WORD ORDER in declarative statements

Note: In the examples below, parts of the sentence are colour-coded: subjects in red, verbs in blue, direct objects
in brown, etc.
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.
Examples:
People who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones.
I like playing football with my friends in the park.
The child who had been sleeping all day woke up.
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 medicine to the child.
or: The doctor gave the child some medicine.
1.3.2. The position of adverbs or adverb phrases
These can come in three possible places:
a) Before the subject (Notably with common adverbs or adverb phrases)
Example:
Yesterday the man wrote a letter
b1) 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.
b2) or with intransitive verbs after the verb.
Example:
The child was sleeping on a chair in the kitchen.
c) In the middle of the verb group. (Notably with short common adverbs)

Example:
The man has already written his letter
1.3.3. Word order with "sentence adverbs"
Sentence adverbs (like perhaps, surely, naturally, also .... ) relate to a whole clause or sentence, not just a single
word. In most cases, they stand outside the clause they refer to, notably at the start of the clause. However, they
may be placed elsewhere in the clause for reasons of stress or emphasis.
Examples:
Surely the man has already written his letter.
Perhaps the man has already written his letter.
..., therefore the man had already written his letter.
The man has perhaps already written his letter
Naturally the man grew vegetables in his garden.
Contrast this with:
The man grew vegetables naturally in his garden.
which has a quite different meaning.
For more details, see sentence adverbs.
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 wrote his mother a letter.
I sometimes give my dog a bone.
If you always apply these few simple rules, you will not make too many word order mistakes 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 email.]
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!)
A few examples:
Never before had I seen such a magnificent exhibition.
(After never or never before, subject and verb can be - and usually are - inverted. Do not invert when never
follows the subject !).
Hardly had I left the house, than it started to rain.
(When a sentence starts with hardly, subject and verb must be inverted.).

Had I known, I'd never have gone there.

(Inversion occurs in unfulfilled hypothetical conditional structures when if is omitted.. See the page on
conditional clauses for more details)
The book that you gave me I'd read already.
(The long object, The book that you gave me, is placed at the start of the sentence for reasons of style: this
unusual sentence structure is not necessary, just stylistic).
WORD ORDER in QUESTIONS

1. Word order in English questions:

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

Using the relative clause in English

Relative pronouns can cause trouble in English, specially when they are in unusual forms, such as whom or
whose. And theres another problem: when to use which and when to use that? Here are some clear guidelines
to help you.
The relative pronoun as subject
The relative pronoun as object
The relative pronoun as a possessive
Relative clauses starting with a preposition
More complex structures
Defining and non-defining relatives, and punctuation.
Relative clauses which qualify a whole sentence, not just a noun.
(Extra information for French-speakers)

1. The relative pronoun as subject

1.1. When the relative pronoun is subject of a clause and refers to a human, the relative pronoun who is generally
used. :
Examples
The man who lives next door is 99.
I know someone who eats red hot chilli peppers.
Sometimes, who is replaced by that, especially in American English and in spoken language:
Examples
The boy that lost his watch was careless.
However,
The boy who lost his watch was careless.
is also quite possible.
After the antecedent those, who is almost always required:
Those who can swim should go first.
1.2. If the relative is the subject of a clause and refers to an inanimate antecedent, which or that must be used.

Examples
The book thats on the table is mine.
The book which is on the table is mine.
1.3. IMPORTANT:
Omission: As subject of a clause, the relative pronoun can never be omitted. However, the relative clause can be
completely omitted:
Examples
The book is on the table is mine is quite impossible, but
The book on the table is mine is perfectly acceptable.

