Download 2. Word OrderW2

Word Order in
Sentences
Grammar for TS4
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Subject
• The subject is one of the main two parts of a
sentence. According to traditional grammar,
a sentence consists of two parts:
– a subject,
– a predicate which modifies the subject.
• Who: a person or a thing
Example: Carol called.
The bus returned.
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Verb
• The verb describes the action performed by
the subject. It goes after the subject.
Example: Carol called.
The bus returned.
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Direct Object
• The direct object receives the action of the
verb and answers the questions What? or
Whom?
• The direct object should always stay with the
verb.
Example: Carol ate breakfast.
The bus hit the tree.
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Indirect Object
• The indirect object answers the question "To
whom?" or "For whom?".
• The indirect object is the recipient of the direct
object.
• The indirect object is an object that often comes
after a preposition.
• The indirect object should always stay with the verb
or direct object.
Example: Carol gave the timetable to Julie .
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Subject Complement
• The subject complement is something that
completes the idea of the subject of a sentence
by giving more information about it. Usually,
the subject complement is a noun, a pronoun or
an adjective.
• The subject complement should always stay
with the linking verb (forms of verb to be,
become, seem).
Example: Jan is an excellent doctor.
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Basic sentences
1. Subject + verb
Carol laughed.
The dog sits and eats.
The flowers bloom.
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Basic sentences
2. Subject + verb + direct object
President Obama gave a speech.
Jason told his mother.
She wrote a letter.
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Basic sentences
3. Subject + verb + complement
Our house is old.
Jason was tired.
This song seem familiar.
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Basic sentences
4. Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object
I gave her my book.
We offered them a drink.
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Word Order
Who
What
Where
When
How
Why
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Word order
• Not every sentence will have all these
elements, there will be a selection of them in
each sentence.
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Examples
Who
What
Carol ate
breakfast
Who
What
The bus returned
Where
When
Why
on the
train
Where
this
morning
Why
because he was late.
to the station
to drop off the passengers
Who
What
How
The bus
hit the tree
with great force
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From small to large
• WHEN – time, day, week
• The conference started at 10 am on Tuesday
last week.
• WHERE – place, city, country
• They live in a flat in a big city in India.
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Exception
• Sometimes a sentence starts with something
else than the subject. The reason is emphasis.
We want to stress this element by putting it at
the front of the sentence. Your voice should
emphasize it as well.
• This morning, Carol ate breakfast on the
train.
• We use it only if it sounds natural!
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Common mistakes
Separating Subject from the Verb.
We two years ago bought this car.
We bought this car two years ago.
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Common mistakes
Separating the Verb from the Object.
Sam ate slowly his meal.
Sam ate his meal slowly.
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Common mistakes
Mixing the order of WHERE and WHEN.
We drove at weekends to the seaside.
We drove to the seaside at weekends.
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Common mistakes
Mixing the order of WHERE and HOW.
He goes by train to work.
He goes to work by train.
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Common mistakes
Mixing the order of HOW and WHY.
They contact everyone because it’s easier by
phone.
They contact everyone by phone because it’s
easier.
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Common mistakes
Mixing the order of WHEN and WHY.
She went to town to post her letters this
morning.
She went to town this morning to post her
letters.
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