRECT

For adverbs expressing frequency (how often something happens) the adverb goes directly after the subject:

The dog always eats popcorn.

He never runs slowly.

I rarely see him.

Adverbs expressing time (when something happens) can go at either the beginning or of the end of the sentence, depending what’s important about the sentence. If the time isn’t very important, then it goes at the beginning of the sentence, but if you want to emphasize the time, then the adverb goes at the end of the sentence:

Now the dog wants popcorn. Emphasis on “the dog wants popcorn”

The dog wants popcorn now. Emphasis on “now”

5. How to Use Avoid Mistakes with Word Order

Aside from following the proper SVO pattern, it’s important to write and speak in the way that is the least confusing and the most clear. If you make mistakes with your word order, then your sentences won’t make sense. Basically, if a sentence is hard to understand, then it isn’t correct. Here are a few key things to remember:

The subject is what a sentence is about, so it should come first.
A modifier (like an adverb) should generally go as close as possible to the thing it is modifying.
Indirect objects can change the word order from SVO to SVIO
Prepositional phrases have special positions in sentences

Finally, here’s an easy tip: when writing, always reread your sentences out loud to make sure that the words are in the proper order—it is usually pretty easy to hear! If a sentence is clear, then you should only need to read it once to understand it.

Источник

Sentence: word order

The child was sleeping. — Ребенок спал .

I can see the morning star. — Я вижу утреннюю звезду

I will leave him a note. — Я оставлю ему записку .

а)

He is sick. — Он болен .

б)

I thought him very sly. — Я считал его очень хитрым..

English-Russian grammar dictionary.
2014.

Полезное

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Источник

The
words in an English sentence are arranged in a certain order which is
fixed for every type of sentence and is, therefore, meaningful. There
exist two ways of arranging words—direct order and inverted order.

Word
order fulfils various functions. The two main functions of word order
are grammatical and communicative. The essence of the grammatical
principle lies in the fact that the sentence position of an element
is determined by its syntactic function. The
communicative
principle manifests itself in that the sentence position of an
element varies depending on its communicative value.

Direct
word Order

The
most common pattern for the arrangement of the main parts in a
declarative sentence is Subject-Predicate-(Object), which is called
direct word order.

I
promise to respect your wishes.

Direct
word order is also employed in pronominal questions to the subject or
its attribute.

Who
told you where I was?

Direct
word order allows of a few variations in the fixed pattern, but only
for the secondary parts.

End—Focus
and End-Weight

Inappropriate
word order may lead to incoherence, clumsy style and lack of clarity.
So when you are deciding in which order to place the ideas in a
sentence, there are two useful guiding principles to remember:

End-focus:
the new or most important idea in a piece of information should be
placed towards the end, where in speech nuclear stress normally
falls. A sentence is generally more effective (especially in
writing) if the main point is saved up to the end.

Babies
prefer sleeping on their back.

End-weight:
the more “weighty” part(s) of a sentence should be placed
towards the end. Otherwise the sentence may sound awkward and
unbalanced. The “weight” of an element can be defined in terms
of length(e.g. number of syllables) or in terms of grammatical
complexity (number of modifiers). Structures with introductory it
and there, for instance, allow to avoid having a long subject, and
to put what you are taking about in a more prominent position at the
end of the sentence.

It
becomes hard for a child to develop a sense of identity. There is
grief in his face and reproach at the injustice of it all.

Connected
with the principle of end-weight in English is the feeling that the
predicate of a sentence should be longer or grammatically more
complex than the subject. This helps to explain why English native
speakers tend to avoid predicates consisting of just a single
intransitive verb. Instead of saying Mary sang , they would probably
prefer to say Mary sang a song , filling the object position with a
noun phrase which adds little information but helps to give more
weight to the predicate.

For
such a purpose English often uses a general verb( such as have, take,
give and do ) followed by an abstract noun phrase:

He
is having a swim.—-He is swimming.

He
took a rest.——He rested.

He
does little work.—-He works little.

The
sentences on the left are more idiomatic than on the right and they
contribute to the impression of fluency in English given by a foreign
user.

Order
and Emphasis

English
grammar has quite a number of sentence processes which help to
arrange the message for the right order and the right emphasis.
Because of the principle of end-focus and end- weight, the final
position in a sentence or clause is, in neutral circumstances, the
most important.

But
the first position is also important for communication, because it is
the starting point for what the speaker wants to say: it is (so to
speak) the part of the sentence which is familiar territory in which
the hearer gets his bearings. Therefore the first element in a
sentence or clause is called the TOPIC (or THEME). In most
statements, the topic is the subject of the sentence.

Instead
of the subject, you may make another element the topic by moving it
to the front of the sentence( fronted topic). This shift, which is
called fronting, gives the element a kind of psychological
prominence, and has three different effects:

In
informal conversation it is quite common for a speaker to front an
element(particularly a complement) and give it nuclear stress:

An
utter fool I felt, too. (topic-complement).

Excellent
food the serve here. (topic-object).

Fronting
also helps to point dramatically to a contrast between two things
mentioned in the neighbouring sentences or clauses, which often have
parallel structure:

Rich
I may be, but that doesn’t mean I am happy. (topic-complement).

His
face I am not fond of, but his character I despise.(topic-object)

Willingly
he’ll never do it, he’ll have to be forced. (topic-adverbial of
manner)

The
word this or these is often present in the fronted topic, showing
that it contains given information. This type of fronting is found
in more formal, especially written English and serves the function
of linking the sentence to the previous text.

This
subject we have examined in an earlier chapter, and need not
reconsider (topic-object)

Besides
fronting there are other ways of giving prominence to this or that
part of the sentence.

*cleft
sentences (it-type)

The
cleft sentence construction with emphatic it is useful for putting
focus (usually for contrast)on a particular part of a sentence
expressed by a noun (group) ,a prepositional phrase, and an adverb of
time or place, or even by a clause.

It
was from France that she first heard the news.

Perhaps
it’s because he’s a misfit that I get along with him.

*cleft
sentences(wh-type)

What
he’s done is –spoil the whole thing.

—to
spoil the whole thing.

—spoilt
the whole thing.

Wh-clefts
can also be used to highlight a subject complement. Instead of Jean
and Bob are stingy, we can say: What Jean and Bob are is stingy! This
pattern is used when we want to express our opinion of something or
somebody.

What
we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not
knowledge in pursuit of the child. (G.B.Shaw)

*Wh-clauses
with demonstratives

It
is a common type of sentence in English which is similar to wh-cleft
sentences.

This
is how you start the engine.

*Auxiliary
DO

You
can emphasize a statement by putting do, does , or did in front of
the base form of the verb.

I
do feel sorry for Roger.

But
it goes move.(G.Galilei).

*The
passive

Passive
constructions vary the way information is given in a sentence. The
passive can be used:

—for
end-focus

Who
makes these chairs?—They’re made by Ercol.

—for
end-weight where the subject is a clause

I
was astonished that he was prepared to give me a job. (Better than:
That he was prepared to give me a job astonished me.)

—for
emphasis on what comes first

All
roads to the north have been blocked by snow.

The
other common pattern of word order is the inversion. There are 2
types of inversion:

Subject-verb
inversion

Brightly
shone the moon that night…

Subject-operator/
auxiliary inversion

Seldom
can there have been such a happy meeting.

Sometimes
the inversion may be taken as a normal order of words in
constructions with special communicative value, and is devoid of any
special colouring.

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Источник

Order of words in a sentence

An important feature of the English sentence is the strictly defined word order. Unlike the Russian language, English verbs do not have personal endings, and nouns, adjectives and pronouns do not have case endings, so the relationship between words is determined by the order of the words. If the word order is violated, the meaning of the sentence is violated.

Word order in a declarative sentence

The normal word order in a declarative sentence is subject + predicate (that is, the predicate is never in front of the subject). In case the verb has an object, it usually follows the verb: Subject + Predicated + Complement.
Example: I can see my friend. — I see my friend.

Circumstances are most often at the very beginning or at the very end of the sentence. Of course, in English there are other options, for example, the so-called reverse word order, but in this work I give only basic information that is necessary and minimally sufficient.