2. The relative pronoun as object:

When the relative pronoun is the direct object of the clause, and refers to a human, the pronoun used is either
whom or that.
Examples
The man whom I saw yesterday is 99.
The man that I saw yesterday is 99.
Alternatively, the relative can be omitted, particularly in spoken language:
The man I saw yesterday is 99.
Examples:
Whom is not used very often: that, or omission of the relative pronoun, are much more common.
When an inanimate object is referred to, the same rules apply, except that whom is never used: it is replaced by
which.
Examples
The book that I was reading was very interesting, or
The book which I was reading was very interesting, or
The book I was reading was very interesting
are all possible
Omission: when it is the object of the relative clause, the relative pronoun can often be omitted, particularly in
written English.
3. The relative pronoun as a possessive
Whose is required with both animate and inanimate antecedents: it is the only derivative of who which can refer
to animates and inanimates:
Examples
I know someone whose sister is a nurse.
The man whose car I borrowed is very rich.
I chose the set whose price was reduced.
4. Relative clauses starting with a prepositon:
Note how to form relative clauses after prepositions: preposition+which for inanimates or things, preposition +
whom for people.

Examples
The man with whom I was talking was angry.
The chair on which I sat down collapsed.
5. More complex structures:
Examples
5.1 Preposition + possession:
The player on whose skills the match most depended, was the goalkeeper.
5.2. Selective possession
The caf, most of whose customers had deserted it, had to close.
The writer, the first of whose books had been a bestseller, was a coal miner.

6. Defining and non-defining relative clauses.

6.1. A "Defining" relative clause is one which is essential for the understanding of a statement.
Example
Protestors who smash windows will be arrested.
In this example, it is clear that "all protestors who smash windows" will be arrested. The word "protestors" in this
example is restricted by the relative clause that defines it
Commas are not required before and after the relative clause.
6.2. In a non-defining relative clause, the relative clause is not essential for an understanding of the sentence:
Examples
Protestors, who are mostly aged under 30, want to express an opinion.
In this example, the question of age is not an essential bit of information. The relative clause can be omitted
without making the sentence meaningless.
In cases like this, commas are usually required before and after the relative clause.
Compare these two examples:
Examples
6.1. People who eat too much tend to have poorer health.
6.2. Sportsmen, who pay attention to their diet, are not usually over-weight.
7: Relative clauses which qualify a whole sentence, not just a noun:
The relative clause is introduced by which, never that or what.
Examples
He drank too much, which is why he was sick.
It was raining yesterday, which was rather a pity.
Prepositional and phrasal verbs in English

Introduction :

Phrasal verbs

Prepositional verbs

Phrasal-prepositional verbs

Students of English frequently have difficulty understanding how to use verb+preposition combinations in
English. And this is not surprising. Though the general rules are actually quite simple (like most rules of
language), it is sometimes difficult to see the relation between a verb and the preposition that follows it. Two
principal but very different situations (or deep structures) exist, and unfortunately they (i.e. their surface
structures) can appear to be identical.
Compare the following pairs:

With nouns as objects

With pronoun objects

(Passive )

The car ran over the hedgehog

The car ran it over

The hedgehog was run over by the

car.

The soldiers ran over the field

The soldiers ran over it.

Impossible.

The editor quickly looked through the

new book

He quickly looked looked it

through

It was quickly looked through by the

editor.

We looked through the window at the

garden.

We looked through it into at the

Impossible
garden.

I got off all the dirty marks.

I got them all off

All the dirty marks were got off by

me. (Improbable, but possible)

I got off the bus at Bristol.

I got off it at Bristol

Impossible

In the examples on the green lines, the preposition is an integral part of the verb, defining its meaning: these
verbs are called phrasal verbs. They are in effect two-word verbs.
In the examples on the blue lines, the preposition affects the meaning of the verb, but is not part of the verb; it
belongs to the adverb phrase following the verb; verbs that are used in this way are called prepositional verbs.
These differences are by no means always easy to understand, particularly in the examples above which show
that some verbs can even be either phrasal or prepositional, depending on the circumstances! However, with the
vast majority of verbs, there is no choice. The verb is either a phrasal verb or a prepositional verb. Here are some
guidelines to help you understand the differences between the two groups, and their usage..

