Word order change examples

Английский не прощает неправильного порядка слов — нельзя просто взять и поставить слова в предложении как душе угодно. Точнее, прощает, но строго по своим правилам. Разбираемся, когда обратный порядок слов допустим в речи — а помогут нам цитаты из «Звездных войн».

Сначала вспомним про стандартный порядок слов в английском, ведь он строгий и фиксированный. Как правило, английское предложение строится по схеме SVOMPT.

Теперь — к случаям, когда его можно нарушать и при этом не мучиться от угрызений совести.

Самый распространенный случай инверсии, знакомый даже новичкам. Вопросительное предложение, собственно, и отличается от утвердительного перевернутым порядком слов — вспомогательный глагол оказывается перед подлежащим.

— Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper? (А ты не маловат для штурмовика?)

Чуть сложнее с утвердительными предложениями во временах Present Simple и Past Simple. В них нет вспомогательного глагола — а в вопросах он появляется (do, does или did) — и это тоже может считаться инверсией.

Утвердительное предложение: «My childhood icons had such names as Luke, Leia, and Han» («Моих кумиров детства звали Люк, Лея и Хан»).
Вопрос: «Did your childhood icons have such names as Luke, Leia, and Han?»
(Ваших кумиров детства звали Люк, Лея и Хан?)

Правда, в разговорной речи инверсию иногда игнорируют. И понять, что вам задали вопрос, можно только по интонации: «You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought» (Вы прилетели на этом? Да вы храбрее, чем я думала).

Еще одно полезное для разговорной речи использование обратного порядка слов — согласие с каким-либо высказыванием при помощи neither или so. В таких предложениях подлежащее и глагол меняются местами.

— I’m so excited about the release of a new movie. (Я так жду выхода нового фильма.)
— So am I. (Я тоже.)

В русском языке достаточно универсального «я тоже», а в английском все чуть сложнее. Если соглашаетесь с утвердительным предложением, начинайте ответ с so. А если с отрицательным — с neither.

— I haven’t seen all Star Wars movies. (Я видел не все фильмы из «Звездных войн».)
— Neither have I. (Я тоже.)

Если предложение начинается с отрицания или наречия, которое каким-то образом ограничивает или преуменьшает смысл сказанного, будьте готовы к инверсии. Чаще всего в подобных случаях можно встретить такие слова и фразы:

Вспомогательный глагол оказывается перед подлежащим, а смысловой — после него. Как и в вопросах, если вспомогательного глагола изначально не было, его нужно добавить — иначе инверсию делать просто не из чего.

Будьте внимательны: если наречие относится не ко всему предложению, а к отдельному слову, инверсия не нужна: «Hardly anyone watched Star Wars movies in the correct chronological order» («Мало кто смотрел “Звездные войны” в правильной хронологической последовательности»).

И снова отрицательная конструкция, которая требует после себя инверсии. Обычно подобные фразы строятся по схеме «not + предложный оборот». Звучит страшно, но на самом деле это вполне знакомое вам сочетание предлога и существительного вроде on the shelf (на полке): «Not for a moment did I hesitate when he asked me to choose between Star Wars and Star Treck» («Я ни секунды не сомневался, когда он меня попросил выбрать между “Звездными войнами” и “Звездным путем”»).

Эти конструкции, как и фразы с наречиями, не очень разговорные — часто их можно заменить вариантами с прямым порядком слов без потери смысла. Но с их помощью можно расставить интересные акценты в предложении, поэтому подобная инверсия встречается в литературе, кино и публицистике.

Два выражения, которые просто нужно запомнить. После них вспомогательный глагол оказывается перед подлежащим. Хотя здесь все логично, ведь у них тоже отрицательное значение — «ни в коем случае», «ни при каких обстоятельствах». С помощью этих фраз можно дать очень настоятельный совет, поэтому часто в таких предложениях используется модальный глагол should.

— Under no circumstances should you watch Star Wars in Russian. (Ни в коем случае не стоит смотреть «Звездные войны» на русском.)

Про русский язык — это, конечно, просто ради примера: мы не такие категоричные. Но если смотреть в оригинале, вы услышите настоящие голоса актеров и не пропустите ни одной шутки из-за неточностей перевода. Начать смотреть кино в оригинале поможет наш бесплатный личный план «Как учить английский по фильмам и сериалам».

Если хотите сделать свои условные предложения более официальными и пафосными, поменяйте в них порядок слов. В условных предложениях первого типа, когда речь идет о возможных событиях будущего, достаточно заменить if на should — и вот вам готовая инверсия.

Обычное условное предложение: «If you stay here, both of us will die».
Условное предложение с инверсией: «Should you stay here, both of us will die».
(Если ты останешься здесь, мы оба погибнем.)

В условных предложениях второго типа, когда речь идет о нереальных событиях в будущем, if меняем на were, а смысловой глагол ставим в инфинитив.

Обычное условное предложение: «If he turned from the dark side, that could shift the tide».
Условное предложение с инверсией: «Were he to turn from the dark side, that could shift the tide».
(Если бы он перешел с темной стороны, расклад сил бы изменился.)

И наконец, в условных предложениях третьего типа, когда речь идет о событиях прошлого: if убираем совсем и на первое место выносим вспомогательный глагол had.