Word order in an interrogative sentence

There are four main types of interrogative sentences. We will consider two types: general and specific questions.

General question Is a question that can be answered «yes» or «no». Word order in a general question: auxiliary or modal verb or linking verb + subject + predicate. Example: Can you swim? — Can you swim?

Special question Is a question that starts with a question word. English question words: what — what, what; when — when; where — where; why — why; how — how; whose — whose; which — which; who — who; whom — whom. The word order in the special question is: question word + auxiliary or modal verb + subject + predicate.

As we can see, the word order in the special question is the same as the word order in the general question. The only difference is that the question word comes first. The subject question has its own characteristics. In the question to the subject, sentences in the place of the subject (i.e.

at the beginning of a sentence) there is an interrogative word; the order of the rest of the clause is the same as in the declarative clause. Example: Who can swim? — Who can swim? That is, it all comes down to substituting the question word who or what (who or what) in the place of the subject.

No further changes are made.

Word order in negative sentences

Subject + auxiliary or modal verb or linking verb + particle not + predicate.
Example: He does not read. — He doesn’t read.

← back contents forward →

Source: http://begin-english.ru/study/sentence/

Word order in an English sentence, part 1

Can interrogative word order be used in affirmative sentences? How to build a sentence if there is no subject in it? Read about these and other nuances in our article.

Affirmative sentences

In English, the basic word order can be described by the formula SVO: subject — verb — object (subject — predicate — object).

Mary reads many books. — Mary reads a lot of books.

A subject is a noun or pronoun that appears at the beginning of a sentence (who? — Mary).

The predicate is the verb that comes after the subject (what does it do? — reads).

An addendum is a noun or pronoun that comes after a verb (what? — books).

There are no cases in English, so it is necessary to strictly observe the basic order of words, since it is often the only thing that indicates a connection between words.

SubjectPausableCompletionTranslation

my mom	loves	soap operas.	My mom loves soap operas.
Sally	found	her keys.	Sally found her keys.
I	remember	you.	I remember you.

The verb to be in affirmative sentences

As a rule, an English sentence is not complete without a verb predicate. Since it is possible to construct a sentence in Russian without a verb, we often forget about it in English. For example:

mary is a teacher. — Mary is a teacher. (Mary is teacher.)
I‘m scared. — I’m scared. (I AM I am scared.)

Life is unfair. — Life is not fair. (Life is unfair.)
My younger brother is ten years old. — My younger brother is ten years old. (To my little brother Yes ten years.)

His friends are from Spain. — His friends are from Spain. (His friends occur from Spain.)
The vase is on the table. — The vase is on the table. (Vase is/is on the table.)

To summarize, the verb to be translated into Russian can mean:

to be / is / to be;
be / stay (in some place or state);
exist;
originate (from some locality).

If you are not sure whether to be is needed in your sentence in the present tense, then translate the sentence in the past tense: I am at work — I was at work. If a linking verb appears in the past tense, then in the present it is also necessary.

Offers with there is / there are

When we want to say that something is somewhere or something is not somewhere, then we need to adhere to the construction there + to be at the beginning of the sentence.

there is grass in the yard there is wood on the grass. — Grass in the yard, firewood on the grass.

If in these types of sentences we do not use the construction there is / there are, then in English such sentences will sound less natural:

There are a lot of people in the room. — There are a lot of people in the room. (naturally)
a lot of people are in the room. — A lot of people are in the room. (less natural)

Please note that sentences with there is / there are, as a rule, are translated into Russian from the end of the sentence.

There is / there are also needed to maintain the basic word order — SVO (subject — predicate — complement):

SubjectPausableCompletionTranslation

There

too much sugar in my tea.

There is too much sugar in my tea.

More details about the construction there is / there are can be found in the article «English grammar for beginners, part 3».

Pronoun it

We, as native speakers of the Russian language, in English sentences forget not only about the predicate, but also about the subject. It is especially difficult to figure out how to translate sentences like this into English: It gets dark. It’s time to get up. It was nice to talk to. In English, all these sentences must contain a subject, the role of which will be played by the introductory pronoun it. It is especially important not to forget it if we are talking about the weather.

It‘s getting dark. — It gets dark.
It‘s time to get up. — It’s time to get up.
It was nice to talk to you. — It was nice to talk to.

Negative sentences

If the sentence is negative, then we put a negative particle not after:

auxiliary verb (auxiliary verb);
modal verb.

Subject Auxiliary / Modal Verb not

Sally	has	Note	found	her keys.	Sally didn’t find her keys.
my mom	does	Note	love	soap operas.	My mom doesn’t like soap operas.
He	Could	Note	save	his reputation.	He couldn’t save his reputation
I	will	Note	be	yours.	I won’t be yours.

If the only verb in the sentence is to be, then we put not after it.

Subject Verb to be Particle not Completion Translation

TT	is	Note	an engineer.	Peter is not an engineer.
I	was	Note	at work yesterday.	I was not at work yesterday.
Her friends	Were	Note	polite enough.	Her friends weren’t polite enough.

Word order in questions

First, let’s say that there are two main types of questions:

closed-ended questions (questions with a yes / no answer);
open-ended questions (questions that can be answered in detail).

Closed questions

To build a yes / no question, you need to put a modal or auxiliary verb at the beginning of a sentence. You get the following structure: auxiliary / modal verb — subject — predicate. The following examples will help you understand how to convert an affirmative sentence to an interrogative one.

Source: https://englex.ru/basic-word-order-in-english-sentences/

How to build a sentence in English correctly

It is very important to know the word order in English. In Russian, thanks to the cases, we can put words in any order, and this will not change the meaning of what is said. In English, not knowing what order the words should be in can lead to misunderstandings. How often have you wondered what word to put where in English in order to express your thoughts correctly? In fact, everything is not so difficult — just learn a few simple rules.

Building a simple sentence in English

In English, in simple sentences, the subject (who / what) always comes first.
Then comes the predicate (action).
A direct object is placed after the predicate.

It should be remembered that it is always present in English. If in Russian you can say simply «I am a doctor», then in English we will say «I am a doctor» — «I am a doctor.»

Here are a few examples:

He s coffee. — He loves coffee.

I am swimming in the pool. — I am swimming in the pool.

It’s important to know! In English, when we talk about ourselves and someone else, first we write with whom we did what, and then about ourselves.

For example:

My friend and I went to the shop.

My friend and I went to the store.

Don’t be selfish

Source: https://tryeng.ru/3201

English Sentence Structure — Word order in affirmative and negative sentences

A sentence (in both English and Russian) is a complete thought. It starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop:

We are at home. — We’re home.
John’s good food. — John likes good food.

What does the offer consist of?

Both in Russian and in English, a sentence can consist of the following members: subject, predicate, object or complement, adverbial modifier and attribute.

At the our lessons teachers use various interesting materials. — In the classroom, our teachers use a variety of interesting materials.

our — definition, refers to the word «teachers»

teachers — subject
use — predicate (verb)
materials — addition
various interesting — two definitions related to the word «materials» at the lessons — circumstance

Which sentence members are required in English?

In Russian, there may be a sentence without a subject and / or without a predicate: “This is a pen.«; «Late.«,»I’m cold«.

In all sentences of the English language, both the subject and the predicate are required. Compare with the examples above: “It is a pen.«»It is late.«»I’m cold.«

The rest of the members of the proposal may be absent (they are called minor members of the proposal).

We arrived. — We arrived.
We — subject, arrived — predicate (verb).

We arrived in the morning.
in the morning — circumstance of time

We arrived at a small station. — We arrived at a small station.
at a small station — circumstance of place
small (small) — definition, clarifying word station (station)

Word order in an English sentence

In English, a fixed word order. That is, each member of the proposal is in its own specific place. In Russian, in almost all parts of speech there are endings, with the help of which the categories of time, gender, number, etc. are expressed. Therefore, the word order in the Russian sentence is free.

English belongs to a different language type and has practically no endings. But the need to express all those categories that the Russian language expresses remains. Therefore, the solution was found in a fixed word order.

This makes the English language more «logical», similar to simple mathematical formulas, which undoubtedly makes it easier to learn.

