The Sentence Structure
Word order in English sentences:
verb + object
|
Jill reads
a newspaper every daysubject verb object
The verb (reads) and the object (a newspaper) are usually together:
- Jill reads a newspaper every day. (not ‘Jill reads every day a newspaper.’)
subject |
verb |
+object |
|
You |
speak |
English |
very well. |
I |
watched |
television |
all evening. |
We |
invented |
a lot of people |
to the party. |
My brother |
phoned |
the police |
immediately. |
I like Italian food very much. (not ‘I like very much Italian food.’)
Ann borrowed some money from the bank. (not ‘Ann borrowed from the bank some money.’)
I opened the door very quietly. (not ‘I opened very quietly the door.’)
George usually wears a black hat. (not ‘George wears usually a black hat.’)
Why do you always make the same mistake? (not ‘Why do you make always the same mistake?’)
place and time
|
Place (where?) |
time (when? how long? how often?) |
George walks |
to work |
every morning |
We arrived |
at the airport |
at 7 o’clock. |
Are you going |
to the party |
tonight? |
They’ve lived |
in the same house |
for 20 years. |
I usually go |
to bed |
early. |
place is usually before time:
They go to school every day. (not ‘They go every day to school.’)
I went to the bank yesterday afternoon. (not ‘I went yesterday afternoon to the bank.’)
Jack’s brother has been in hospital since June. (not ‘... since June in hospital.’)
Revision test
Put the words in the right order.
(a newspaper / reads / every day / Jill) Jill reads a newspaper every day
(football / don’t like / very much / I) ……………………………………...................
(London / do you know / very well?) …..………………………………....................
(I / very well / French / don’t speak) ……………………………………...................
(I / this picture / don’t like / very much) ……………………………….....................
(she / smokes / every day / ten cigarettes) …………………………….......................
(you / the same clothes / wear / every day) …………………………….....................
(I / want to speak / fluently / English) ….....................................................................
(lost/I/my watch/last week)...........................................................................................
(Tom/the letter/ slowly/read).......................................................................................
Put the words in the right order.
(to work/every morning/walks /George) George walks to work every morning
(goes / every year / to Italy / Jill) …………………………………….........................
(in London / Alice / in 1951 / was born) ……………………………….....................
(in October / Barbara / to university / is going) ……………………….......................
(to work/ tomorrow/are you going?).............................................................................
(next week/they/to London/are going..........................................................................
(many times/my parents/have been/ to the United States)............................................
(a beautiful bird/this morning/I/in teh garden)..............................................................
(my umbrella/last night/ I think I left?in the restaurant)...............................................
( at the party/we/early/arrived).....................................................................................
(they/since 1984/here/have lived)................................................................................
(will you be/this evening/at home?)..............................................................................
(to the cinema/last night/did you go?)...........................................................................
(on Monday/here/will they be?).....................................................................................