Word order place time exercise

ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

UNIT 109. Word order 1: verb + object; place and time

EXERCISES

ANSWER KEY

Verb + object
The verb and the object of the verb normally go together. We do not usually put other words between them:
I like children very much. (not ‘l like very much children’)
Did you see your friends yesterday?
Ann often plays tennis

Study these -examples. Notice how the verb and the object go together each time:
* Do you clean the house every weekend? (not ‘Do you clean every weekend the house?’)
* Everybody enjoyed the party very much. (not ‘Everybody enjoyed very much the party’)
* Our guide spoke English fluently. (not ‘…spoke fluently English’)
* I not only lost all my money — I also lost my passport. (not ‘I lost also my passport’)
* At the end of the street you’ll see a supermarket on your left. (not ‘…see on your left a supermarket’)

Place and time
Usually the verb and the place (where?) go together:
go home, live in a city, walk to work etc.

If the verb has an object, the place comes after the verb + object:
take somebody home, meet a friend in the street

Time (when?/how often?/how long?) normally goes after place:
Tom walks to work every morning. (not ‘Tom walks every morning to work’)
She has been in Canada since April.
We arrived at the airport early.

Study these examples. Notice how time goes after place:
* I’m going to Paris on Monday. (not ‘I’m going on Monday to Paris’)
* They have lived in the same house for a long time.
* Don’t be late. Make sure you’re here by 8 o’clock.
* Sarah gave me a lift home after the party.
* You really shouldn’t go to bed so ate.

It is often possible to put time at the beginning of the sentence:
* On Monday I’m going to Paris.
* Every morning Tom walks to work.

Some time words (for example, always/never/often) usually go with the verb in the middle of the sentence. See the next topic

EXERCISES
108.1 Is the word order right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.
1. Everybody enjoyed the party very much. _RIGHT_
2. Tom walks every morning to work. _WRONG: to work every morning_
3. Jim doesn’t like very much football. —
4. I drink three or four cups of coffee every morning. —
5. I ate quickly my dinner and went out. —
6. Are you going to invite to the party a lot of people? —
7. I phoned Tom immediately after hearing the news —
8. Did you go late to bed last night? —
9. Sue was here five minutes ago. Where is she now? —
10. Did you learn a lot of things at school today? —
11. I met on my way home a friend of mine —
12. I fell yesterday off my bicycle —

108.2 Put the parts of the sentence in the right order.
1. (the party/very much/everybody enjoyed) _Everybody enjoyed the party very much._
2. (we won/easily/the game) —.
3. (quietly/the door /I closed) —.
4. (Diane/quite well /speaks/German) —.
5. (Tim/all the time television/watches) —.
6. (again/please don’t ask/that question) —.
7. (football/every weekend/does Ken play?) —.
8. (some money/I borrowed/from a friend of mine) —.

108.3 Complete the sentences. Put the parts in the right order.
1. (for a long time/have lived /in the same house)
They _have lived in the same house for a long time._.
2. (to the bank every Friday /go) I —.
3. (home/did you come/so late) Why —?
4. (her car/ drives /everyday /to work) Ann —.
5. (been/recently/to the cinema) I haven’t —.
6. (at the top of the page/your name/write) Please —.
7. (her name/after a few minutes/remembered) I —.
8. (around the town/all morning/walked) We —.
9. (on Saturday night/didn’t see you/at the party) I —.
10. (some interesting books/found/in the library) We —.
11. (the children/yesterday/to the zoo/took) Sally —.
12. (opposite the park/a new hotel/are building) They —.

108.1

3 Jim doesn’t like football very much.

4 right

5 I ate my dinner quickly.

6 Are you going to invite a lot of people to the party?

7 right

8 Did you go to bed late last night?

9 right

10 right

11 I met a friend of mine on my way home.

12 I fell off my bicycle yesterday.

108.2

2 We won the game easily.

3 I closed the door quietly.

4 Diane speaks German quite well.

5 Tim watches television all the time.

6 Please don’t ask that question again.

7 Does Ken play football every weekend?

8 I borrowed some money from a friend of mine.

108.3

2 I go to the bank every Friday.

3 Why did you come home so late?

4 Ann drives her car to work every day.

5 I haven’t been to the cinema recently.

6 Please write your name at the top of the page.

7 I remembered her name after a few minutes.

8 We walked around the town all morning.

9 I didn’t see you at the party on Saturday night.

10 We found some interesting books in the library.

11 Sally took the children to the zoo yesterday.

12 They are building a new hotel opposite the park.

Position of Time Expressions

Decide where to place the time expressions. (The sentences are similar to allow you to concentrate on the time expressions.)

1. We went to the cinema yesterday.
   We went yesterday to the cinema.
   Both sentences are correct.
2. We often go to the cinema.
   We go often to the cinema.
   Both sentences are correct.
3. Next Tuesday I will go to the cinema.
   I will go to the cinema next Tuesday.
   Both sentences are correct.
4. They never go to the cinema.
   They go to the cinema never.
   Both sentences are correct.
5. She goes every Sunday to the cinema.
   She goes to the cinema every Sunday.
   Both sentences are correct.
6. I seldom am at the cinema.
   I am seldom at the cinema.
   Both sentences are correct.
7. I don’t go to the cinema every week.
   I don’t go every week to the cinema.
   Both sentences are correct.
8. Francis does not always go to the cinema.
   Francis does not go to the cinema always.
   Both sentences are correct.
9. Do frequently you go to the cinema?
   Do you frequently go to the cinema?
   Both sentences are correct.
10. My friends didn’t go to the cinema on Friday.
    On Friday my friends didn’t go to the cinema.
    Both sentences are correct.