Compare: (2) I rarely watch (1) I (3) TV on weekdays.

(1) I seldom (2) watch (3) TV on week-days

Word order in an affirmative sentence

In an affirmative sentence, in the first place is subordinate,
In second place — predicate,
on the third — secondary members of the proposal.

(1) We (2) are (3) in the center of Moscow now.
We (are) in the center of Moscow now.

(1) Julia (2) is (3) a very nice girl.
Julia (is) a very nice girl.

Negative sentence word order

In a negative sentence, the word order is the same as in the affirmative, but only after the verb is the negative particle not.

(1) I (2) am Note (3) hungry.
I am not hungry.

(1) The children (2) are Note (3) attentive
Children are not (are) attentive.

Remarks:

Some minor members of the sentence may change their location depending on what the speaker wants to emphasize first.

Most often, circumstances may change their place in the sentence.

We usually go home together. — We usually we go home together.
Usually we go home together. — Usually we go home together.
There are impersonal sentences in Russian. That is, sentences in which only the subject or only the predicate is present. In English, both main members of the sentence must be present in a sentence. To express impersonal sentences in English, the turnover It is is used (it is),
where It — subject, and Is — predicate.

It is cold. — Coldly. (It’s cold)
It is late. — Late. (It’s late)
In colloquial speech, phrases that are not complete sentences can and are used:

— Hello! How are you? — Hey! How are you doing?
— (I am) Fine, thanks! — Thank you, OK!

Source: https://www.study.ru/courses/elementary/predlozhenie

Word order and sentence structure in English

A sentence in any language (including English) is the main syntactic unit. With the help of a sentence, a message is delivered to the interlocutor or a question is asked. In order to speak English not with a set of words, but with beautiful and grammatically correct sentences, you need to have an idea of such concepts as the structure of an English sentence and the order of words in it.

Fundamentals of English Sentence Structure

The structure of an English sentence is made up of knowledge about the members of the sentence, major and minor.

The main members of the sentence are (as in Russian) subject и predicate.

The peculiarity of the structure of the English sentence — it must have both of its main members.

For example, in the Russian language, one cannot surprise anyone with a huge number of one-component sentences (where there is either only the subject or the predicate). But in English, the rule is different: the sentence must contain both the subject and the predicate.

Let’s compare sentences from the Russian and English languages, where in the Russian version they will be one-part, and in English (with the same meaning) the subject and predicate are necessarily present in them.

Heat! (one-part sentence, no predicate) — It is hot! (there is a subject and a predicate).

It’s getting dark! (one-piece, no subject) — It’s getting dark! (there are both main members of the proposal).

In addition to the main members of the English sentence, minor ones may be present in it. It:

direct object;
indirect addition (indirect object);
definition (attribute);
circumstance (adverbial modifier).

I gave her (indirect object) a book (direct object) yesterday. — I gave her the book yesterday.

Our teacher told us (indirect addition) a new story (direct addition). — Our teacher told us a new story.

I saw a little (definition) kitten in the garden. — I saw a little kitten in the garden.

I always drive only my (definition) car. — I always drive only my car.

I was late because of the bad weather. — I was late due to bad weather.

He runs so fast. — He runs so fast.

I was sick yesterday (circumstance of time). — I was sick yesterday.

Now that you have an idea of the structure of an English sentence, you can talk about the order of words in it.

Subject matter

I (subject) worked (predicate) yesterday. — I worked yesterday.

I (subject) work (predicate) every day. — I work every day.

There is always a subject in English sentences, even when the statement does not mention an object / living being, but only an action. In this case, the so-called «impersonal subject» will come first.

It (subject) rains (predicate) here every day. — It rains here every day.

The circumstances of the course of action

I usually go home by bus. — I usually go home by bus.

We always drink hot tea. — We always drink hot tea.

Situations are allowed when these circumstances can be carried over to the first place, before the subject.

We usually buy bread in the nearest shop. — Usually we buy bread in this shop.

Modal verbs

Read more in the article: «Modal Verbs».

I can forgive you. — I can forgive you.

You must drink medicine in time. — You must take your medicine on time.

Adjective

I hot milk. — I like hot milk.

I met a nice girl in the park. — I met a nice girl in the park.

Additions and Circumstances

I write poems (direct object) for you (indirect object) with pleasure (circumstance).

Circumstances

We did it very quickly yesterday. (We did it very quickly yesterday) — Yesterday we did it very quickly. (We did it very quickly yesterday)

Word order in negative and interrogative sentences

With regard to negative sentences, there are no particular difficulties in terms of word order.

The scheme for constructing such a sentence is always the same: in the first place the subject, in the second — the auxiliary / modal verb, in the third the particle not, then the predicate.

I don’t (do not) hot milk. — I don’t like hot milk.

I cannot (can not) help you. — I can not help you.

An important detail: the adverb never itself performs a negative function, therefore, if it is present, the particle not is not used in a negative sentence.

I have never been to Tbilisi. — I’ve never been to Tbilisi

I never eat coconuts. — I’ve never eaten coconuts.

Sentences positive and negative, as you can see, have (with the exception of some details) the same word order, and in such cases it is called direct. In interrogative sentences, the word order is called reverse: an auxiliary or modal verb is no longer placed after the subject, but before it.

Can you help us? — Can you help us?

Have you ever been to Novgorod? — Have you ever been to Novgorod?

For comparison — variants of the Russian special question (with a free word order) and an English sentence with a question word.

When will you go out of town? (When will you go out of town?) — When will you go to the country?

What do you usually drink in the morning? (What do you usually drink in the morning?)

If in a question the words who / what replace the subject, then the word order is forward, not reverse.

Who is the most beautiful girl in your town?

What was the most important event in your life?

Who came to the class yesterday?

Such strict and, at first glance, complex rules regarding the order of words in an English sentence have a logical explanation. In English, the endings of nouns, adjectives and verbs are unchanged. If in Russian, the connection between words in a sentence is achieved through endings, then in English this happens with the help of a strict word order.

That’s all for today!

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments!

Source: https://4lang.ru/english/grammar/poryadok-slov

Forward and reverse word order. Part 1

The order in the sentence of the members of the sentence — SUBJECT — FAILED — usually called in grammar direct word order (the Direct Order of Words). Direct word order is the norm for an affirmative sentence in English:

Walking can be recommended as a good exercise.

Reverse word order

Setting the predicate to the subject is usually called reverse word order, or, using the generally accepted term, inversion (the Indirect Order of Words, Inversion).

Distinguish between full and partial inversion.

RџSЂRё full inversion the predicate, expressed in one word, is placed before the subject. There are few cases of complete inversion:

Is anybody at home? (as a semantic verb). Has anybody twenty dollars to lend me? (as a semantic verb).

Cases are much more numerous partial inversion, that is, setting before the subject of the predicate-auxiliary or modal verb, as well as the linking verb:

Has you received any new emails? Can walking be recommended as a good exercise? Is it cold today?

When forming a question using the auxiliary do verb type: At what time does the sun rise now? — there is essentially no reverse word order. The pointer to the question is the auxiliary verb do; other members of the sentence are placed in the usual order: subject — predicate: Does the sun rise?

An indirect question in English is built like an affirmative sentence: Ask if he can come to see me tomorrow afternoon. I wonder what time it is. In Russian, the reverse order of words is observed, as well as the presence of a particle in the sentence: Ask if he can come to me tomorrow. Find out if the director has arrived.

Other cases of inversion

The predicate also stands before the subject in the following cases:

— In the construction there is (are) and with all the verbs preceded by the formal there: There is a meeting today. There must be a meeting today.

— In exclamation sentences expressing the wish: Long Live the King!

— In conditional sentences starting with verb forms: were, had, should: Were I in your place, I would act differently. Should the weather keep fine in September, come down to see us in the country.

— When repeating an auxiliary or modal verb in sentences like: You are here, so am I.

Note: The subject takes its usual place if it refers in both sentences to the same subject of speech: “You seem to be very pleased with your work,” said my friend to me. “So I am,” I answered.

