Grammar 2nd year LMD Word Order Lecturer: Mrs. BENCHAREF .

Word order in English is very important is signaling the relationships between the different elements within a sentence.
Although the subject usually precedes the verb in English, there are many different ways of ordering the other elements in the
sentence.

Normal word order in an English sentence is as follows:

Subject / Verb / Object(s) / complements / place expression / time expression

We watched a video at home last night

This order is not very flexible. Only a few variations are possible. Here are two rules that you must follow:
Rule 1: Never put anything between a verb and its objects.
- I bought yesterday all my textbooks. I bought all my textbooks yesterday.
V D.O ↑
Rule 2: put place expressions before time expressions.
- We went after class to the bookstore. We went to the bookstore after class.
time exp place exp

↑
Word order shows us which element in the sentence is the subject and which is the object. In affirmative sentences, the
subject is usually first, followed by the verb. Therefore, the word order gives us the key to the right understanding.
- Charles took a walk. (S- V- O)
In some cases, the subject maybe separated from the verb by an adverb (of frequency):
Charles always took a walk before breakfast.
Word order of direct and indirect objects
Many verbs can have both a direct object and an indirect object (they are called ditransitive verbs)
 A direct object (D.O) names the receiver of the action.
 An indirect object (I.O) tells to whom/ for whom the action is done.
→ An I.O comes in front of a D.O: - He sold me a car.
I.O D.O
→ The I.O can be placed after the D.O, but it should be preceded by to or for (and becomes a prepositional phrase)
- My friend is going to fix the car for me.
→ with some verbs, you can write an indirect object with or without a preposition.
USE “TO” with these verbs USE “FOR” with these verbs
bring pay serve give guarantee build draw order buy cook
hand lend offer owe promise do find get make order
read refund sell send show pour save type book choose
teach tell throw write offer pick leave fetch bring

- The soldier gave the children some candy. → The soldier gave some candy to the children.
- Vicky paid the cashier the money. → Vicky paid the money to the cashier.

- Please get me a jacket. I am cold. → Please get a jacket for me. I am cold.
- I have saved you a seat. → I have saved a seat for you.

→ In some cases, indirect objects require a preposition: With other verbs, you must use a prepositional phrase with to or for.
USE “TO” with these verbs USE “FOR” with these verbs
admit introduce report announce cash fix pronounce change
mention say describe prove keep repeat close open
speak explain recommend suggest sign correct prepare translate

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 Grammar 2nd year LMD Word Order Lecturer: Mrs. BENCHAREF .S

to us
- The poet explained us the poem.
^ for her
- The polite boy opened her the door.
^

In certain generally well-defined cases, the subject is placed after its verb. This word order is called “inversion”.

1. Inversion in questions/tag questions

 Are you fine? ( V- S- S.C)
 Had the man no money? (V- S- D.O)
 Did you see him today? (V- S- D.O- adv )
 Have they been studying all the night?
 How old is he?
 Which car did they buy?
 He is not feeling good, isn’t he? (tag qq)

→ Questions in which who or what is the subject, use normal S- V word order:

 Who is knocking at the door?

 What happened to you?
2. In short sentences inserted in quotations, the subject may come after “says/ said” esp if the subject is a pronoun/proper
name.
 “ You were right,” said Smith, “and without you we should have made a mess.”
 “ No,” said he, “I will never do it!”

3. Inversion with the pattern It/ there (called empty words/ subjects) – V – S (real subject)
 - It is nice to see you. ( it+ linking verb + S)
S
- It is not difficult to speak English. = To speak English is not difficult.
S

- It seems wrong to it that way.

 - There is nothing to eat. (there + is/are/was/were/will be…+ S)

S
- There are seven continents.

We use this kind of sentences when we want to say that something exists. The word there is not the subject; it is an
“empty” word that fills the position where you usually find the subject. The real subject follows the verb.

4. Inversion in conditional sentences

We can use clauses with inversion instead of certain kinds of if- clauses.
In a conditional clause when the verb is were, should, or a past perfect tense (had known, had written, had
seen…), you can emphasize the hypothetical condition by omitting if and using inverted word order.

NORMAL PATTERN INVERTED PATTERN

If I were rich, I would travel Were I rich, I would travel
If he should call, tell him that I am not at home. Should he call, tell him that I am not at home.
If I had known her name, I would have introduced Had I known her name, I would have introduced
you to her. you to her.

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 Grammar 2nd year LMD Word Order Lecturer: Mrs. BENCHAREF .S

5. Inversion after place expressions (adverbial phrases of direction and place) + intransitive verb
- In the doorway stood her father. (→ Her father stood in the doorway.)
- In the distance rise the snow-covered mountains.
- Dave bean to open the three parcels. Inside the first was a book of crosswords from his aunt Alice.

* With the verb “be” we always use inversion in sentences like this, and inversion is usual with certain verbs of place and
movement such as climb, come, fly, hang, lie, run, sit, stand, appear, rise, shine (Inversion doesn’t usually occur with
other verbs.)
- Above the fireplace was a portrait of the Duke. (NOT …. A portrait of the Duke was.)
- In an armchair sat his mother. (rather than…….his mother sat)
→ We do not invert subject and verb when the subject is a pronoun. So, for example, we don’t say “ In an armchair sat
she.”
* In speech, inversion often occurs after here and there + adverbs such as back, down, in, off, up, round, etc.
- Here comes the winner! - There goes all our money.
- I lit the fuse and after a few seconds up went the rocket.

6. Inversion with negative adverbials (adverb or adverb phrase) at the beginning of the sentence.
 In formal or literary style/language, we use negative adverbials at the beginning of a clause to emphasize what we are
saying. It makes our sentence sounds striking, surprising or unusual.

