Word Order

WORD ORDER

Word order patterns is an essential step in learning English. Native speakers frequently vary
these patterns, but the student learning English would do well to concentrate on basic word
order until he is able to use the patterns of statements, questions, request,and
commands automatically.

Affirmative statements

The regular order of words in affirmative statements is SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT

OR OBJECT

Example : SUBJECT + VERB           ----George smokes

                 SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT— They are students

                                                                                        

                 SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT—John likes

                                             Mary     

            The verb be is frequently followed by a complement. The complement be

an adjective, a noun, or a pronoun.

Examples :

SUBJECT            VERB              COMPLEMENT                                                                       

Jack                        is                         ill     

 They                     are                       friends                         

  It                          was                     Mine

                                                                                                         
When the following verbs are similar in meaning to be, they may be followed  by an
adjective: appear, become , feel,look, seem, smell, sound, taste.

Example : I feel tired.

                 She looks      happy

                 He becomes ill

   Become may also be followed by a noun or pronoun

Example : The brothers became engineers.

                  The fortune will become his.

            Verbs other than be are frequently followed by an object. The object may be a
noun,a pronoun, or a noun-equivalent. ( a noun-equivalent is a word, phrase, or clause that
is a substitute for a noun).

SUBJECT       VERB        OBJECT                                   

Alfred              collects      
stamps                                                                                                                                       
I                       saw             Them                           
He                    likes            Swimming

Negative Statements

A Statement may be made negative by using not

with the verb. Three basic principles operate in making statements negative.

1. With simple present and past tense forms of be

Not is placed after am, is, are, was were.

Example : He is a student.

                             He is not a student or

                             He isn‘t a student.

With simple present and past tense forms of verbs other than be

The original verb is first changed to a verb phrase

Then not is placed after do (does) or did.

Example : He likes coffee.

                 He does not like coffee

   He liked coffee

   He did not like coffee.

3. With construction of auxiliary + principal verb

   Not is placed after the auxiliary.

Example  : He will be a student.

                  He will not be a student.

                  He is working here

                  He is not working here.

B. Affirmative questions

Three basic principles operate in changing statements to questions.

       a. with the simple present and past tense  forms of be

    The verb is placed before the subject. Compare

  he         is      a student                                            

  Is           he     a student?                                          

     he         was    a student                                           

     Was      he      a student ?

b.With simple present and past tense forms of verbs other than be :    The original verb is
first changed to do (does) or did + the simple form of the verb. Then do (does) or did is
placed before the subject. Compare.

 He          likes      coffee                                               

 Does       he          like coffee       

  He          studied   English                                 

  Did          He         study  English

c. With constructions of auxiliary + principal verb     The auxiliary is placed before the
subject. Compare

He  wil  be  a doctor                                             

     Will    he be a doctor ?                      

  He can   drive    a car                            

  Can he  drive a car

C. Negative question

   In the negative forms of question  not may be contracted with the verb form

   before the subject or may be placed after the subject.

Example :

 Is he not a student ?

             Isn‘t he a student

A negative question may suggest an emotional tone

Eg. Won‘t you help me ?

A negative question may also suggest the speaker expects a certain response, usually
agreement – e.g : Isn‘t she  pretty ?

QUESTIONS INTRODUCED  by INTERROGATIVES

            When who, what, which, or whose is the subject or the modifier of the subject of
the question, the word order is like that of a regular statement. What, which,
and whose may appear alone or with a noun, compare

John  arrive late.                           

Who arrived  late ?                                   

What person made   this rule ?                                                            

What happened  yesterday ?                                                  

 Which answer  is  correct ?                                             

 Which is correct ?                     

Whose grade  was  the highest ?      

Whose  was  the highest ?

Who refers to persons; what, to things; which and whose, to person or things, what
may appear before a noun that refers to either persons or things. 

            When whom, what, which or whose is the subject of a verb or a preposition or

modifies the object, the word order is like that of a regular question. Compare

 Did you       see   them ?    

 Whom    did you see ?                                    

What plan do you suggest ?        

What do you suggest ?                                  

Which movie are you going to see?      

Which  are you going to see?         

Whose book  did she borrow ?       

 Whose did she borrow ?                               

Did you go with   them          

Whom did you go with ?          

What did you go for ?          

Which class  did he go to ?                        

Which  did he go to ?

After when, where, how, and why, the word order of regular questions is also used,

compare:

Did you go ?                                                            

When  did you go ?                                                                                     

Where  are you going ?                                        

How  have you been ?                                                            

Why is he angry ?

How is often used with words like much, many, and far.

How much does this cost ?

How many times have you gone there ?

How far is it to the post office

Respond to questions introduced by interrogatives

Questions introduced by interrogatives may be answered by both long and short responses.
Short responses may be one word or a group of words.          

Who telephoned this afternoon (question)

John telephoned this afternoon (typical long respond).

John / John did (short response)

When did he telephone?

He telephoned this morning.

This morning.

Where was he?

He was at the office.

At the office.

What are you doing?

I’m studying English.

Studying English.

Why are you studying so hard?

Iam studying because I have a quiz tomorrow.

Because I have a quiz.

Whose course is it for ?

It’s for Mr. Smith’s course in modern European history.

Mr Smith’s

For Mr Smith’s history course.

How long will it take you to finish?

I hope I can finish by midnight.

It may take me another day or two.

Till about midnight.

About two days.

Make questions based on the statement below!

Margareth told her the news.(who)

He wants the blue tie. (which)

They are playing bridge.(what)

Stanley is going to India for six months. (where)

Mrs Berg has gone to Japan because of her mother ‘s illness.(why)

Phillip went to dance with Jane. (whom)

It takes twenty minutes to get from here to their house. ( how long )

It’s four blocks to the post office. (how far)

He paid $50 for his radio.(how much)

John’s grade was the highest.( whose)

She goes to work by bus. (how)

Mr. James began his new job last week.

Make questions based on the words in italic.

The buyer complained to the shopkeeper.

Father reads  a newspaper  in the living room this morning.

My father will celebrate his birthday next week.

Mother bought this expensive vase three weeks ago.

My sister bought this dictionary at the bookshop last night.

She met her friends at the airport two weeks ago.

      He studied English because he wanted to go to England.

She bought the dictionary because she need it.

The man waited for his turn patiently.

He always speaks politely to his parents.