Обычное условное предложение: «If the chancellor hadn’t been kidnapped, they would have never brought us back from the outer rim sieges».
Условное предложение с инверсией: «Had the chancellor not been kidnapped, they would have never brought us back from the outer rim sieges».
(Если бы канцлера не похитили, мы бы так и вели осады на дальнем рубеже.)

Эта конструкция поможет сделать особенный акцент в речи на какой-то яркой характеристике человека или предмета. А там, где есть смысловое выделение, может быть и непривычный порядок слов.

Обычный порядок слов: «Adam Driver’s acting in Star Wars is so good that I’ve decided to watch all of his movies».
Инверсия: «So good was Adam Driver’s acting in Star Wars that I’ve decided to watch all of his movies».
(Актерская игра Адама Драйвера в «Звездных войнах» была настолько хороша, что я решил посмотреть все фильмы с его участием.)

Когда эти наречия оказываются в начале предложения, не избежать инверсии. Вполне возможно, вы уже не раз ее неосознанно использовали: «Here is your coffee» («Вот твой кофе»). Подобные фразы можно поместить и вовнутрь предложения: «I opened the door and there stood Chewbacca. And then I woke up» («Я открыл дверь, и передо мной стоял Чубакка. А потом я проснулся»).

Итак, инверсия — отличный стилистический прием, который можно использовать, когда вы хотите произвести дополнительное впечатление на читателя или слушателя. Фразы с инверсией выбиваются из привычного звучания речи, поэтому привлекают больше внимания — они более яркие и выразительные. Но лучше быть с инверсией осторожным, пока не разберетесь с классическим порядком слов. Рассказали об этом в материале на Яндекс.Дзене — подпишитесь на наш канал, чтобы не пропускать новые материалы. 

Можно ли использовать вопросительный порядок слов в утвердительных предложениях? Как построить предложение, если в нем нет подлежащего? Об этих и других нюансах читайте в нашей статье.

Прямой порядок слов в английских предложениях

Утвердительные предложения

В английском языке основной порядок слов можно описать формулой SVO: subject – verb – object (подлежащее – сказуемое – дополнение).

Mary reads many books. — Мэри читает много книг.

Подлежащее — это существительное или местоимение, которое стоит в начале предложения (кто? — Mary).

Сказуемое — это глагол, который стоит после подлежащего (что делает? — reads).

Дополнение — это существительное или местоимение, которое стоит после глагола (что? — books).

В английском отсутствуют падежи, поэтому необходимо строго соблюдать основной порядок слов, так как часто это единственное, что указывает на связь между словами.

Подлежащее	Сказуемое	Дополнение	Перевод
My mum	loves	soap operas.	Моя мама любит мыльные оперы.
Sally	found	her keys.	Салли нашла свои ключи.
I	remember	you.	Я помню тебя.

Глагол to be в утвердительных предложениях

Как правило, английское предложение не обходится без сказуемого, выраженного глаголом. Так как в русском можно построить предложение без глагола, мы часто забываем о нем в английском. Например:

Mary is a teacher. — Мэри — учительница. (Мэри является учительницей.)
I’m scared. — Мне страшно. (Я являюсь напуганной.)

Life is unfair. — Жизнь несправедлива. (Жизнь является несправедливой.)
My younger brother is ten years old. — Моему младшему брату десять лет. (Моему младшему брату есть десять лет.)

His friends are from Spain. — Его друзья из Испании. (Его друзья происходят из Испании.)
The vase is on the table. — Ваза на столе. (Ваза находится/стоит на столе.)

Подведем итог, глагол to be в переводе на русский может означать:

• быть/есть/являться;
• находиться / пребывать (в каком-то месте или состоянии);
• существовать;
• происходить (из какой-то местности).

Если вы не уверены, нужен ли to be в вашем предложении в настоящем времени, то переведите предложение в прошедшее время: я на работе — я была на работе. Если в прошедшем времени появляется глагол-связка, то и в настоящем он необходим.

Предложения с there is / there are

Когда мы хотим сказать, что что-то где-то есть или чего-то где-то нет, то нам нужно придерживаться конструкции there + to be в начале предложения.

There is grass in the yard, there is wood on the grass. — На дворе — трава, на траве — дрова.

Если в таких типах предложений мы не используем конструкцию there is / there are, то по-английски подобные предложения будут звучать менее естественно:

There are a lot of people in the room. — В комнате много людей. (естественно)
A lot of people are in the room. — Много людей находится в комнате. (менее естественно)

Обратите внимание, предложения с there is / there are, как правило, переводятся на русский с конца предложения.

Еще конструкция there is / there are нужна, чтобы соблюсти основной порядок слов — SVO (подлежащее – сказуемое – дополнение):

Подлежащее	Сказуемое	Дополнение	Перевод
There	is	too much sugar in my tea.	В моем чае слишком много сахара.

Более подробно о конструкции there is / there are можно прочитать в статье «Грамматика английского языка для начинающих, часть 3».

Местоимение it

Мы, как носители русского языка, в английских предложениях забываем не только про сказуемое, но и про подлежащее. Особенно сложно понять, как перевести на английский подобные предложения: Темнеет. Пора вставать. Приятно было пообщаться. В английском языке во всех этих предложениях должно стоять подлежащее, роль которого будет играть вводное местоимение it. Особенно важно его не забыть, если мы говорим о погоде.

