Word order (0)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Word Order  
 
 
Table of Contents 
 
 
Types  of Sentences ..................................................................................2 
Parts of the Sentence ..............................................................................2 
Word Order in Affirmative Sentences...................................................3 
Position  of  Adverbs  of  Frequency  .........................................................5 
Word Order in  Negative  Sentences......................................................6 
Word Order in General Questions.........................................................7 
Word Order in  Special  Questions ..........................................................8 
Word Order in  Subject  Questions ..........................................................9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Types of Sentences 
 
There are four basic types of sentences in English . 
AFFIRMATIVE and NEGATIVE sentences both end with a full stop (.) : 
 
I live in Tallinn. I do not live in Tallinn. I never watch soap operas. 
 
INTERROGATIVE sentences end with a question mark ( ? ) : 
 
Do you live in Tallinn? Why do you never watch soap operas? 
 
EXCLAMATORY and IMPERATIVE sentences end with an exclamation  
mark ( ! ) : 
 
What a beautiful day! Do your homework at once ! 
 
 
 
Parts of the Sentence  
 
The basic parts of the sentence are: 
 
THE SUBJECT (WHO? WHAT?) ,  
THE PREDICATE (does, is doing, has done , etc –  action /statement),  
THE OBJECT (WHO/WHAT is the action/statement directed at?) : 
 
Marion (who?) has a boy- friend  (who?).  
She (who?)  likes to read  books  (what?).  
The earth (what?) is a planet  (what?).  
 
Besides , there are: 
 
THE ATTRIBUTE (WHAT?/WHAT KIND?) and 
THE ADVERBIAL (WHEN? - adverbial modifier of time/WHERE? – adverbial modifier 
of  place / HOW? – adverbial modifier of  manner )  
 
Attributes modify  nouns and stand in front of them . Adverbials modify verbs and 
usually stand behind them: 
 
This girl has a beautiful smile. This girl smiles beautifully. 
Attributes are usually adjectives but sometimes nouns as well: 
This is an  interesting  (adjective) story. The  kitchen  ( noun)  door  is locked.  
 
 
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Word Order in Affirmative Sentences 
 
In English the word order is not as flexible as in many other languages.  
 
The basic structure of an affirmative sentence is  
 
SUBJECT (Who?/What?) – PREDICATE (Action/State) – OBJECT (What?): 
 
Monkeys like bananas. 
Mary has a little lamb. 
All the world is a stage. 
 
 
 
The teacher  is explaining the rule . 
 
 
 
Peter is playing  the guitar. 
 
If we want to say something about the manner of the action ( how does something 
happen ?), we put the adverbial of manner in front of the predicate: 
 
She quietly opened the door. 
 
If we want to stress the mode of action, we put the adverbial of manner after the 
object. 
 
She opened the door quietly. 
 
If we want to show the place where the action takes place we put the adverbial of 
place after the predicate. 
 
Janet  lives  in Paris . 
I work  in the library. 
 
If we want to say when or how long something happens, we put the adverbial of time 
at the end of the sentence: 
 
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I saw Peter last week. 
I have not seen   Jane  for a long time. 
 
If we want to stress the time factor , we put the adverbial of time at the beginning of 
the sentence: 
 
Last week, when I saw Peter, I forgot to  tell  him that his rent was overdue. 
For a long time Jane did not want to  talk  to me. 
 
If there are more than one adverbial modifier in the sentense, the usual sequence of 
adverbial modifiers is: 
 
manner (how?) -  place (where?) -  time (when?) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
does/did/is 
Who?/What?  doing/ has  Who?/What? 
How? 
Where?  When? 
done/...etc 
at the 
last 
She played 
the 
piano  
beautifully 
concert  
night . 
hall 
telling his 
at 
whenever 
Oscar Wilde  
loved 
witty stories  spontaneously   social   he could . 
events 
 
In affirmative sentences the subject always precedes the predicate. However, in 
constructions with there + be the order is reversed:  
 
 
There are two people going down the hill . 
 
 
 
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There has been an accident. 
There is a bird in the tree.  
There were no mistakes in your essay.  
 
We use there + be when we talk about places . When we talk about states or 
situations, we use it + be: 
 
 
 
It is raining. 
It is cold outside .  
It has been difficult to get in touch with you lately. 
 