1. Phrasal verbs or Particle verbs

Phrasal verbs can be either transitive or intransitive.
Phrasal verbs" or "particle verbs" are composed of a verb + a particle (preposition or adverb). Sometimes,
there may be two particles.
These elements together have a single meaning, and frequently are synonymous with a single word verb, as in
the table below.
They are usually formed using a transitive* root verb + a particle. This is the most common type of phrasal
verb or particle verb.
Examples: break up / shut out / put off / fill up / give up / set up / etc.
Others are formed from an intransitive root verb + a particle:
Examples: go out / come across / sleep off / lie down / stand out etc.
Many English root verbs can combine with particles to create an idiomatic phrasal verb: but the most common
ones are: break, make, take, set, put, get.
Transitive phrasal verbs are usually separable, meaning that the direct object can - or with pronouns, must -

come between the verb and the particle.

However adverbs do not usually come between the verb and the particle - though there are exceptions.
Transitive phrasal verbs: examples

Using nouns

Using pronoun objects

(Passive )

The referee broke up (=stopped) the fight

immediately.
or: The referee broke the fight up
immediately.

He broke it up immediately.

The fight was immediately broken up

by the referee.

The old lady made out (=wrote) the cheque

very slowly.
or: The old lady made the cheque out very
slowly.

She made it out very slowly

The cheque was made out by the old

lady very slowly.

He took up (=started) golf when he retired.

or: He took golf up when he retired.

He took it up when he retired improbable

The robbers set off (=started) the alarm as

they entered the bank.
or: The robbers set the alarm off as they
entered the bank.

They set it off as they entered The alarm was set off as the robbers
the bank
entered the bank.

The men managed to put out (=extinguish)

the fire by themselves.
They managed to put it out by The fire was put out by the men, by
or: The men managed to put the fire out by themselves.
themselves.
themselves
The soldiers got up (=erected) their tents in
two minutes.
or: The soldiers got their tents up in two
minutes.

They got them up in two

minutes.

The tents were got up in two minutes.

I put down (= attribute) your success to

hard work
or: I put your success down to hard work.

I put it down to hard work.

His success was put down to hard

work.

Intransitive phrasal verbs:

Since intransitive verbs have no direct object, and cannot be put into the passive, their usage is simple: they are by
definition inseparable.
However adverbs can occasionally come between the verb and the particle if the adverb serves to describe the
action.
In intransitive phrasal verbs, the particle is either narrows the sense of the verb (as insit down), or else creates
an idiomatic meaning which is different from that of the root verb (as in shut up). Here are a few examples of
intransitive phrasal verbs:
Flight BA04 to New York will take off at 12.33.
Several students showed up late
Bird flu first broke out in China in 1996
Tomorrow morning, we all have to get up at 5.30.

Once the Queen had taken her place, the guests all sat quietly down.
The alarm went off just as the bank was shutting.
2. Prepositional verbs
Prepositional verbs are transitive: they require an object. This object is generally stated, but sometimes just
implied or inferred.
Most prepositional verbs consist or an intransitive root verb + a particle.
Some prepositional verbs are formed using a transitive verb and a particle.
Often, the particle transforms an intransitive verb into a transitive verb:
Examples : look / look at / look for - wait / wait for - come / come through.
The particle is not really part of the verb, but an essential link between the verb and its stated or implied object.
These verbs are usually inseparable, meaning that the verb and particle generally stand together.
However short adverbs or adverb phrases can come between the verb and the particle in transitive statements,
particularly when the object is a noun.
If in doubt, do not place the adverb between the verb and the particle.

Using nouns

Using pronoun objects

Passive

The climbers went up (=ascended) the mountain very

slowly.
or The climbers went very slowly up (=ascended) the
mountain.

They went up it very slowly

Improbable

They came through (=passed) their exam very well.

They came through it very

well

Improbable

We're depending on your support, totally.

We're depending on you

totally.

You're being depended

on.