It’s getting dark. — Темнеет.
It’s time to get up. — Пора вставать.
It was nice to talk to you. — Приятно было пообщаться.

Отрицательные предложения

Если предложение отрицательное, то мы ставим отрицательную частицу not после:

• вспомогательного глагола (auxiliary verb);
• модального глагола (modal verb).

Подлежащее	Вспомогательный/Модальный глагол	Частица not	Сказуемое	Дополнение	Перевод
Sally	has	not	found	her keys.	Салли не нашла свои ключи.
My mum	does	not	love	soap operas.	Моя мама не любит мыльные оперы.
He	could	not	save	his reputation.	Он не мог спасти свою репутацию
I	will	not	be	yours.	Я не буду твоей.

Если в предложении единственный глагол — to be, то ставим not после него.

Подлежащее	Глагол to be	Частица not	Дополнение	Перевод
Peter	is	not	an engineer.	Питер не инженер.
I	was	not	at work yesterday.	Я не была вчера на работе.
Her friends	were	not	polite enough.	Ее друзья были недостаточно вежливы.

Порядок слов в вопросах

Для начала скажем, что вопросы бывают двух основных типов:

• закрытые вопросы (вопросы с ответом «да/нет»);
• открытые вопросы (вопросы, на которые можно дать развернутый ответ).

Закрытые вопросы

Чтобы построить вопрос «да/нет», нужно поставить модальный или вспомогательный глагол в начало предложения. Получится следующая структура: вспомогательный/модальный глагол – подлежащее – сказуемое. Следующие примеры вам помогут понять, как утвердительное предложение преобразовать в вопросительное.

She goes to the gym on Mondays. — Она ходит в зал по понедельникам.
Does she go to the gym on Mondays? — Ходит ли она в зал по понедельникам?

He can speak English fluently. — Он умеет бегло говорить по-английски.
Can he speak English fluently? — Умеет ли он бегло говорить по-английски?

Simon has always loved Katy. — Саймон всегда любил Кэти.
Has Simon always loved Katy? — Всегда ли Саймон любил Кэти?

Обратите внимание! Если в предложении есть только глагол to be, то в Present Simple и Past Simple мы перенесем его в начало предложения.

She was at home all day yesterday. — Она была дома весь день.
Was she at home all day yesterday? — Она была дома весь день?

They’re tired. — Они устали.
Are they tired? — Они устали?

Открытые вопросы

В вопросах открытого типа порядок слов такой же, только в начало предложения необходимо добавить вопросительное слово. Тогда структура предложения будет следующая: вопросительное слово – вспомогательный/модальный глагол – подлежащее – сказуемое.

Перечислим вопросительные слова: what (что?, какой?), who (кто?), where (где?, куда?), why (почему?, зачем?), how (как?), when (когда?), which (который?), whose (чей?), whom (кого?, кому?).

He was at work on Monday. — В понедельник он весь день был на работе.
Where was he on Monday? — Где он был в понедельник?

She went to the cinema yesterday. — Она вчера ходила в кино.
Where did she go yesterday? — Куда она вчера ходила?

My father watches Netflix every day. — Мой отец каждый день смотрит Netflix.
How often does your father watch Netflix? — Как часто твой отец смотрит Netflix?

Вопросы к подлежащему

В английском есть такой тип вопросов, как вопросы к подлежащему. У них порядок слов такой же, как и в утвердительных предложениях, только в начале будет стоять вопросительное слово вместо подлежащего. Сравните:

Who do you love? — Кого ты любишь? (подлежащее you)
Who loves you? — Кто тебя любит? (подлежащее who)

Whose phone did she find two days ago? — Чей телефон она вчера нашла? (подлежащее she)
Whose phone is ringing? — Чей телефон звонит? (подлежащее whose phone)

What have you done? — Что ты наделал? (подлежащее you)
What happened? — Что случилось? (подлежащее what)

Обратите внимание! После вопросительных слов who и what необходимо использовать глагол в единственном числе.

Who lives in this mansion? — Кто живет в этом особняке?
What makes us human? — Что делает нас людьми?

Косвенные вопросы

Если вам нужно что-то узнать и вы хотите звучать более вежливо, то можете начать свой вопрос с таких фраз, как: Could you tell me… ? (Можете подсказать… ?), Can you please help… ? (Можете помочь… ?) Далее задавайте вопрос, но используйте прямой порядок слов.

Could you tell me where is the post office is? — Не могли бы вы мне подсказать, где находится почта?
Do you know what time does the store opens? — Вы знаете, во сколько открывается магазин?

Если в косвенный вопрос мы трансформируем вопрос типа «да/нет», то перед вопросительной частью нам понадобится частица «ли» — if или whether.

Do you like action films? — Тебе нравятся боевики?
I wonder if/whether you like action films. — Мне интересно узнать, нравятся ли тебе экшн-фильмы.

Другие члены предложения

Прилагательное в английском стоит перед существительным, а наречие обычно — в конце предложения.

Grace Kelly was a beautiful woman. — Грейс Келли была красивой женщиной.
Andy reads well. — Энди хорошо читает.