 
Position of Adverbs of Frequency 
 
 
Adverbs of freguency show how often somebody does something or how often 
something takes place. 
 
100 % 
always 
 
almost  always 
 
very often 
 
often 
 
quite  often 
 
usually / normally 
 
sometimes 
 
occasionally 
 
not very often 
 
seldom /rarely 
0 % 
hardly ever 
never 
 
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Adverbs of freguency normally stand in front of the main verb  but after the verb to 
be: 
 
 
 
They always read  newspapers  in the morning . 
Jim almost always sleeps late on Sunday . 
Mary often visits her  parents . 
She usually gets up at 7. 
My grandmother sometimes  goes  to the  theatre . 
I hardly ever write  letters  nowadays. 
 
He has always lived in London. 
They don’t very often go  abroad . 
He can never  remember  my name. 
I have never been to  Australia . 
 
 
 
He is always on time. 
She is sometimes sad. 
They are usually very helpful. 
Her grandfather  was always  happy  to see her. 
It is always cold in February . 
 
 
Word Order in Negative Sentences 
 
 
To form a negative sentence just put not after the auxiliary or  modal verb:  
 
I am not a  fool .  
John will not  come  to the  party  tonight.  
It was not my  fault . 
You must not  cheat .  
Jennie could not  find her glasses . 
 
 
 
Don’t make all this noise, I  cannot  stand it any more!  
NB! Cannot (can’t for short) is spelt as one word in modern English. 
 
Use the first auxiliary, if there is more than one: 
 
Peter has not been playing much football lately. 
 
 
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If there is no modal verb or auxiliary verb in the sentence ( Present and Past Simple), 
use do/does/did + not in front of the main verb. Note that the main verb will then be 
used in its original form: 
 
Julia  works at a  department   store . -  Julia does not work at the department store.  
Me and my  brother   went  to the same  school. -  Me and my brother did not go to the 
same school. 
 
REMEMBER! There is no double negation in English – just one is enough: 
 
Nobody likes to be kept  waiting . 
We need no education. We do not need any education. 
 
 
Word Order in General Questions 
 
 
To form a general question (i.e. a question requiring a yes/no answer ), just bring the 
auxiliary or modal verb in front of the subject. All the other parts of the sentence will 
remain in the same place: 
 
 
 
Will you  marry  me, darling? 
 
 
 
Are you happy, darling? 
 
Was it a lovely day? 
Would you like a cup of  coffee ? 
Could you read fluently when you were  five ? 
May I go now? 
 
Use the first auxiliary, if there is more than one: 
 
 
 
Can I come and see you at 5 or will you still  be working? 
 
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Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? 
Have you ever been to  Italy ? 
 
If there is no modal verb or auxiliary verb in the sentence (Present and Past Simple), 
use do/does/did in front of the subject. Note that the main verb will then be used in 
its original form: 
 
Julia works at a department store. – Does Julia work at a department store? 
I saw them yesterday. -  Did you see them yesterday? 
 
 
 
Word Order in Special Questions 
 
To form a question to any part of the sentence start your sentence with the question 
word referring to that particular part and then follow the same procedure as in general 
questions:  
  
 
What are they doing? 
 
Why didn’t you lock the door? 
Where are you going? 
When will you finish this book? 
How should I operate this machine? 
Which  film  would you like to watch? 
Who did you meet on your way here ? 
What do you think of modern art? 
How long does the lecture last? 
How far have you travelled? 
How much does the  flight  to the  Moon   cost ? 
How long have you been studying  French ? 
 
In questions containing a preposition, put it at the end of the sentence: 
 
 
Where are you  flying  to? 
 
8
Word Order in Subject Questions 
 
To form a subject question just replace the subject by Who? What? or Which? No 
other changes are needed: 
 
 
Who has burnt my stew? 
 
 
 
What is going on here? 
 
Who  invented the telephone ? 
What has happened  to you? 
Who is that man over there? 
Which book is the most interesting one here? 
Who has done it before? 
 
 
 
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Document Outline

•  Types of Sentences 
• Parts of the Sentence  
•  Word Order in Affirmative Sentences 
• Position of Adverbs of Frequency 
• Word Order in Negative Sentences 
• Word Order in General Questions 
• Word Order in Special Questions 
•  Word Order in Subject Questions