Never – rarely- seldom- scarcely/barely/ hardly….. when/before - no sooner….than – nowhere- little- not only
 We only use inversion when the adv modifies the whole clause and not the noun. e.g. Hardly anyone passed the test.
 If you do not want to give this impression, you can put the negative expression later in the sentence in the normal way.
 Never had we witnessed such cruel behaviour. ( or We have never witnessed…) → this sentence
emphasizes how cruel the behavior was.
 Seldom does one hear a politician saying ‘sorry’.
 Hardly had I begun to speak when I was interrupted.
 Scarcely has he entered the room when he broke up in insults.
 Barely had they finished the match when the rain started to fall.
 No sooner had we arrived home than the police rang the doorbell.
 Rarely did he pay anyone a compliment.
 Nowhere could we find an empty seat.
 Little did he imagine how dangerous it would be. ( = he did not imagine…)
 Not only did he win, but he also broke the record.

*Inversion can be also done with the coordinating conjunction “Nor” which is used to link main clauses in a
compound sentence. It is rarely used because a bit old fashioned)
e.g. Rachel was not ready for marriage, nor was she ready for any kind of engagement.

Preposition + no: at no time- in no way – on no account- under/in no circumstances

 At no time did they actually break the rules of the game. (= she never said ….)
 In no way was the accident your fault. (= the accident was not your fault)
 Under no circumstances are passengers permitted to open the doors themselves.(= passengers are
not/never permitted…..)
 On no account should the house be left unlocked.
(If you say that something should on no account be done, you are emphasizing that it should not be done under
any circumstances.)

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 Grammar 2nd year LMD Word Order Lecturer: Mrs. BENCHAREF .S

Only + time expression: only after- only later- only once- only then- only when-

 She bought a newspaper and some sweets at the shop on the corner. Only later did she realize that she
had been given the wrong change.
 Only once did we go to the opera in the whole time I was in Italy.
 Only then did I understand why the tragedy had happened.
 Only when the plane landed safely did he calm down.

Only + other prepositional phrases beginning with only by….. – only in…..- only with ….- only on- etc

 Only by chance had James discovered where the birds were nesting.
 Mary had to work at evenings and weekends. Only in this way was she able to complete
the report by the deadline.
 Only by working extremely hard could we afford to eat.

7. Inversion
f after “so + adjective …… that” , “ such + be …….that”
Compare
Her business was so successful that Marie was able toSoretire
successful
at was her business, that Marie was
the age of 50. able to retire at the age of 50.
The weather conditions became so dangerous that So dangerous did the weather conditions become,
all mountain roads were closed. that all mountain roads were closed.
The play is so popular that the theatre is likely to Such is the popularity of the play that the theatre is
be full every night. likely to be full every night.

*We can use so + adjective at the beginning of a clause to give special emphasis to the adjective. When we do
this, the subject and verb are inverted.
* We can use such + be at the beginning of a clause to emphasize the extent or degree of something.

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Grammar 2nd year LMD Word Order Lecturer: Mrs. BENCHAREF .S

Practice
Act 1: Edit the following sentences for errors. Two sentences are correct. (about the verbs used with I.O)
1. My parents sent to me a leather jacket for my birthday.
2. I often give homeless people a dollar or two.
3. Could you please explain to me the difference between “lend” and “borrow”?
4. The polite student opened for the teacher the door to the classroom.
5. Every night, the mother reads to the children a story before they go to sleep.
6. The teacher said “thank you” to him.
7. Give these papers for my secretary.
8. Could you make some coffee to us?
Act 2: Write the information in one sentence. Put the underlined part at the end of the sentence.
Sometimes you need “to”. ( Oxford Practice Grammar, p. 16)

e.g. - Daniel lent something to Vicky. It was his calculator. —> Daniel lent Vicky his calculator.
- Mark sent a message. It was to his boss. —> Mark sent a message to his boss.
1. Emma sold her bike. Her sister bought it. —> Emma …………………………………………..
2. Tom told the joke. He told all his friends. —> Tom.....................................................................
3. Melanie gave some help. She helped her neighbour. —► Melanie ……………………………..
4. Ilona wrote to her teacher. She wrote a letter. —> Ilona............................................................

Act 3: Rewrite these sentences with the adverbial phrases of direction or place at the front of the clause. Use
inversion when possible. (Advanced Grammar in Use, p. 239)
1. That night, just as John predicted, a heavy snowfall came down.
__________________________________________________________________

2. A line of police officers was behind the protesters.

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3. A small stream ran at the end of the street. There was an overgrown garden across the stream.
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4. A white pillar was in front of them and a small, marble statue stood on top of it.
___________________________________________________________________________
5. The teacher blew a whistle and the children ran off.
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Act 4: Write new sentences with a similar meaning beginning with one of these adverbials.
(Advanced Grammar in Use, p. 241)
Never before not not until only by on no account scarcely
1. The door could not be opened without using force. Only by (using) force could the door be opened.
2. This was the first time the race had been won by a European athlete.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. The plane had only just taken off when smoke started to appear in the cabin.
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4. She made no sound as she crept upstairs.
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5. This window must not be unlocked without prior permission.
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6. He only thought about having a holiday abroad after he retired.
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Grammar 2nd year LMD Word Order Lecturer: Mrs. BENCHAREF .S

Act 5: Rewrite the following sentences using the cue and inversion.
1. I have not ever felt so lonely. (never)
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2. I could not work because of the loud sound. (So)
____________________________________________________________________
3. She did not play a lot of basketball. (little)
_____________________________________________________________________
4. The story has not been told correctly. (rarely)
_____________________________________________________________________
5. She bought the car after he had explained its benefits. (only after)
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6. You should never call her after 10 p.m. (under no circumstances)
_____________________________________________________________________
7. If you need any help, do not hesitate to call. (should)
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