Обстоятельство, как правило, стоит в конце предложения. Оно отвечает на вопросы как?, где?, куда?, почему?, когда?

There was no rain last summer. — Прошлым летом не было дождя.
The town hall is in the city center. — Администрация находится в центре города.

Если в предложении несколько обстоятельств, то их надо ставить в следующем порядке:

Подлежащее + сказуемое	Обстоятельство (как?)	Обстоятельство (где?)	Обстоятельство (когда?)	Перевод
Fergie didn’t perform	very well	at the concert	two years ago.	Ферги не очень хорошо выступила на концерте два года назад.

Чтобы подчеркнуть, когда или где что-то случилось, мы можем поставить обстоятельство места или времени в начало предложения:

Last Christmas I gave you my heart. But the very next day you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I’ll give it to someone special. — Прошлым Рождеством я подарил тебе свое сердце. Но уже на следующий день ты отдала его обратно. В этом году, чтобы больше не горевать, я подарю его кому-нибудь другому.

Если вы хотите преодолеть языковой барьер и начать свободно общаться с иностранцами, записывайтесь на разговорный курс английского.

Надеемся, эта статья была вам полезной и вы разобрались, как строить предложения в английском языке. Предлагаем пройти небольшой тест для закрепления темы.

When you have a good understanding of the fundamentals of English word order, English sentences can become very flexible. Longer sentences may be arranged in a large number of ways, and many of the rules can be bent. This is useful if you want to add variety or emphasis to your writing (and it can also be useful if you simply want to restate something in a different way – which is always important to students writing essays!). In this article, I will use an example to break down some of the ways in which you can rearrange a sentence in English.

Standard Word Order

Here’s our example sentence with many components, using standard word order:

The men delivered the sandwiches to everyone at the shop before lunchtime.

We have Subject (The men) Verb (delivered) Direct Object (the sandwiches) Prepositional Phrases (to everyone at the shop) Time (before lunchtime). To rewrite the sentence, we now have a number of options.

Playing with Tenses

As a relatively simple starting point, there are a number of ways we can manipulate a tense to change a sentence. For example we could replace the verb with a different form, with the same meaning (in this case changing the Verb and Object):

The men made a delivery of sandwiches to everyone at the shop before lunchtime.

The opportunities to do this will depend on the sentence. In some cases it will not be possible, in others (such as when writing a future simple sentence) there may be many options.

If the subject is not important, or we want to make text seem more neutral or less direct, we can use the passive tense. This reverses the position of the Object and adds a to be + past participle structure:

The sandwiches were delivered to everyone at the shop before lunchtime.

In this case we are more interested in the result than who did the action.

When we have had the opportunity to introduce a different verb structure, we could also combine this with a passive tense:

A delivery of sandwiches was made to everyone at the shop before lunchtime.

Moving the Time

Time phrases, and clauses, can come at the beginning or the end of the sentence. Times at the start add emphasis, framing the sentence rather than providing a time as additional information.

Before lunchtime, the men delivered the sandwiches to everyone at the shop.

Slightly less natural, we can also insert the time after the Subject or Object, between commas. This should be done rarely, as it really adds emphasis to the time in a particular place, where it might be surprising:

The men delivered the sandwiches, before lunchtime, to everyone at the shop.

In this case you would place the time there to draw especial attention to when the delivery was made, as opposed to who it was for. Placing the time after the Subject (The men, before lunchtime, delivered…) would add even more emphasis, and sound quite unnatural – but that’s precisely the point, if you ever needed to use such a structure.

Moving the time, though I’ve separated it here, is actually a case of moving prepositional phrase. I’ve dealt with it separately to provide a clear example of switching a phrase’s location. Getting into prepositional phrases in general, though, rewriting sentences can become more complicated.

Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases add additional information that can relate to the sentence in a variety of ways, allowing for lots of different rewrites. In the example sentence we have two prepositional phrases that add additional information other than time: to everyone and at the shop.

The preposition to, in this case, serves as a direction (where the delivery was directed) and a purpose (who were the sandwiches for). The prepositional phrase at the shop gives us a location which can either define the place that the sandwiches were delivered to or define the preceding object – everyone (the people at the shop).

When you break down the reasons for the prepositional phrases in this way, you can start to create opportunities to change the sentence. Firstly, you might use different phrases with similar meanings.

The men delivered the sandwiches for everyone at the shop before lunchtime.

The men delivered the sandwiches to everyone in the shop before lunchtime.

These are very basic changes that create slight differences, in this case differences that should not change the understanding of the sentence. But this could change the meaning. In the first example, for instance, it could be understood that the delivery was made on everyone’s behalf (they requested it), not necessarily for them to receive (though without further information we may assume that on their behalf means for them to receive). More alterations could make this different meaning more distinct:

The men delivered the sandwiches for the people of the shop before lunchtime.

In this example, the people are not given a location, just a defining characteristic (that they belong to the shop), giving the delivery a purpose without a specific destination.

Knowing that the sandwiches were for someone, though, we have other options than simply swapping prepositions. For in particular usually gives us a chance to use possessives, or possessive pronouns, instead of prepositional phrases:

The men delivered everyone’s sandwiches to the shop before lunchtime.

The men delivered everyone their sandwiches at the shop before lunchtime.

