WORD ORDER

1.1 In a normal (declarative) sentence, the subject of a sentence comes directly in front of the verb. The direct object (when there is one) comes directly after it: Examples: The man wrote a letter. People who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones. The president laughed.

1.2. Note that by the subject, we mean not just a single word, but the subject noun or pronoun plus adjectives or descriptive phrases that go with it. The rest of the sentence - i.e. the part that is not the subject - is called the predicate. Example: People who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones.

1.3. If a sentence has any other parts to it - indirect objects,adverbs or adverb phrases these usually come in specific places:

1.3.1 The position of the indirect object

The indirect object follows the direct object when it is formed with the preposition to: The indirect object comes in front of the direct object if to is omitted Example: The doctor gave some or: The doctor gave the child some medicine. 1.3.2. The position of adverbs or adverb phrases These can come in three possible a) Before the subject (Notably with common adverbs or adverb phrases) Example: Yesterday the man wrote a letter b) After the object (Virtually any adverb or adverb phrase can be placed here) Example: The man wrote a letter on his computer in the train. c) In the middle of the verb group. (Notably with short common adverbs) Example: The man has already written his letter places:

medicine

to

the

child.

 1.4 In standard English, nothing usually comes between the subject and the verb, or between the verb and the object. There are a few exceptions. The most important of these are adverbs of frequency and indirect objects without to. Example: The man often I sometimes give my dog a bone.

wrote

his

mother

letter.

If you always apply these few simple rules, you will not make too many word order problems in English. The examples above are deliberately simple - but the rules can be applied even to complex sentences, with subordinate and coordinated clauses. Example: The director, [who often told his staff (to work harder),] never left the office before [he had checked his e-mail.] 2 Exceptions Of course, there are exceptions to many rules, and writers and speakers sometimes use different or unusual word order for special effects. But if we concentrate on the exceptions, we may forget the main principles, and the question of word order may start to seem very complex! So here are just a few examples: you should realise that they exist, but not try to use them unless either they are essential in the context, or else you have fully mastered normal word order patterns. (Don't try to run before you can walk!)

1. Word order in English questions:

This really is so simple.... Almost all questions use the All you need to do is to remember this simple and common English phrase: same structure.

How do you do?

The structure of almost every simple question in English is based on this same model: (Question word if there is one) - Auxiliary or modal - subject - main verb - (plus the rest of the sentence): Important: take care ! In the interrogative, as in the negative, English verbs are ALWAYS made up of at least two elements, an auxiliary and the root verb. In the interrogative there is only one exception to this rule, and that is certain tenses of the verb to be. For all other verbs - including to have - tenses that are formed with a single verb in an affirmative statement (i.e. the present simple and the simple past) are formed in the interrogative by the addition of the auxiliary do. Examples Where did Jane Austen live? Did Arnold Schwarzenegger learn English quickly? How quickly did Arnold Schwarzenegger learn English ?

Has the bank sent us an invoice yet? How many books have you read this year ? Is the new secretary being given her own laptop ? Can the new secretary be given her own laptop ? How quickly can the new secretary be given her own laptop ? Is the new secretary nice ? Comparison between statements and questions with single-word tenses : He had a good time. > Did he have a good time? NOT Had he a good time? He lives in new York. > Does he live in new York? NOT Lives he in New York?

Exceptions: Certain adverbs, notably short adverbs of frequency or time, can and indeed sometimes must be placed between the auxiliary and the root verb, as in statements. In questions, these adverbs are placed between the subject and the root verb. Has that French company yet sent us their order ? Can the new secretary soon be given a bigger desk ? What sort of hats do the ladies usually wear?