They were looking intently at

The students were looking intently at (= studying) the
it , or
notice board.
They were looking at it
or The students were looking at the notice board intently.
intently.
3. Phrasal-prepositional verbs.
English has a good number of verbs that appear to be formed on the structure verb+particle+particle.
In most cases, these are prepositional verbs in which the root verb is actually a phrasal verb.
Like simple prepositional verbs, phrasal prepositional verbs are transitive.
So in reality, the structure of these verbs is actually phrasal-verb + particle.
Once this is understood, usage should not be hard to follow. They behave in the same way as ordinary
prepositional verbs.

Using nouns

Using pronoun objects

(Passive )

Everyone looked forward to the event. Everyone looked forward to it. It was looked forward to by everyone.
The prisoners broke out of their cells. They broke out of them.

The cells were broken out of.

The airline did away with tickets

The airline did away with them Tickets were done away with.

The builders got on with the work

They got on with it.

The work was got on with by the builders.

Basic Word Order

English word order is strict and rather inflexible. As there are few endings in English that show person, number,
case, and tense, English relies on word order to show relationships between words in a sentence.
In Russian, we rely on word endings to tell us how words interact in a sentence. You probably remember the
example made up by Academician L.V. Scherba to demonstrate the work of endings and suffixes in Russian.
(No English translation for this example.) Everything we need to know about the interaction of the characters in
this sentence, we learn from the endings and suffixes.
English nouns do not have any case endings (only personal pronouns have some case endings), so it is mostly
the word order that tells you where things are in a sentence, and how they interact. Compare:
The dog sees the cat.
The cat sees the dog.
The subject and the object in these sentences are completely the same in form. How do you know who sees
whom? The rules of English word order tell you that.
Word order patterns
A sentence is a group of words containing a subject and a predicate and expressing a complete thought.
Word order arranges separate words into sentences in a certain way and indicates where to find the subject, the
predicate, and the other parts of the sentence. Word order and context help to identify the meanings of individual
words.
The main pattern of basic word order in English declarative sentences is SUBJECT + PREDICATE + OBJECT,
often called SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT (SVO). Example: Tom writes stories. It means that if these three
parts of the sentence are present in a statement (a declarative sentence), the subject is placed before the
predicate, the predicate follows the subject, and the object is placed after the predicate. Adverbial modifiers are
placed after the object, and adjectives are placed before their nouns.
Of course, some sentences may have just one word (Write!), or only a subject and a predicate (Tom writes.), or
have an adverbial modifier and no object (Tom writes well.), and there are peculiarities, exceptions, and
preferences in word order, but the pattern SUBJECT + PREDICATE + OBJECT (Tom writes stories.) is the
most typical and the most common pattern of standard word order in English that serves as a basis for word
order in different types of sentences.
Word order in different sentences
English sentences are divided into statements, questions, commands, and exclamatory sentences. Word order in
different types of sentences has certain peculiarities.
Statements (Declarative sentences)
Statements (declarative sentences) are the most common type of sentences. A standard statement uses the basic
word order pattern, i.e., SUBJECT + PREDICATE (+ object + adverbial modifier). Adverbial modifiers are
placed at the end of the sentence after the object (or after the verb if there is no object). Attributes (adjectives,
numerals) are placed before their nouns, and attributes in the form of nouns with prepositions are placed after
their nouns.

Maria works.
Tom writes stories.
He talked to Anna yesterday.
My son bought three history books.
Tom writes short stories for children.
Questions (Interrogative sentences)
General questions
Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (+ object + adverbial modifier):
Do you smoke?
Does he speak English?
Is he writing a report now?
Have you seen this film?
Special questions
Question word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (+ object + adverbial modifier):
Where does he live?
What are you writing now?
When did they visit Mexico?
Alternative questions
Alternative questions have the same word order as general questions.
Does he live in Paris or Rome?
Are you writing a report or a letter?
Tag questions
Tag questions consist of two parts. The first part has the same word order as statements, and the second part is a
short general question (the tag).
He lives here, doesn't he?
They haven't seen this film, have they?
Commands (Imperative sentences)