However, this is a technique that’s effectiveness will vary a lot depending on the verb you are using, and the relationship between the Object and Indirect Object. In this example, using an Indirect Object sounds a little strange after deliver. With a different verb it could sound more natural.

The men gave everyone their sandwiches at the shop before lunchtime.

It is more flexible, though, if the Indirect Object is a pronoun (when the object it refers to is already understood):

The men delivered them their sandwiches at the shop before lunchtime.

You may have noticed that the second prepositional phrase may be affected when we start making these changes. In the original sentence, it is quite clear that everyone is at the shop. We assume this is their location, and where they belong. When we move for everyone away from at the shop, though, the link between them blurs. The men delivered everyone their sandwiches at the shop could be taken to mean the shop was the location of the delivery, but not where everyone is based/belongs.

Sometimes, dividing phrases like this will not really cause problems (unless you are very picky). In other cases, it can cause confusion and actually change the meaning, so it is important to be aware of when you need to combine related information. Consider what happens when we use a more specific preposition:

The men delivered the sandwiches to everyone outside the shop.

The men delivered everyone their sandwiches outside the shop.

In the first example, the group everyone is defined by all the people in that location. In the second example, the group (everyone) is not specifically defined, but outside the shop is simply where they received the sandwiches.

Understanding these relationships between different sentence components is crucial to rewriting sentences. Moving the location requires the same considerations. It can be moved more freely if it is not defining another object:

At the shop, the men delivered the sandwiches to everyone before lunchtime.

Like when we move the time, this now frames the sentence. But if we want that information to define the group of people (Who is everyone? All the people at the shop), separating the phrases like this breaks that meaning – everyone is no longer defined by the location. But if we must keep that information together, it would frame the sentence in a different way:

For everyone at the shop, the men delivered the sandwiches before lunchtime.

This gives the action a grand sense of purpose. By removing all the additional information from later in the sentence, we have put more emphasis on the time – in this case it sounds like the men made the delivery at that time as a special consideration for these people.

These are just some of the ways we can start switching prepositional phrases around, in some cases adjusting meaning and in others simply adding variety. With different prepositional phrases, there will be more options to consider.

Other Ways to Rewrite Sentences

It is also necessary to also consider how using alternative words can also help rewrite sentences, using synonyms or similar words with slightly different meaning. While this is mostly a case of vocabulary, replacing words can also lead to different grammatical constructions, and in some case provide other opportunities to change word order. This was the case in replacing to everyone with everyone’s, in a simple form, but it could be more elaborate, such as when we replace verbs with more complicated ideas:

The men made a delivery of sandwiches to everyone at the shop before lunchtime.

As we added another prepositional phrase here, it opens the door to more changes:

Consisting of sandwiches, a delivery came the shop for everyone before lunchtime.

If that sounds like a stretch, it is. It might not be as clear, or comfortable to say, but if the exercise is simply rewriting, this is still acceptable English.

There are countless considerations that can be made as you look at different sentences, and these points I have given come from just one example. Thinking in these terms is merely a starting point in rewriting English sentences. These ideas can be built upon with more complex sentences, and later applied in moving whole clauses (in complex sentences, after all, a clause may represent a basic sentence component). And, naturally, all these different techniques can be combined to form something quite different with entirely the same meaning:

The men delivered the sandwiches to everyone at the shop before lunchtime.

Before lunchtime, everyone at the shop’s sandwiches were delivered by the men.

In the interests of driving these points home, and because these are lessons that can be applied in all areas of English writing, I reproduced this whole article on another website, however that is no longer functioning. If you’d still like to read it, though, let me know! The other version may also clear up any points that are unclear!

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.

Normally, sentences in the English language take a simple form. However, there are times it would be a little complex. In these cases, the basic rules for how words appear in a sentence can help you.

Word order typically refers to the way the words in a sentence are arranged. In the English language, the order of words is important if you wish to accurately and effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas.

Although there are some exceptions to these rules, this article aims to outline some basic sentence structures that can be used as templates. Also, the article provides the rules for the ordering of adverbs and adjectives in English sentences.

Basic Sentence Structure and word order rules in English

For English sentences, the simple rule of thumb is that the subject should always come before the verb followed by the object. This rule is usually referred to as the SVO word order, and then most sentences must conform to this. However, it is essential to know that this rule only applies to sentences that have a subject, verb, and object.

For example

Subject + Verb + Object

He loves food

She killed the rat

Sentences are usually made of at least one clause. A clause is a string of words with a subject(noun) and a predicate (verb). A sentence with just one clause is referred to as a simple sentence, while those with more than one clause are referred to as compound sentences, complex sentences, or compound-complex sentences.

The following is an explanation and example of the most commonly used clause patterns in the English language.

Inversion

The English word order is inverted in questions. The subject changes its place in a question. Also, English questions usually begin with a verb or a helping verb if the verb is complex.

For example

Verb + Subject + object

Can you finish the assignment?

Did you go to work?

Intransitive Verbs

Some sentences use verbs that require no object or nothing else to follow them. These verbs are generally referred to as intransitive verbs. With intransitive verbs, you can form the most basic sentences since all that is required is a subject (made of one noun) and a predicate (made of one verb).

