WORD ORDER

It is necessary to keep the right position of nouns, verbs and adverbs to get the right meaning of a sentence. Here is a small guide of basic rules and exemptions.

A. positive sentence

1. The basic word order in English is: subject + verb+ object (SVO)

Put the subject before the verb and object after the verb:

Example :You have messed up the room.

2. For specification of the situation use adverbs. Follow this word order: adverbs of manner, time or place usually come after the verb or after the object:

Example: I have read that instruction quickly.

REMEMBER : We always place first the adverbs of manner (how?), second the adverbs of place (where?), and third the adverbs of time (when?).

! But the time reference can stand right at the beginning of a sentence:

Example: Today I broke my glasses.

! We can emphasize the way someone has done something:

Example: He gently touched the sleeping girl.

! If there is a preposition before the object, we can place the adverb before this preposition, or after: He ran towards them quickly./ He quickly ran towards them.

Finally, look at sentences below to see how important the right position of adverbs is if there is one or more verbs in the sentence.

1. She quickly agreed to re-type the letter (= she decided quickly)
2. She agreed to re-type the letter quickly (= she decided to do it quickly)

3. He quietly asked me to leave the house (=he asked with a quiet voice)

4. He asked me to leave the house quietly (=he wanted me to leave the house without a noise)

Table – summary of basic rule

Subject verb object adverbs

How? Where? When?

Example : I didn´t buy an umbrella yesterday.

I didn´t buy an umbrella by a mistake.

I didn´t buy an umbrella by a mistake at the supermarket yesterday.

Exercise : Look at the sentences below, rewrite them using the S, V, O rule

and the adverbs of manner (How?), place (Where?), time (When?) > SVOMPT

1. your article/ I/ quickly/ last night/ in bed/ read
2. hides/ Mr. Jones/ under his bed/ a lot of money
3. till 11 o´clock this morning/slept/ the children
4. woke me up/ your call/ in the middle of the night
5. has stolen/ a car/ Thomas/ at the airport/ two weeks ago

Adverbs of manner are: rapidly, slowly, loudly, agressively

Adverbs of place: there, here, nearby, outside, everywhere, out, back, around

Adverbs of time: today, yesterday, sometimes, never, often, yearly, for a while

(Note : when we have more adverbs of time in the sentence, we follow this order:

(1) How long (2) how often (3) when

Example: I work (1) for five hours (2) every day.

The magazine was published (2) weekly (3) last year.

She worked in a hospital (1) for two days (2) every week (3)last year.

Adverbs of certainty: definitely, probably, surely

Example: He definitely left the house this morning.

(BUT: after verb to be - He is probably at work.)

Adverbs of frequency: often, usually, never

Example: I often go to the movies.

We are usually here in the mountains in winter.

Carol has never been abroad.

3. The problem with indirect/direct object

Sometimes we have two objects in one sentence, the first one is usually a person (indirect object), the second object is a thing (direct object)

Example: I made him (1. object) a cup of coffee (2. object)

We can create some sentences in two ways: Give the book to me – Give me the book.

Note: this can be done by using prepositions to or for.

X some verbs combine with TO: Bring that book to me – Bring me that book.

FOR: Please make a cup of tea for me – Please make me a cup of tea.

We can put “it/them” after the verb: Give it to me. Do it for me (never - do me it)

Give it to Peter. (never- Give Peter it)

verb + object+ ´to´ - When using the verb to explain, you need to follow this rule:

Example: He explained the situation to me. (never: Explain me the situation)

Several similar verbs: introduce, propose, repeat, propose, report, say, suggest, describe

Note:

Subject	Verb	Indirect object	Direct object	Adverb of place	Adverb of time
You	will tell	me	the plot of this film	at home	this afternoon

B. negative sentence

Subject	Verb	Indirect object	Direct object	Adverb of place	Adverb of time
You	will not tell	me	the plot of this film	at home	this afternoon

C. Subordinate sentence

The word order after the conjunction is the same as in a positive sentence.

Example: Don´t speak to me now because

Subject	Verb	Indirect object	Direct object	Adverb of place	Adverb of time
you	will tell	me	the plot of this film	at home	this afternoon

D. Questions

Interrogative	Aux.verb	Subject	Other verb	Indirect object	Direct object	Place	Time
What	would	we	want to tell	you?
When	was	Marylise				at the party?
	Did	many guests	come		to a party	at Cours Mirabeau	last night?

In reporting questions (when we report a wh-questions) we use a reporting clause followed by a clause beginning with a wh-word.

Example: She asked me what the problem was. – Liz wanted to know if I´d seen Tobias. ??

Who was the winner? – I asked who the winner had been. !!