Source: http://www.english7days.ru/pryamoy-i-obratnyiy-poryadok-slov-chast-1.html

Word order in an English sentence

Word order in an English sentence is, on the one hand, not a difficult topic, because the basic rules are simple, on the other — inexhaustible, because the nuances are endless. In this article, we will not try to grasp the immensity, but consider the basic rules, principles of constructing a sentence in English.

A sentence in English can be simple or complex. Simple includes one grammatical basis (subject and predicate), complex — two or more. Complex sentences are divided into compound sentences, the sentences in which are equivalent, and complex sentences, consisting of the main and subordinate clauses.

Subject matter — the actor or subject in the proposal, answers the questions: who? what?

Mountains are beautiful. — The mountains are beautiful.

Predicate — what is said about the subject. What does the subject do? What is it like?

Mountains are beautiful… — The mountains are beautiful.

Addition — the person or object to which the action is directed. After some verbs, two additions are possible: direct, to which the action is directed directly, and indirect, answering the question “to whom?” — the action is directed at him indirectly.

He Told me a joke… — He told me a joke.

In this example joke — direct addition, me — indirect.

Definition — a sign of an object or person, answers the questions: which one? which? whose? etc.

It is my spot. — This is my spot.

Circumstance — shows when, how, under what circumstances the action takes place.

I drive Carefully… — I drive carefully.

Feature of word order in English

English has a stricter word order than Russian. In Russian, we can rearrange words in a sentence with slight changes in meaning:

The cat is chasing the mouse.
The mouse is chased by a cat.

We understand who is catching up with whom, since in the Russian language, not only word order and prepositions, but also case endings (mouse, cat) are responsible for such semantic connections.

There are no case endings in English, so you can’t move the words so freely — the meaning of the sentence will change:

A cat chases a mouse. — The cat is chasing the mouse.
A mouse chases a cat. — The mouse is chasing the cat.

Word order in affirmative and negative sentences

The affirmative sentence uses direct word order. The scheme is as follows: subject, predicate, object (if any).

Subject

I	see	you
Я	see	you
We	found	a cat
Мы	found	cat
Mark	will help	Them
Mark	will help	them

In a negative sentence, the word order is the same. The difference is that a negative sentence uses a negative particle Note and an auxiliary verb (will, do, be, have).

Subject

I	want not tell	the truth
Я	I will not tell	the truth
We	do not help	rich people
Мы	we do not help	rich people

Place of definition

The definition does not have a clearly fixed place in the sentence, it can stand for any noun it defines, for example:

I see a white dog — I see a white dog (white — definition),
My friend will help me. — My friend will help me (my — definition).

Note: in the diagrams below, the definitions will not be highlighted as a separate member of the proposal, so as not to make the diagrams too cumbersome.

Place of indirect complement

Indirect addition may come before or after direct object.

As a rule, the indirect object is located BEFORE the direct object — in this case, the preposition before the indirect object is not needed.

Subject Implied Indirect Complement Direct Supplement

Source: https://langformula.ru/english-grammar/word-order/

Word order in a sentence in English

The deep and hidden meaning of what is spoken and written is the strict observance of the correctness of the sentence. This seemingly small, but important nuance conceals the secrets of literacy in English. Along with spelling, the formulation of thoughts is not just a key place in teaching English, but teaches you to think in it and clearly use what you have learned.

It must be remembered that a global rearrangement of words in a sentence leads to a change in the entire essence of the statement. Knowing the golden rule of drawing up an English sentence, it becomes possible to express a thought clearly and correctly. That will testify not only to the knowledge of such, but also to the ability to use it.

Subject + predicate + direct object

Why is it so important word order in a sentence in English language. The answer to this question will be the knowledge of the principles of grammar, which is fraught with certain pitfalls that are alien to our mentality. The completeness, volume and unpredictability of Russian speech promises considerable problems when learning English. But having understood and accepted the main rule for granted, all difficulties fade away.

The essence of language acquisition lies in the correct construction of phrases, which frightens many beginners with this very difficulty. With a more detailed study of the issue, this aspect becomes clear, and not so creepy. The habit of combining words in an arbitrary order, emphasizing the importance of certain words, perceives the strict framework of the order «with hostility.» This aspect is very difficult and incomprehensible for us, but we are fully studying it. The trick is as follows.

The flexibility of the Russian language lies in the unique case system, which is absent in English. Understanding gives each word an ending, which does not change from the permutation of words in a sentence, but which clearly and clearly shows that it denotes and all its meaning, depth and meaning that it carries. It should be noted that the construction of the English sentence is very dry, specific, definite and concise. The mentality of the people can be traced here.

It is impossible to fit the breadth of the Russian soul into some narrow narrative framework. Although, in English, there are also longer, intricate sentences that are inherent in fiction, jurisprudence and other areas where it is appropriate and necessary.

If you remember the correct word order in an English sentence, then its study becomes easy, simple and does not encounter difficulties. The order is as follows: the subject comes first, then the predicate, and only after the direct and indirect object, as well as all the circumstances.

Having dealt with the main characters, what play the role of the subject, and correspond to the question “who?”, “What?”. The subject can be expressed by a noun or a pronoun. We always put it in the first place. Then comes the perfect event of this subject, or its specific activity.

Therefore, it is expressed by a verb in a certain time interval.

The predicate is an important point of the proposal, put in second place, and unquestioningly shows the developing situation, what is happening in this or that interval. In this case, the predicate can be expressed in several verbs to more fully clarify the action or indicate the time.

Without the subject and predicate, it is impossible to create a sentence and express your thought clearly. They are very important and come first. But, the offer also contains:

additions, which can be both direct and indirect;
definitions;
circumstances.

Indirect additions and circumstances

One cannot stand a sentence with important and paramount words. Some addition is needed here for completeness of the description. Such an explanatory moment is the additions, without which, the expressed thought may not be fully understood and not fully formed. Additions broaden the horizons of expression and make it more accessible, understandable, which carries a great semantic load. So, the additions indicate the subject, on which there was a completely given influence.

The add-ons are different. They are divided according to the degree of importance into direct, indirect and prepositional. In a sentence, a direct addition, following immediately after the predicate, which is what its name says, expresses what the action being performed directly goes to and answers the questions “who?”, “What?”. An indirect addition is who or what, as a result of which this operation is performed, and which answers the questions: «who?», «What?», «Who?», «Why?» etc.

Indirect Complement Position

Regularity orderwords in an English sentence due not only to the semantic load of each component, but also to the fixed arrangement of words. Here, the clarity of understanding the correct location of the indirect complement depends on the following subtleties:

If the indirect object contains the preposition to, then it is placed after the direct object.
In the absence of the preposition to, the indirect object goes to the first place before the direct one.

This must be remembered, taken into account and used to the extent of necessity, which is taken into account by the specifics of the language.

Position of circumstance

A given to the culture of a language in its study tells us to correctly and flawlessly determine the position of a certain word in a sentence.

The complexity of the interweaving of all the subtleties into the language web determines a number of rules by which it is worth learning to understand word order in an English sentence.

Having considered the dominant positions, moving on to secondary places, let us pay attention to the following most important subtlety, as a circumstance. It is it that dictates in what place, how and at what time a certain event took place.

When learning English, it’s hard not to notice that a familiar circumstance always points to the verb to which it refers. The circumstance often appears either in personal and impersonal forms, or in an adverb and an adjective. Such a clarifying point is very important for the complete certainty of what is happening and the correct understanding of the event itself. Hiding in small but significant details, the circumstance indicates the reasons, goals and circumstances, namely:

location and direction;
time;
modus operandi;
causes;
goals;
particular degree or measure;
conditions and so on.

Although the concreteness and certainty of the place of the circumstance in a judgment or phrase is not as firm as in other words, its location is more free, and it can occupy such locations:

At the beginning of the sentence before the subject. This is often how the circumstance of time is placed.
In the middle of the sentence before the addition. So you can use any adverb or adverb.
Between the two used verbs — the main and the auxiliary. Basically, only short adverbs are used this way.

In the presence of several different circumstances in the pronounced phrase, their mutual arrangement is determined in the following order: first, the circumstances of the mode of action are put, then the places, and only in the last turn they use the circumstance of time, which is sometimes placed at the beginning of the sentence.