For example

Subject + verb

John eats

Christine fights

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs are verbs that connect a subject to the quality of the subject. Sentences that use linking verbs usually contain a subject, the linking verb and a subject complement or predicate adjective in this order.

For example

Subject + verb + Subject complement/Predicate adjective

The dress was beautiful

Her voice was amazing

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs are verbs that tell what the subject did to something else. Sentences that use transitive verbs usually contain a subject, the transitive verb, and a direct object, usually in this order.

For example

Subject + Verb + Direct object

The father slapped his son

The teacher questioned his students

Indirect Objects

Sentences with transitive verbs can have a mixture of direct and indirect objects. Indirect objects are usually the receiver of the action or the audience of the direct object.

For example

Subject + Verb + IndirectObject + DirectObject

He gave the man a good job.

The singer gave the crowd a spectacular concert.

The order of direct and indirect objects can also be reversed. However, for the reversal of the order, there needs to be the inclusion of the preposition “to” before the indirect object. The addition of the preposition transforms the indirect object into what is called a prepositional phrase.

For example

Subject + Verb + DirectObject + Preposition + IndirectObject

He gave a lot of money to the man

The singer gave a spectacular concert to the crowd.

Adverbials

Adverbs are phrases or words that modify or qualify a verb, adjective, or other adverbs. They typically provide information on the when, where, how, and why of an action. Adverbs are usually very difficult to place as they can be in different positions in a sentence. Changing the placement of an adverb in a sentence can change the meaning or emphasis of that sentence.

Therefore, adverbials should be placed as close as possible to the things they modify, generally before the verbs.

For example

He hastily went to work.

He hurriedly ate his food.

However, if the verb is transitive, then the adverb should come after the transitive verb.

For example

John sat uncomfortably in the examination exam.

She spoke quietly in the class

The adverb of place is usually placed before the adverb of time

For example

John goes to work every morning

They arrived at school very late

The adverb of time can also be placed at the beginning of a sentence

For example

On Sunday he is traveling home

Every evening James jogs around the block

When there is more than one verb in the sentence, the adverb should be placed after the first verb.

For example

Peter will never forget his first dog

She has always loved eating rice.

Adjectives

Adjectives commonly refer to words that are used to describe someone or something. Adjectives can appear almost anywhere in the sentence.

Adjectives can sometimes appear after the verb to be

For example

He is fat

She is big

Adjectives can also appear before a noun.

For example

A big house

A fat boy

However, some sentences can contain more than one adjective to describe something or someone. These adjectives have an order in which they can appear before a now. The order is

Opinion – size – physical quality – shape – condition – age – color – pattern – origin – material – type – purpose

If more than one adjective is expected to come before a noun in a sentence, then it should follow this order. This order feels intuitive for native English speakers. However, it can be a little difficult to unpack for non-native English speakers.

For example

The ugly old woman is back

The dirty red car parked outside your house

When more than one adjective comes after a verb, it is usually connected by and

For example

The room is dark and cold

Having said that, Susan is tall and big

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Every language has its own grammar and structural rules. Likewise, English has its own set of guidelines to be followed. While some languages pay more attention to each word’s meaning, English considers the importance of how the words are positioned to properly express their meaning. The words positioning or arrangement in a sentence follows a specific pattern, also known as word order. 

English word order is strict and almost fixed. It rarely changes, even if you extend your sentences or add some details. Most of the time they remain following the same order even if your sentence is positive, negative, or even if you are using a declarative or an interrogative sentence. While you can shuffle some words in your sentences according to your purposes, it is still suggested that the basic structure is followed. This makes your messages be easily understood by native speakers. It is critical to follow word order because changing it can also change the meaning of a sentence. How the words are arranged has an impact on the interpretation and correctness of your sentences. When words are put in the wrong order, they stand out. Your sentences can be confusing and unclear. 

Compare the sentences below:

Apples bought Tom

Tom bought apples

Notice that the words used in the example above are the same but arranged differently. 

“Apples bought Tom.” 

The first sentence is confusing and seems like it doesn’t make sense. If you’ll try to understand it, its meaning seems to be the apples bought Tom.

“Tom bought apples.”

The second sentence is easier to understand and expresses an organized thought. By using the correct order, you will understand that the writer means Tom bought apples. 

As a communicator, your aim is to speak and write clearly and convey meanings appropriately. To achieve this, you must familiarize yourself with different patterns or word order. This post provides a list of several patterns that we commonly use. 

Pattern 1: Subject-Verb (S-V)

Sentences must have a subject and a verb. The subject almost always comes first before the verb, since the subject is what the sentence is about. Your main verb is always in the second position. Verbs used in this pattern are intransitive verbs. This pattern is sometimes called the Noun-Verb (N-V) pattern.

Example 1:

Flowers bloom

→ Flowers (S) bloom (V)

Example 2:

Sun shines

→ Sun (S) shines (V)

Example 3:

Tom shouts 

→ Tom (S) shouts (V)

Example 4:

Ice melts 

→ Ice (S) melts (V)

Example 5:

Water spills 

→ Water (S) spills (V)

Things to remember:

A subject can be a person, place, or thing that the sentence talks about. It can be a noun or a pronoun. Moreover, it can be a single word or group of words. 

