Exercises for this card
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A1 · ⑥ Word order
Word order
English does not move words to change emphasis — it changes the construction instead.
45minthe whole
sheet
29questions
in the practice
3pages,
one at a time
01 · First page · where each piece goes
The positions
1 · Subject
Never missing, not even when there is nobody
It is raining.
2 · Verb
Straight after the subject, always
My sister works in a bank.
3 · Object
After the verb, never before it
I like this book.
4 · Place
Before the time, not after
We went to London last week.
5 · Time
At the end — or at the very beginning, never in the middle
We went to London last week.
Adverb of frequency
Before the main verb, but after be
I always drink tea. · I am always tired.
Adjective
Before the noun, and it never changes form
a red car · two red cars
word order: In English the position of a word is what tells you its job. The dog bit the man and The man bit the dog use the same words and mean opposite things: nothing but the order says who did it. This is why the order cannot be changed freely — it is not style, it is grammar.
subject: The subject is compulsory. Many languages can leave it out because the ending of the verb already says who is speaking; English endings say almost nothing, so the subject has to be there — even when there is nobody at all, as in It is raining or There is a problem.
inversion: To ask a question English does not change the intonation and it does not add a question particle: it swaps the subject and the auxiliary. Are you ready? Have you finished? Did she call? If there is no auxiliary, do is called in to be swapped.
- I like this book very much.
- She always arrives on time.
- We had dinner at home yesterday.
- Where do you live?
- There is a letter for you.
| The shape | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sentence | Order | Example |
| Statement | subject + verb + rest | She works here. |
| Negative | subject + auxiliary + not + verb | She does not work here. |
| Question with auxiliary | auxiliary + subject + verb | Does she work here? |
| Question with be | be + subject | Is she here? |
| Wh- question | wh- + auxiliary + subject + verb | Where does she work? |
| Question about the subject | wh- + verb — no auxiliary | Who works here? |
Golden rule
English does not move words to change the emphasis — it changes the construction. Where a freer-order language says the same words in a different order, English uses a different sentence: It was Anna who called, not John. What I need is time. There is a man at the door. Learn these shapes and you get back everything the free order gave you.
Nothing goes between the verb and its object. This is the rule speakers of freer-order languages break most often, because in their own language an adverb sits comfortably there. I like very much this book is wrong: the adverb goes to the end, I like this book very much.
02 · Second page · the rules you break most
The uses
Place, then time
If both are in the sentence, place comes first. Time can also jump to the very front.
I was at home yesterday.Yesterday I was at home.not: I was yesterday at home.
Frequency in the middle
always, usually, often, sometimes, never sit before the main verb.
She often works late.I never eat meat.
…but after be
With am, is, are, was, were the adverb goes after the verb.
He is always late.They were never happy there.
Adjective first
The adjective comes before the noun and never agrees with it.
a big housetwo big housesnot: a house big
Questions swap
The auxiliary jumps in front of the subject. Nothing else moves.
Are you tired?Have they arrived?Did she call?
Wh- goes first
The question word opens the sentence, then comes the swap.
Where are you going?What did he say?
…except about the subject
If the wh- word IS the subject, there is no swap and no do.
Who called you?What happened?not: Who did call you?
Indirect questions do not swap
Inside a longer sentence the question goes back to normal order.
I don't know where she lives.not: I don't know where does she live.
Two objects, and the small words that move
When a verb has two objects there are two possible orders and both are correct: give me the book and give the book to me. The short rule is that without to the person comes first, with to the person comes last. And a detail worth knowing early: with a phrasal verb like turn on, a pronoun must go in the middle — turn it on, never turn on it — while a noun can go either side: turn on the light or turn the light on.
🌍 For everyone
In both languages an adverb sits comfortably between the verb and its object. In English nothing may stand there: I like very much this book must become I like this book very much.
Mi piace molto questo libro. → I like this book very much.
One negative per sentence. If the sentence already has never, nobody, nothing or no, it must not have not as well: I know nothing or I don't know anything, but never I don't know nothing. Several languages require the double negative, English forbids it — this one is a straight swap of rules.
I like very much this film. → I like this film very much.
Nothing may stand between the verb and its object.
I was yesterday at home. → I was at home yesterday.
Place before time — or the time expression moves to the very front.
Who did call you? → Who called you?
When the question word is the subject there is no swap and no do.
I don't know where does she live. → I don't know where she lives.
An indirect question goes back to statement order.
She is often late? → Is she often late?
A question needs the swap: intonation alone is not enough.
I don't know nothing. → I don't know anything.
One negative per sentence in English; several languages require two.
Turn on it. → Turn it on.
With a phrasal verb the pronoun goes in the middle, always.
- My brother never drives to work.
- What time does the shop open?
- Nobody said anything about it.
- Could you turn the music down?
03 · Third page · now it's your turn
Exercises
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