The simplicity and brevity of the formulation of the principles of the correctness of the composition of sentences gives a chance not only to learn the language, but also to master it in a certain perfect form. Although such an action requires such an environment that will induce, not just listen and delve into the meaning of the phrases said, but, accordingly, think in this language.

Non-standard word order in English

And it is precisely in this aspect of relevance and globality that the question of broadening one’s horizons and increasing those rules that are necessary in colloquial speech arises. After all, language, no matter how structured it is, tells us to express the entire depth and breadth of a person’s thought, and it is simply not possible to drive it into a certain framework. This is where the non-standard originates from word order in an English sentence.

Remembering, knowing and not forgetting the importance of the arrangement of words in the sentence, namely, following this arrangement rule, which states that the subject takes the first place, then the predicate, and then the direct and indirect addition.

As if the last circumstance follows, which, by the way, can take different places in it depending on the conditions. But there is no other order, and there should be no words between the main ones. But, as with any rule, there are always exceptions, and the English language has its own deviations.

It is necessary to mention adverbs, which show the frequency of actions performed (sometimes, often, never, etc.).

Using simple rules when constructing sentences, there is always a chance to create something bigger and more difficult by combining several components into one large sentence, but something that will most likely describe this action in full. Simple rules also apply in difficult situations, you just need to use them with reliability.

Stylistic reordering of words

Writers often use a bright and unique feature of changing words to enhance some effect or to make the action spicy and impeccable.

The human factor is invincible in its inconstancy and widespread development, improving and developing the turns of speech that convey that depth of feelings that simply cannot be conveyed in words.

But it’s all great when reading a book, listening to a movie or song, or speaking from a speaker. It is undesirable for beginners to use such complex structures.

And to start studying with them, moreover, is forbidden. This complicates understanding and the study itself, distorting the essence of the main principles and confusing them in such an already not easy matter. But, if you have looked into this area, you need to know the following aspects: the usual word order changes when the following words are used — never or never before, hardly, in structures when if is omitted, and when using extended additions. Then there is a change in the places of the subject and predicate.

Сonclusion

The order of words in an English sentence emphasizes the very fact and the degree of connection between words, for reliable transmission of the necessary information. The urgency of mastering the elementary rule of formulating a sentence opens the door to the future of language learning, comprehension of the world.

After repeating and remembering the primacy of the arrangement of words in the formed phrases, which speaks of the primacy of the subject, the next predicate, and after all the various additions, circumstances and other things. It not only initiates language perfection into the world, but also reveals all the secrets of literacy and knowledge.

Great work starts small, allowing you to rise to unknown heights of knowledge.

The totality of numerous studies in the field of modernization and improvement of the language, is aimed primarily at the study and establishment of all shades of a complex issue of a specific and strictly order of the use of words in a sentence of the English language; to convey the seriousness and clarity of understanding and correct perception of such. And also on the influence of words on each other, on the meaning of the sentence as a whole and on the inversion of words, depending on the circumstances. The definition of the word order function, their types and inversion is achieved in the learning process, which allows you to accurately build English sentences with deliberate ease and infallible knowledge.

Source: https://enjoyenglish-blog.com/interesnoe-ob-anglijskom-yazyke/poryadok-slov-v-predlozhenii-v-anglijskom-yazyke.html

How a sentence is built in English | Building English sentences

Knowing how a sentence is constructed in English is a fundamental key to speaking correctly in English. Having well understood the principles of constructing English sentences of different types, you can easily operate with different times, ask questions correctly, and speak English faster.

Strict word order in English sentences

The construction of sentences in English requires clarification due to the dissimilarity of the syntax of English and Russian. For example, The boy was picking berries all day. can be translated in ten ways:

The boy was picking berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy picked berries all day
The boy was picking berries all day

In English, this will be only one option, where the word order is strictly defined — the subject is followed by the predicate, then the object and the circumstance… On the one hand, it seems that such a limitation is annoying, but practice shows: the less room for maneuver, the less probability of error. In the end, it turns out to be easier to construct sentences of foreign speech according to a strictly defined scheme than to literally convey ornate Russian thoughts.

The outline of a typical affirmative English sentence looks like this:

Subject group	Predicate group	Additions	Circumstances
the boy	was picking	berries	all day

Exception for circumstance

There is one exception to the rule «subject, predicate, and then everything else» — this is a circumstance. In English, it can appear in sentences in four different positions:

Before the subject — the circumstance of the time

Last night she left for Pekin — She left for Beijing last night.

Between the subject and the predicate — the circumstance of the frequency of action

Marcus seldom eats spinach — Marcus rarely eats spinach.

Between the auxiliary and the main verb of the predicate — the circumstances of the image or time of action (adverb)

Grant has never been to Penza — Grant has never been to Penza.

And according to the traditional scheme — after the addition, at the end of the sentence.

Flora broke the agreement at once — Flora broke the agreement at once.

Building negative sentences in English

The word order in negative sentences in English differs from affirmative only in the NOT particle. The composition of the predicate in a negative sentence is «Auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb».

Belinda did not show her impatience — Belinda did not show her impatience.

General questions

General questions (requiring a “yes” or “no” answer) in English always start with an auxiliary verb. After it, the word order of the affirmative sentence is preserved.

Did the pupils stand still? — Did the students stand still?

Special Issues

Special questions are of a clarifying nature and begin with special “interrogative words”. After such a word, in a special question, we put an auxiliary verb, and then again return to the affirmative word order.

Why did the pupils stand still? — Why did the students stand still?

Stylistic inversion in English

The order of words in a sentence in English can change when a special stylistic device is used — inversion (reverse word order). It is mainly an artistic technique that serves to emotionally highlight an expression or thought.

And came empty days full of misery and despair. — And there came empty days, full of suffering and despair.

Training and control

Despite the fact that there is nothing complicated in the scheme of the English sentence, it is not so easy to introduce this very scheme into the Russian consciousness. We are used to being free with words. After all, thanks to the endings, the order of the words in the Russian sentence is not important.

When we learn to speak English, we automatically put English words in the place of Russians, often completely distorting the meaning of what we want to say.

To develop the automatism of the correct word order in a sentence in English, you need to build a thought over and over again according to the desired pattern. It is difficult to do this on your own.

The lessons of the Lim-English training site are designed so that the Russian and English versions of the sentences in them almost literally coincide. By completing tasks on the site, you will not only understand how a sentence is constructed in English, but also imperceptibly bring the skill of correct English speech to automatism.

By the way, you can also find a rather rare phenomenon of stylistic inversion in Lim-English in beautiful English fairy tales.

Source: https://lim-english.com/posts/kak-stroitsa-predlojenie-v-angliiskom/

Enjoy learning English online with Puzzle English for free

The rules for constructing sentences in English are quite strict. Unlike the Russian language, there is a clear word order. If you know the basic construction of an English sentence, you can construct any phrase.

The members of the sentence in English, as in Russian, are divided into major and minor.

The main members of the sentence are those thanks to which the grammatical basis of the statement is formed. Without them, the proposal would not make sense. The main members are subject and predicate.

examples:

(Who?) They (what did they do?) Thought. — They thought.

Who?) The cat (what is it doing?) Is coming. — The cat is going.

(What?) The apple (what will it do?) Will fall. — The apple will fall.

Predicate

This part of the sentence is expressed by a verb and is key when constructing sentences in English, because it shows at what time an action happened, occurs or will occur. The predicate answers the question «what to do?»

As part of the predicate, there can be two verbs, auxiliary and semantic.

An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used to express tense. As such, it does not in itself have such a meaning and is not translated into Russian in any way. However, his presence is necessary if the temporary form requires it.

examples:

Source: https://puzzle-english.com/directory/sentencestructure

Sentences in English: word order and terms

Greetings to future connoisseurs of the English language! Friends, you’ve probably heard more than once about such a phenomenon in the English language as a fixed word order. And it represents a strict adherence to the position in the proposal of its members.