A verb is an action or state of being. It is mostly a part of your predicate and tells something about the subject. 

An intransitive verb is a verb that does not take an object, neither followed by a prepositional phrase nor by a complement of any kind. 

Pattern 2: Subject – Verb – Direct Object (S-V-O)

In English grammar, the most commonly used structure is the subject-predicate-object pattern. Most sentences conform to this pattern. Even sentences are expanded and become complex sentences, it still follows this rule. Native English speakers rarely move away from this rule, as this shows the correct English. In this pattern, the subject comes first and is followed by the verb. The direct object goes after the verb. Transitive verbs are used in this pattern. 

Example 1:

Plants need water. 

→ Plants (S) need (V)  water (DO)

Example 2:

The doctor prescribes medicine. 

→ The doctor  (S) prescribes medicine  (DO)

Example 3:

Tom likes Martha. 

→ Tom (S)  likes (V)  Martha  (DO)

Example 4:

She drinks coffee. 

→ She (S) drinks (V) coffee  (DO)

Example 5:

I ate cheese. 

→ I (S) ate (V) cheese  (DO)

Things to remember:

A direct object is a person, thing, or animal that receives or is affected by the verb’s action. It could be a noun or a pronoun. It could also be a word or group of words.

Transitive verbs are verbs that have a direct object or having something or someone who receives the verb’s action.

Sentences with two objects

In some sentences, there are two objects. One is the direct object, and the other is the indirect object. Regardless of having two objects, the sentence will still commonly follow the SVO word order.

Pattern 3: Subject-Verb-Indirect Object-Direct Object (S-V-IO-DO)

The indirect object usually goes before the direct object, just like in this pattern. A transitive verb is used in this structure. This pattern is also sometimes referred to as N1 – V – N2 – N3.

Example 1:  

Tom gave her flowers. 

→ Tom (S) gave (V)  her (IO)  flowers (DO) 

Example 2:

Martha sent him chocolates. 

→   Martha  (S)  sent (V) him (IO) chocolates (DO)

Example 3:

Teachers provide students with knowledge. 

→ Teachers  (S)  provide (V) students (IO) with knowledge (DO)

Example 4:

News programs show us current events. 

→  News programs  (S)  shows  (V) us (IO) current events (DO)

Example 5:

You deliver her parcel.

→  You (S) deliver (V) her (IO)  parcel. (DO)

Things to remember:

An indirect object is a person or thing that the action is done to or for.  It tells to whom or for whom the action is done.

Pattern 4: Subject – Verb – Direct Object – Indirect Object (S-V-DO-IO)

Although the indirect object (IO) mostly comes before the direct object (DO), there are instances when IO comes after the DO. When the indirect object is preceded by the word ‘to’, the IO will go after the DO. 

Example 1: 

S – V – IO – DO  → Tom gave her flowers. 

S – V – IO – DO → Tom (S) gave (V) flowers (DO) to her (IO)

Example 2:

S – V – IO – DO →  Martha sent him chocolates. 

S – V – IO – DO →   Martha (S) sent (V) chocolates (DO) to him (IO)

Example 3:

S – V – IO – DO  →  Teachers provide students with knowledge.

S – V – IO – DO → Teachers (S) provide (V) knowledge (DO) to students (IO)

Example 4:

S – V – IO – DO → News programs show us current events. 

S – V – IO – DO →  News programs (S) shows  (V) current events  (DO) to us (IO) 

Example 5:

S – V – IO – DO  → You deliver her parcel.

S – V – IO – DO →  You (S) delivers (V)  parcel (DO) to her (IO)

Pattern 5: Subject – Linking Verb – Subject Complement (Adjective) (S-LV-SC A)

In some sentence structures, we use linking verbs and adjectives to provide descriptions. In this instance, you can use the S-LV-SC (A) pattern.

Example 1:

The flowers are colorful.

→ The flowers (S) are (LV) colorful (SC-A)

Example 2:

Candies are sweet.

→ Candies (S) are (LV) sweet (SC-A)

Example 3:

Farmers are industrious. 

→ Farmers (S) are (LV) industrious (SC-A)

Example 4:

Internet connection is fast.

→ Internet connection (S) is (LV) fast (SC-A)

Example 5:

You are reliable. 

→ You (S) are (LV) reliable(SC-A)

Things to remember:

A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject with a noun or adjective describes it.

A subject complement is a word or group of words that follows a linking verb. It completes the meaning of the subject by renaming or describing it.

Pattern 6 – Subject – Verb – Object – Objective Complement (Adjective) (S-V-O-OC A)

Other sentences include a complement to their object by using an adjective. The appropriate word order for this is S-V-O-OC (A).

Example 1:

Martha considers the report valid.

→ Martha (S) considers (V) the report (O) valid (OC-A)

Example 2:

The supervisor found the raw materials defective.

→ The supervisor (S) found (V)  the raw materials (O) defective (OC-A)

Example 3:

Online learning makes education accessible.

→ Online learning (S) makes (V)  education (O)  accessible (OC-A)

Example 4:

The expert declares the artifacts genuine.

→ The expert (S) declares (V)  the artifacts (O)  genuine (OC-A)

Example 5:

Critics rated the survey invalid. 

