Word Order

Word order affects the meaning of a sentence. It can show who acts and to whom the action is done. Many languages use inflection to show how different parts of a sentence function. However, English only has a few of them. So, the order of the words in a sentence is the determining feature. For example, you can almost be sure that the first noun you see is the subject of the sentence.

The basic word order of an English sentence is subject + predicate. The predicate always contains a verb that says something about the subject. English sentences have a standard general order that can be represented as one of the following structures:

Here are some examples of each structure:

In direct questions, we use inverted word order which means the main verb or an auxiliary verb comes before the subject. There are different forms of this word order. Take a look at its types and examples:

Negative sentences have the same basic word order as positive sentences. The difference is that negative sentences must contain 'not'. For example:

A negative sentence may have a modal verb and one or more auxiliary verbs. In this case, 'not' comes right after the modal or auxiliary verb. For example:

If a verb phrase only has a main verb without any modals or auxiliaries, the supporting auxiliary verb do must be added to make the sentence negative. However, 'be' as a main verb does not need a supporting auxiliary and can be made negative on its own. Remember that 'do' is followed by the base form of the main verb. For example:

The word order of imperative sentences, also called command sentences, is similar to that of declarative sentences. However, in imperative sentences, the subject (you) is usually omitted. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Take a look at some examples:

When we want to add information to a noun, we can use adjectives. If more than one adjective is used before a noun, they must appear in a particular order. The order of adjectives is as follows:
determiner, quantity, opinion, size, age, color, shape, origin, material, and purpose.
Here are some examples:

When we want to add information to verbs, we use adverbs. When more than one adverb is used to describe a verb, we have to follow the order of adverbs, which is as follows:
Manner, place, frequency, time, and purpose.
Here are some examples:

When we want to put emphasis and focus the attention of our listener or reader on a particular word or phrase, we can use cleft sentences. In the following, different types of cleft structures are presented with examples:

Word order in English is important because it can change the spirit, meaning, or fluency of a sentence. You must pay attention to the structure of each sentence and how words are placed.