And then a problem arises — how much do you know about the members of a sentence in English? This is not to say that the grammatical concept of «member of a sentence» differs in many respects from that in Russian, but after making a brief overview, you will undoubtedly discover some useful information or simply refresh your memory of the grammatical material that you studied in school. Let’s get started!

There is a certain word order in an English sentence

English sentences: construction rules and members

The main difference between English declarative sentences and Russian ones is that in English you cannot arrange words as you please, and the sentence formula indicating the strict word order is as follows:

Subject + predicate + complement + circumstance of place + circumstance of time

Of course, this formula is not absolute. Some members may be absent in both English and Russian sentences, or, on the contrary, additional ones may appear, for example:

circumstances of the course of action
cause and effect and others

The priority of circumstances in proposals will be discussed a little later.

If in Russian there are sentences without a subject, then in English — the presence of a subject is mandatory

For example, the Russian version of the absence of a subject:

I see — the city has become so beautiful!

In the English version, the literal translation will be incorrect, here the pronoun «I» must be present:

I see the city has become so beautiful!

Let us now take a closer look at the important building blocks of sentences.

Subject and predicate are the grammatical basis of the sentence.

The Subject

Subject — a member of the sentence that names the subject in question

The subject in English answers the question:

The subject in English can be expressed:

noun
numerative
a pronoun
gerund (non-personal form of the verb)
infinitive

John is a pupil. — John (who?) Is a student.
The book was on the desk. — The book (what?) Was on the table.

The Predicate (Predictable)

The predicate denotes what is said about the subject, that is, what action it performs. Therefore, it is in close connection with the subject and is consistent with it.

The predicate in English answers the questions:

what does the subject do
what happens to the subject
who is the subject / object (subject)

Mary studies. — Mary is studying. (What is Mary doing?)
The letter was burned. — The letter was burned. (What happened to the letter?)
Ann is a housewife. — Anna is a housewife. (Who is Anna?)

This member of the sentence in English has many nuances, so let’s stop to consider them without putting it in a long box.

The predicate is of two types:

A simple predicate is expressed by a personal verb and can be in any of the tenses, inclinations and moods

He s this song. — He loves this song.

To avoid misunderstandings that may arise, it should be understood that a simple predicate can consist of several components, provided that they are constituents of the same verb form.

We are writing a test. — We are writing a test.
She had been writing a letter. — She wrote a letter.

The compound predicate is subdivided into two more types:

Composite verb predicate
The compound nominal predicate

Composite verb predicate forms its forms according to two schemes:

Modal verb (can, ought to, may etc.) + infinitive
- I can read English. — I can read in English
Verb (expressing the beginning, continuation or end of an action) + infinitive / gerund
- I began to study at the University of St. Nicolas. — I started studying at St. Nicholas University
- It continued snowing. — The snow continued to fall
- He has finished reading the story. — He finished reading the story

The compound nominal predicate is formed according to the following scheme:

Verb bunch to be (to be) in any of the tenses + a nominal part, which can be:

noun
pronoun
numeral
Communion
infinitive
adverb,
gerund

My dad is a pilot. — My father is a pilot (+ noun)
The wall is high. — High wall (+ adjective)
She is forty-two. — She is 42 years old (+ numeral)
The game is over. — Game over (+ adverb)
His heart is broken. — His heart is broken (+ participle)
His goal was traveling the world. — His goal was to travel the world (+ gerund)

The Object (Addition)

An addendum is a member of a sentence that denotes an object or person that is exposed to

Supplement in English answers a huge number of questions:

Whom — whom
what — what
to whom — to whom
by whom — by whom
about what — about what, etc.

It can be direct, indirect and prepositional.

A direct object names a person or an object to which the action, expressed by a transitive verb, goes directly. Questions answered:

I read an article. — I’m reading the article.

An indirect addition in English indicates the addressee or the person for whose sake the action is being performed. The indirect addition answers the questions:

to whom — to whom
for whom — for whom
to what — what

Source: https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/chleni-predlozheniya.html

Putting the word order in English sentences. In diagrams and examples

Greetings dear reader.

I am sure that if I ask you how the word order in a sentence in English differs from its Russian counterpart, you will not be able to tell me plainly. Well, maybe some of you. Therefore, today I will lay out all your knowledge on the shelves, tables and diagrams.

Let’s start!

What is the main difference

To make everything clear, as for children, let’s look at simple examples right away. This is where everyone starts, both adults in various courses and children in grade 2.

If in Russian we can do whatever we want with a proposal, then in English there will be difficulties with this. For example:

The cat climbed a tree.
A cat climbed up a tree.

But look what happens if we do something like this with the English version:

The cat broke the window. — The cat broke the window.
The window broke the cat. — The window broke the cat.

You see, the difference turns out to be significant and, to some extent, comical. And the reason is that in English the word order is firm, and oh, how involuntarily amenable to change!

How to write a sentence correctly

The standard word order of a simple sentence is as follows:

The subject comes first.
It is followed by the predicate.
After that comes the addition.
And, in the end, a circumstance.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

mother is a doctor. — Mom is a doctor.

Mother Is the subject; the one who performs the main action. It comes first.
Is Is a predicate. It always comes after the subject.
Doctor Is an add-on.

Let’s see some more examples.

I (subject predicate) coffee (addition) in the morning (circumstance). — I like coffee in the morning.

We (subject) do (predicate) the job (addition) well (circumstance). — We’re doing a good job.

We bought a beautiful car last week… “We bought a nice car last week.
I have a concert tomorrow night — Tomorrow evening I have a concert.

But what about the time indicators? — you ask. To which I answer: they can stand like at the beginningAnd in concert offers.

I (subject) drink (predicate) coffee (addition) in the morning (time indicator). — I drink coffee in the morning.

In the morning (time indicator) I (subject) go (predicate) jogging (addition). — In the morning I go for a run.

To help you remember this rule better, I have a table for you that will help you quickly refresh your knowledge at any time.

What to do with questions

For those who are already in grade 5, the most common mistake is the incorrect formation of questions. (Follow the link to learn more about everything)

The word order in the interrogative sentence depends on the type of sentence you are encountering. If the question is general, that is, it only requires the answer «yes» or «no», then the words will go in the following order:

Auxiliary verb (e.g. Is, Are, Do, Did, Does, Was, Were, Has, Have, Will, etc.)
Next comes the subject.
It is followed by the main verb.
Then all other parts of the sentence are used.

Is (auxiliary) John (subject) a student (addition)? — Is John a student?

Do (auxiliary) you (subject) drink (main verb) water (addition) in the morning (circumstance of time)? — Do you drink water in the morning?

What (auxiliary) he (subject) reading (main verb) to book (addition) last night (circumstance of time)? — Did he read the book last night?

But the language also has special questions that need full answers. The only difference in this case is that a question word appears before the auxiliary verb (what, when, who, whom, where, which, whose).

What (question word) Were (auxiliary) you (subject) doing (main verb) last evening (circumstance of time)? — What did you do last night?

Who did you call yesterday? — Who did you call yesterday?

When did you see her for the last time? — When was the last time you saw her?

To memorize the information much better, here is a diagram for you, which I hope will help you master the rule faster.

Well, my dears, the only thing left for me to tell you is practice, exercise and even more English. Only with constant practice and constant improvement of the language can you achieve good results. After all, we are still at the very beginning of the journey, which can become a starting point for you into the wonderful world of English speech.

To better understand the topic, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the English times, since in the rules you will find a lot of examples of sentences and questions. At the same time, you will understand how sentences are formed at different times.

I’m sure many of you would be interested to receive even more useful information and topics for taking the next steps. Therefore, I created a subscription to my blog mailing list, where I share the most relevant and useful information. Subscribe and improve day by day.

Source: https://lizasenglish.ru/grammatika/poryadok-slov-v-predlozheniyah.html

5 simple rules for word order in English

In order to build even the simplest sentence in English, you need to know the word order in the language. This seemingly simple but very important topic is the starting point for learning English grammar.

Predicate

Note that by subject we mean here not only the main noun or pronoun, but also the adjectives or descriptive phrases that refer to it. The rest of the sentence, which is not related to the subject, is called the predicate. For example:

The girl in a blue dress was playing the piano.