→ Critics (S) rated (V)  the survey (O)  invalid (OC-A)

Things to remember:

An objective complement is a word or group of words that compliment the direct object. It describes or makes a judgment about the object.

Interrogative Sentences

Asking questions is part of communicating. When asking questions, you use interrogative sentences. You will notice that even in this kind of sentence the subject-verb-object pattern will still be followed. Question words and auxiliary verbs are used in these sentences, and they are placed before the subject.

Pattern 7: Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb (AV-S-V) 

In some questions, we typically ask about the action of the person. In this case, you will use the AV-S-V pattern.

Example 1:

Can you cook?

→ Can (AV) you (S) cook(V)

Example 2:

Did she come?

→ Did (AV) she (S) come (V)

Example 3:

Is he joining?

→ Is (AV) he (S) joining (V)

Example 4:

Shall I wait?

→ Shall (AV) I (S) wait (V)

Example 5:

Will you follow?

→ Will (AV) you (S) follow (V)

Note: You can also expand and add details to our questions to make it more specific. You can add question words.

 Example 1: 

Without question word: Can you cook?

With question word: How can you cook?

Example 2: 

Without question word: Did she come?

With question word: When did she come?

 Example 3: 

Without question word: Is he joining?

With question word: When is he joining?

 Example 4:  

Without question word: Shall I wait?

With question word: Where shall I wait?

Example 5: 

Without question word: Will you follow?

With question word: Who will you follow?

Pattern 8: Auxiliary verb + Subject + Adjective (AV-S-A) 

In some questions, the focus is on the description of a person, thing, events, process, etc. In this case, you will use the AV-S-A pattern.

Example 1:

Is she beautiful?

→ Is (AV) she (S) beautiful (A)

Example 2:

Is it loud?

→ Is (AV) it  (S) loud (A)

Example 3:

Is the venue crowded? 

→ Is (AV) the venue  (S) crowded (A) 

Things to remember:

An interrogative sentence is a kind of sentence that asks a question. 

Question Words that you can use when writing interrogative sentences are who, what, when, why, where, and how.

Conclusion

While some ignore the importance of word order, it is beneficial to understand its effect in your sentences. Some messages with good content lose their impact just because of the wrong word order. If you can review the word order of your sentences before delivering your messages, do it. This will make your messages clear and easy to understand. Mastering the patterns above will help you to understand, speak, and write English well. Once you master it, writing in the correct pattern will be natural to you. 

Learn more about grammar and useful expressions during conversations through our English courses. We have different lessons for you to enhance your English proficiency.

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When the subject appears after the action, between portions of the verb, or is not included at all, the word order is inverted. There are occasions when we must shift the word order in order to change the intended meaning.

When a subject comes before an action, the word order is normal. In a sentence, the subject is the important person or thing, and the verb is the action word. In the statement, the subject is ‘I,’ and the action or action is ‘hope.’

Word Order in Inverted Sentences

In English phrases, the modification of the verb before the subject is prevalent. In English phrases, the normal word order is (subject + verb + adjectives), however it can also be (verb + subject). Conversions are most frequently seen in the form of sentence inquiries. There are a few exceptions where the topic and action are switched.

Inversion happens when the regular word order of a structure, most typically the subject-verb word order, is inverted.

The following examples demonstrate conventional word order with inversions:

In a statement, the subject (s) comes before the verb (v), while in a question, the subject and verb are inverted, with an auxiliary (aux) or modal verb (m) coming before the subject (s):

Normal Order: [S]She [V]sings.

Inverted Order: [AUX]Does [S]she [V]sing?

Normal Order: [S]They [AUX]are [V]working.

Inverted Order: [AUX] [S]Are they [V]working?

Normal Order: [S]Joe [M]can [V]swim.

Inverted Order: [M]Can [S]Joe [V]swim?

Examples of Inverted Sentences

1. Does She dance?
2. Are they playing?
3. Can he sing?
4. A perfect decision he made there
5. Astonished, She was.
6. Tomorrow will come the decision.
7. How wonderful this is
8. Looking a bit exhausted now
9. Amazing game she played
10. Looking for a bright opinion mom

When we wish to stress a specific word, we frequently employ modifications in regular conversation. If someone asks you how you’re feeling and you’re feeling really wonderful, you may answer, “It’s incredible how I feel.”

Here are some examples of adjustments that might be made:

• Shocked, I was.
• Tomorrow will come the decision.
• How amazing this is.

When watching sports and hearing the sportscasters talk about the other players, you may often hear examples of inversion: As an example:

• Fine swing he’s got
• Looking a bit tired now
• An excellent decision she made there
• Amazing game he played
• Looking for a bright opinion brother

Hundreds of thousands of words are employed in the English language, all for the same purpose: communication. That link is determined not just by the words you use, but also by the system in which they are used.

Consider the following sentence:

• Mom, I hope you’re making dinner soon.

This is an obvious indication stating that you are hungry and will require food shortly. This concept is delivered since the words are stated in the correct order.

Examine this statement with the same words:

• Hope soon Mom dinner you’re making.

The same phrases are used, but they are now completely incomprehensible! Correct word order is critical for communication to take place.

Continue browsing EnglishBix for resources on various English language concepts.

Quick Links

1. Inverted Conditionals
2. Word Order in Sentences