Commands have the same word order as statements, but the subject (you) is usually omitted.
Go to your room.
Listen to the story.
Exclamatory sentences
Exclamatory sentences have the same word order as statements (i.e., the subject is before the predicate).
She is a great singer!
It is an excellent opportunity!
How well he knows history!
What a beautiful town this is!
How strange it is!
In some types of exclamatory sentences, the subject (it, this, that) and the linking verb are often omitted.
What a pity!
What a beautiful present!
What beautiful flowers!
How strange!
Simple, compound, and complex sentences
English sentences are also divided into simple sentences, compound sentences, and complex sentences.
A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, has a subject and a predicate and other necessary parts of
the sentence.
Life goes on.
She lives in Moscow.
He wrote a letter to the manager.
A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses connected by coordinating conjunctions (and, but,
or). Each clause has a subject and a predicate.
Maria lives in Moscow, and her friend Elizabeth lives in New York.
He wrote a letter to the manager, but the manager didn't answer.
A complex sentence consists of the main clause and the subordinate clause connected by subordinating
conjunctions (e.g., that, after, when, since, because, if, though). Each clause has a subject and a predicate.

I told him that I didn't know anything about their plans.

Betty has worked as a secretary since she moved to California.
If he comes back early, ask him to call me, please.
It is very important to learn basic word order rules and patterns by heart and follow them rigorously and
precisely. The materials of this section describe standard word order and its peculiarities in different types of
English sentences.
Expressions of place and time in sentences
Time

Every
Saturday*

Subject

Verb

Object

Place

have

breakfast

in the kitchen.

They

play

handball

in the gym

My friend

is swimming

Peter

watches

Time

every Monday.

in the pool.
TV

at home.

- Expressions of time go at the end of a statement.

- At the end of the sentence: Place before Time
- NEVER put Place or Time between Verb and Object
* Definite expressions of time can also go at the beginning if they are not the main focus in the sentence. If you
are in doubt - put it at the end of the sentence - it is more likely to be right.
Word order - Common errors
1) Sentences
Word order in sentences (subject - verb - object)
Word order in sentences (subject - verb - object - place - time)
Position of adverbs
correct word order

incorrect word order

tip

I was shopping in Leipzig.

I was in Leipzig shopping.

He played football yesterday.

He played yesterday football . 2
Yesterday he played football.
Dan rode his bike carefully.

Dan rode carefully his bike.

He often reads books.

He reads often books.

4a

He is always late.

He always is late.

4b

tip

Be careful!

detailed explanation

main verb before place

Word order: subject-verb-object-place-time

place before expression of time

Word order: subject-verb-object-place-time

object before adverb of manner

Position of adverbs

4a

adverb of frequency before main verb

Position of adverbs of frequency

4b

adverb of frequency after form of to be Position of adverbs of frequency

2) Questions
Questions with do
Questions with did
correct word order

incorrect word order

tip

Do you play football or handball?

Play you football or handball?

When did you see Peggy yesterday? When did you yesterday see Peggy? 6

tip

Be careful!

detailed explanation

Start the question with the auxiliary do.

Questions in the Simple Present

Put the expression of time (yesterday) at the end of the

question.

Questions in the Simple Past

4. ,
:
1. always, at nine o'clock, out of the garage, in the morning, gets, his car, he
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. he, into town, after breakfast, often, Mrs Hodges, takes
___________________________________________________________________________________

3. a parking place, near the shops, they, find, rarely

___________________________________________________________________________________
4. sometimes, in a garage, Mr Hodges, his car, parks
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. fly, with my parents, to Florida, sometimes, I, in winter
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. late, came, last year, she, often, to school, in spring
___________________________________________________________________________________
7. often, have, at about three o'clock, a cup of tea, they, at the hotel, in the afternoon
___________________________________________________________________________________
8. meet, at the bar, they, after dinner, always, their friends
___________________________________________________________________________________
9. enjoys, very much, swimming, in our pool, always, in the morning, she
______________________________________________________________