Indirect additions and circumstances

If there are any other parts in the sentence — indirect additions or circumstances — they usually occupy a strictly defined place.

Before the subject (usually these are the circumstances of the time)

In the morning he was reading a book. — In the morning he read a book.

After the addition (almost any adverb or adverbial phrase can be put here):

He was reading a book at the library. — He read a book in the library.

Between the auxiliary and the main verb (as a rule, these are short adverbs):

He has already read this book. — He has already read the book.

Non-standard word order in English

Typically, in Standard English, no other words are placed between subject and predicate, or between predicate and object. But there are a few exceptions. Here are the most important ones:

Frequency adverbs and indirect objects without the preposition to

I sometimes drink coffee in the morning. — I sometimes drink coffee in the morning.

Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/5-prostyh-pravil-poryadka-slov-v-anglijskom

Word order and members of a sentence in English

The main members in the English sentence are:

Subject, which denotes the producer of the action (who? what?)

the story is amazing — the story is amazing.

Predicate, which denotes the action or characteristic of the subject (what does the subject do? what is it?)

the story is amazing — the story is amazing.

In addition, a proposal may include several minor members:

Addition — the object to which the action of the subject is directed. Additions are divided into direct and indirect:

I called you a doctor… — I called a doctor (a doctor — direct addition, you — indirect).

Definition can refer to both the object of action and the subject. Its task is to convey one or another characteristic of an object (which? Which? Whose?):

I read an interesting book. — I am reading an interesting book.

I see a Beautiful bird on the tree. — I see a beautiful bird on the window.

Circumstance conveys the meaning of time, place and mode of action (when? where? where? how? etc.)

I drive Carefully… — I drive carefully.

In Russian, we are used to the free order of words, which depends on which of them we want to emphasize. In English, words are always in a certain order, and there are a number of related rules that you need to know.

Correct word order in English is necessary in order not to distort the meaning of the statement. In English, there are no such broad opportunities for conveying meaning through endings, as in Russian:

Mom loves her daughter.
Mom is loved by her daughter.

Look at these examples: in them we easily understand who is the object of action and who is the subject. The subject is in the nominative and has the ending «a», and the object in the accusative is the ending «y».

If you write the same thing in English, then the meaning of these phrases will be different. There are no case endings here, and the producer of the action will be the noun at the beginning:

Mother loves daughter. — Mom loves her daughter;
Daughter loves mother. — My daughter loves her mother.

Word order in English affirmative sentences: detailed outline

The word order in the English declarative sentence is called direct. At the beginning of the sentence there is a noun or pronoun (the subject of the action), followed by the action itself, and in third place are the additions.

The word order in an English negative sentence is not fundamentally different. You just need to put the particle not and an auxiliary verb before the verb.

Definition in a sentence

The definition is always located next to the noun it defines.

I see a whitedog — I see a white dog (white is the definition).
Myfriend will help me. — My friend will help me (my — definition).

Indirect addition in a sentence

In English, there are two options for the location of the indirect object. To put it in the right place, see if there is a preposition to before the addition.

If the preposition is present, the indirect object should be put after direct.
If there is no preposition, the indirect object will be to direct.

Circumstance in a sentence

The word order in a sentence containing a circumstance depends on its meaning:

Circumstance of the course of action.

If an intransitive verb (which has no object) is used in the sentence, the circumstance will be in third place.

If there is an addition after the verb, no other words can be placed between them. Then the circumstance may appear immediately after the subject or after the addition.

In order not to make a mistake if you do not clearly distinguish between transitive verbs, remember: if there is an addition, the adverb should be placed after it, if not, after the verb.

Usually placed in third place, but direct addition can displace it.

As a rule, words indicating the time of action appear at the end of a sentence.

But in some cases, the circumstance of time may come first.

Exceptions are words that carry a frequency of action, such as always, seldom, usually, never.

If the predicate consists of one semantic verb, then these words in the sentence will be in second place.

If the predicate is expressed in the form of the verb to be, the circumstance is in third place.

In an English sentence with a complex predicate, including an auxiliary and semantic verb, the circumstance is inside the predicate.

The word order will be the same if the sentence includes an auxiliary verb and a verb to be.

Read the material on the topic: Articles in English with examples and rules

Word order in an English imperative sentence

Sentences, called imperatives, are used to ask for something, advise, give direction. The order of construction of words in an English sentence of this type is quite simple: the subject is absent, the predicate is at the head of the sentence, followed by other words:

Word order in English sentences: outline for exclamation

Any sentence can become an exclamation point if you pronounce it with the appropriate intonation. But in the English language there is a special type of sentences that are designed to convey emotion. The word order in this case will be as follows: at the beginning there is the word What or How, then the related additions or definitions, and only then the subject and predicate.

It is worth resorting to this construction when the meaning of your statement is to convey impressions or emotions (joy, surprise, indignation, etc.). It is noteworthy that in such English sentences, the main terms can be omitted.

Read the material on the topic: The most beautiful words in English: TOP-50

Word order in English interrogative sentences and answers

In our language, the same sentence can be either interrogative or affirmative, depending on intonation. The word order in an interrogative sentence in English has its own characteristics:

They listen to the teacher. — They listen to the teacher.
Are they listening to the teacher? — Do they listen to the teacher?

Forward word order in an English sentence is used for assertion, and reverse order for asking a question. That is, in an interrogative construction, the predicate will be the first, not the subject. Please note: at the beginning of the sentence, you should not put all the predicate, but only the auxiliary verb. In this case, the main verb will be in third place.

In English grammar, there is a division of interrogative sentences into four groups:

General question: auxiliary verb + subject + predicate + minor terms.

Are you engrossed in Chinese art? — Are you interested in Chinese art?

Special question: question word + auxiliary verb + subject + predicate + minor terms.

Where do you prefer eating out? — Where do you prefer to dine outside the home?

The interrogative word «who» can denote the producer of the action: Who is playing the piano right now? — Who is currently playing the piano?

Alternative question: its distinguishing feature is the conjunction «or», and the order corresponds to the interrogative construction.

Will Andrew go to New Orleans or San Diego? — Will Andrew go to New Orleans or San Diego?

Certification question consists of two parts: the first uses direct word order, and the second is a general question.

Source: https://www.englishpatient.org/articles/poryadok-slov-v-anglijskom-predlozhenii

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Have you ever wondered if your sentences could be structured differently? Do you think the sentence would convey the same meaning even after you change the order of words, or would it give any meaning at all? This article will answer these questions by walking you through the particular word order you will have to follow when framing sentences in the English language. Go through all the points carefully and analyse the examples given to understand and comprehend how it works.

What Is Word Order?
- Definition of Word Order
Why Follow Word Order? – Points to Remember
Applying Word Order in Sentences – Rules and Examples
Check Your Understanding of Word Order
Frequently Asked Questions on Word Order in English

What Is Word Order?

The term ‘word order’, as the name suggests, refers to the sequence or order in which words are to be placed in a sentence. Take a look at the following dictionary definitions to have a broader understanding of what word order is.

Definition of Word Order

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, word order is defined as “the order or arrangement of words in a phrase, clause, or sentence”, and the Collins Dictionary defines word order as “the arrangement of words in a phrase, clause, or sentence. In many languages, including English, word order plays an important part in determining meanings expressed in other languages by inflections”. The Macmillan Dictionary defines the same as “the sequence in which words generally occur, especially in a clause or sentence”.

Why Follow Word Order? – Points to Remember

You might ask why following the word order is such a big deal. Well, placing even one word differently can change the meaning of the sentence completely. Take a look at the following example to learn how a change in the word order will affect the meaning of the sentence on the whole.

Sentence 1: I only like non-vegetarian dishes.

Sentence 2: Only I like non-vegetarian dishes.

Sentence 3: I like only non-vegetarian dishes.

Sentence 4: I like non-vegetarian dishes only.

In all these four sentences, the word ‘only’ is used in four different positions. Do you think all of them mean the same thing? No, they don’t. The first sentence means that the person likes non-vegetarian dishes, and the second sentence means that only that person and no one else likes non-vegetarian dishes. The third and fourth sentences mean that the person likes non-vegetarian dishes and nothing else. The two different positions of the word ‘only’ are used just to shift the stress.

The general structure of a sentence or the order of words in a sentence is Subject (S) + verb (V) + object (O). Remember that a sentence should always have a subject and predicate and that the subject comes first. However, there are sentences, such as imperative sentences and interrogative sentences, that have different sentence structures.

The English language also happens to be one of the languages that have words that sound the same but mean different things, and also some words which can be used as different parts of speech with or without inflections. This should be reason enough, but even without these, it is impossible to make sense of whatever you are saying unless you place the words in the order that it has to be placed.

Now, a subject, verb and object are not the only components of a sentence. There can be complements and adjuncts as well that add to the meaning of the sentence. Complements are to be positioned either after the verb or before the object. Adjuncts, on the other hand, can be placed in the beginning, middle or end. There also can be multiple adjectives and adverbs in a sentence. There are certain rules to be followed when you are writing such sentences. Let us look at each of them in the section that follows.

Applying Word Order in Sentences – Rules and Examples

Here are rules that have to be followed when you write different sentences. Check out each one of them and the examples given to see how each rule is applied.

Rule 1 – Subject + Predicate

Every assertive sentence has a subject and a predicate.

For example:

I / like mangoes.
Dona and Steve / are going to the mall.
It / is a beautiful day.
Tomorrow / is Wednesday.
My mother / is a teacher.

Rule 2 – Negative Sentences

The word ‘not’ is normally used to indicate a negative thought. So, when a sentence has to be made negative, the word ‘not’ usually comes after the verb. In case there is more than one verb, it comes after the main verb and in between the main verb and the helping verb. In some cases, the verb forms of ‘do’ are used to write a negative sentence. Go through the following examples to understand.

Examples of negative sentences:

It is not right.
The girl does not know what to do.
I cannot find my purse.
There has not been any update on the condition of the patient.
Sarah did not wear a black dress though we had informed her earlier.

Rule 3 – Interrogative Sentences

If you had analysed how interrogative sentences are structured, you would have seen that the positions of the subject and the verb are interchanged. Look at the examples given below.

Examples of interrogative sentences:

Are you happy?
Have you found your wallet?
What are you doing?
Do you like the new playground?
Would you be able to help me with this?

Rule 4 – Sentences with Complements

Complements are of two types – the subject complement and the object complement. The sentence structure of sentences with complements can be SVC (if it is a subject complement) and SVCO/SVOC (if it is an object complement). Here are some examples for your reference.

Examples of sentences with complements:

Emma is a psychologist.
It made everything easy.
I had a bad day.
The class looks dirty.
She loves floral skirts.

Rule 5 – Sentences with Adjuncts

Adverbs, adverbial phrases, adverb clauses and prepositional phrases can act as adjuncts and can appear any number of times and be placed anywhere in a sentence. Due to this very reason, there are rules to help you decide where you have to position them. The common sentence structures are SVA, ASVA. SVAA, ASVAA, SVOA, SVCA, etc. Look at the following examples.

Examples of sentences with adjuncts.

I reached home yesterday.
We are leaving next week.
After we finish our work, we will help you out.
There is a new hypermarket at the end of the street.
He called us as soon as he found out.

Rule 6 – Sentences with Indirect Objects

When there is just one object in a sentence, you need not have a second thought as it comes after the verb. What do you do when you have two objects? Are both the same? No, one is a direct object, and the other is an indirect object. In sentences with an indirect object, the indirect object is placed after the verb and before the direct object, the sentence pattern being SVIODO. In other cases, the indirect object becomes a part of a prepositional phrase. Here are some examples to help you understand.

Examples of sentences with indirect objects:

The teacher gave us our marksheets.
I send Christmas presents to all my friends.
Joey danced with Phoebe.
Keerthana made Raam a birthday card.
My brother bought me a smart watch.

Rule 7 – Sentences with Multiple Adjectives

The use of multiple adjectives to describe one particular noun in a sentence is allowed, but there is an order in which these adjectives are to be placed. The order of adjectives is as follows:

Determiner
Adjective of quantity
Opinion
Size
Age
Shape
Colour
Origin
Material
Qualifier/Purpose

Here are some examples for your reference.

Examples of sentences with multiple adjectives:

My mother gave me a big white teddy bear for my birthday.
There was a huge circular compartment in the cupboard.
I am wearing a red soft silk Banarasi saree for my best friend’s wedding.
The fifty-six year old historical arts museum is being demolished.
The bridesmaids wore beautiful long black lace dresses.

Rule 8 – Sentences with Multiple Adverbs

Adverbs have the special quality of being used multiple times and being placed anywhere in a sentence. However, there are a few pointers that would help you position the multiple adverbs so that you do not simply stuff your sentences with adverbs but make meaningful sentences. The position of the adverb is based on which part of speech it is modifying. If it is modifying the verb, it is placed after the verb; if it is modifying the adjective, it is placed before the adjective, and if it is modifying another adverb, it is placed just before the adverb it is modifying. Also, if it is an adverb of frequency, it is positioned after the subject. On the other hand, adverbs of time are always positioned either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence. If you have all types of adverbs in a sentence, put them in this order – manner, place, frequency and time. Take a look at the following examples.

Examples of sentences with multiple adjectives:

We reached the railway station around 8 p.m.
Last night, my friends and I had dinner at Hotel Taj.
Brittany was extremely angry with the way the officials spoke to her parents.
They always take the 9 a.m. bus to college.
I need it now.

Check Your Understanding of Word Order

Go through the following jumbled sentences and order them adhering to the word order rules so that it makes complete meaning. Also, punctuate them appropriately.

1. dance/party/everyone/the/at

2. happily/gave/she/me/her/cake/of/piece

3. kicked/whistle/the/moment/boy/blown/little/the/ball/was/the

4. doing/here/what/you/are/

5. come/artie/with/will/us/able/be/to

6. she/running/she/kept/until/fell/circles/in

7. this/or/prefer/you/skirt/pants/do/these

8. bobby/his/loved/car/lamborghini/new

9. the/sixty/there/red/are/in/american/there/basket/apples

10. school/morning/there/accident/in/yesterday/an/front/was/our/of

Here are the answers for the exercise on word order. Go through them to find out if you have rearranged the sentences correctly according to the rules of word order.

1. Everyone danced at the party.

2. She happily gave me her piece of cake.

3. The little boy kicked the ball the moment the whistle was blown.

4. What are you doing here?

5. Will Artie be able to come with us?

6. She kept running in circles until she fell.

7. Do you prefer this skirt or these pants?

8. Bobby loved his new Lamborghini car.

9. There are sixty red American apples in the basket.

10. There was an accident in front of our school yesterday morning.

Frequently Asked Questions on Word Order in English

What is word order?

The term ‘word order’, as the name suggests, refers to the sequence or order in which words are to be placed in a sentence.

What is the definition of word order?

What are the basic word order rules?

The basic rules of word order are as follows.

A sentence has a subject and a predicate.
The basic structure of a sentence is SVO.
An interrogative sentence is formed with the reversal of the positions of the subject and the verb.
When multiple adjectives are used in a sentence, position the adjectives according to the order of adjectives.
When multiple adverbs are used in a sentence, place the adverb of time in the beginning or end, the adverb describing the verb after the verb, and the adverb describing the adjective before it.
Complements come after the verb or the object in a sentence.
The indirect object comes after the verb and before the direct object.
The prepositional phrase is placed after the verb or after the object in the sentence.

What is the order of adjectives in a sentence?

The order of adjectives is as follows.

Determiner
Adjective of quantity
Opinion
Size
Age
Shape
Colour
Origin
Material
Qualifier/Purpose

Give some examples of word order in sentences.

Here are a few examples of sentences with word order for your reference.

Brittany was extremely angry with the way the officials spoke to her parents.
I am wearing a red soft silk Banarasi saree for my best friend’s wedding.
After we finish our work, we will help you out.
Would you be able to help me with this?
Keerthana made Raam a birthday card.
It made everything easy.
Dona and Steve are going to the mall.
Sarah did not wear a black dress though we had informed her earlier.

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