Word Order - Learn How to Order Words in a Sentence - Rules and Application

Have you ever wondered if your sentences could be structured differently? Do you think the sentence would convey the same meaning even after you change the order of words, or would it give any meaning at all? This article will answer these questions by walking you through the particular word order you will have to follow when framing sentences in the English language. Go through all the points carefully and analyse the examples given to understand and comprehend how it works.

Table of Contents

• What Is Word Order?
  • Definition of Word Order
• Why Follow Word Order? – Points to Remember
• Applying Word Order in Sentences – Rules and Examples
• Check Your Understanding of Word Order
• Frequently Asked Questions on Word Order in English

What Is Word Order?

The term ‘word order’, as the name suggests, refers to the sequence or order in which words are to be placed in a sentence. Take a look at the following dictionary definitions to have a broader understanding of what word order is.

Definition of Word Order

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, word order is defined as “the order or arrangement of words in a phrase, clause, or sentence”, and the Collins Dictionary defines word order as “the arrangement of words in a phrase, clause, or sentence. In many languages, including English, word order plays an important part in determining meanings expressed in other languages by inflections”. The Macmillan Dictionary defines the same as “the sequence in which words generally occur, especially in a clause or sentence”.

Why Follow Word Order? – Points to Remember

You might ask why following the word order is such a big deal. Well, placing even one word differently can change the meaning of the sentence completely. Take a look at the following example to learn how a change in the word order will affect the meaning of the sentence on the whole.

Sentence 1: I only like non-vegetarian dishes.

Sentence 2: Only I like non-vegetarian dishes.

Sentence 3: I like only non-vegetarian dishes.

Sentence 4: I like non-vegetarian dishes only.

In all these four sentences, the word ‘only’ is used in four different positions. Do you think all of them mean the same thing? No, they don’t. The first sentence means that the person likes non-vegetarian dishes, and the second sentence means that only that person and no one else likes non-vegetarian dishes. The third and fourth sentences mean that the person likes non-vegetarian dishes and nothing else. The two different positions of the word ‘only’ are used just to shift the stress.

The general structure of a sentence or the order of words in a sentence is Subject (S) + verb (V) + object (O). Remember that a sentence should always have a subject and predicate and that the subject comes first. However, there are sentences, such as imperative sentences and interrogative sentences, that have different sentence structures.

The English language also happens to be one of the languages that have words that sound the same but mean different things, and also some words which can be used as different parts of speech with or without inflections. This should be reason enough, but even without these, it is impossible to make sense of whatever you are saying unless you place the words in the order that it has to be placed.

Now, a subject, verb and object are not the only components of a sentence. There can be complements and adjuncts as well that add to the meaning of the sentence. Complements are to be positioned either after the verb or before the object. Adjuncts, on the other hand, can be placed in the beginning, middle or end. There also can be multiple adjectives and adverbs in a sentence. There are certain rules to be followed when you are writing such sentences. Let us look at each of them in the section that follows.

Applying Word Order in Sentences – Rules and Examples

Here are rules that have to be followed when you write different sentences. Check out each one of them and the examples given to see how each rule is applied.

Rule 1 – Subject + Predicate

Every assertive sentence has a subject and a predicate.

For example:

• I / like mangoes.
• Dona and Steve / are going to the mall.
• It / is a beautiful day.
• Tomorrow / is Wednesday.
• My mother / is a teacher.

Rule 2 – Negative Sentences

The word ‘not’ is normally used to indicate a negative thought. So, when a sentence has to be made negative, the word ‘not’ usually comes after the verb. In case there is more than one verb, it comes after the main verb and in between the main verb and the helping verb. In some cases, the verb forms of ‘do’ are used to write a negative sentence. Go through the following examples to understand.

Examples of negative sentences:

• It is not right.
• The girl does not know what to do.
• I cannot find my purse.
• There has not been any update on the condition of the patient.
• Sarah did not wear a black dress though we had informed her earlier.

Rule 3 – Interrogative Sentences

If you had analysed how interrogative sentences are structured, you would have seen that the positions of the subject and the verb are interchanged. Look at the examples given below.

Examples of interrogative sentences:

• Are you happy?
• Have you found your wallet?
• What are you doing?
• Do you like the new playground?
• Would you be able to help me with this?

Rule 4 – Sentences with Complements

Complements are of two types – the subject complement and the object complement. The sentence structure of sentences with complements can be SVC (if it is a subject complement) and SVCO/SVOC (if it is an object complement). Here are some examples for your reference.

Examples of sentences with complements:

• Emma is a psychologist.
• It made everything easy.
• I had a bad day.
• The class looks dirty.
• She loves floral skirts.

Rule 5 – Sentences with Adjuncts

Adverbs, adverbial phrases, adverb clauses and prepositional phrases can act as adjuncts and can appear any number of times and be placed anywhere in a sentence. Due to this very reason, there are rules to help you decide where you have to position them. The common sentence structures are SVA, ASVA. SVAA, ASVAA, SVOA, SVCA, etc. Look at the following examples.

Examples of sentences with adjuncts.

• I reached home yesterday.
• We are leaving next week.
• After we finish our work, we will help you out.
• There is a new hypermarket at the end of the street.
• He called us as soon as he found out.

Rule 6 – Sentences with Indirect Objects

When there is just one object in a sentence, you need not have a second thought as it comes after the verb. What do you do when you have two objects? Are both the same? No, one is a direct object, and the other is an indirect object. In sentences with an indirect object, the indirect object is placed after the verb and before the direct object, the sentence pattern being SVIODO. In other cases, the indirect object becomes a part of a prepositional phrase. Here are some examples to help you understand.

Examples of sentences with indirect objects:

• The teacher gave us our marksheets.
• I send Christmas presents to all my friends.
• Joey danced with Phoebe.
• Keerthana made Raam a birthday card.
• My brother bought me a smart watch.

Rule 7 – Sentences with Multiple Adjectives

The use of multiple adjectives to describe one particular noun in a sentence is allowed, but there is an order in which these adjectives are to be placed. The order of adjectives is as follows:

• Determiner
• Adjective of quantity
• Opinion
• Size
• Age
• Shape
• Colour
• Origin
• Material
• Qualifier/Purpose

Here are some examples for your reference.

Examples of sentences with multiple adjectives:

• My mother gave me a big white teddy bear for my birthday.
• There was a huge circular compartment in the cupboard.
• I am wearing a red soft silk Banarasi saree for my best friend’s wedding.
• The fifty-six year old historical arts museum is being demolished.
• The bridesmaids wore beautiful long black lace dresses.

Rule 8 – Sentences with Multiple Adverbs

Adverbs have the special quality of being used multiple times and being placed anywhere in a sentence. However, there are a few pointers that would help you position the multiple adverbs so that you do not simply stuff your sentences with adverbs but make meaningful sentences. The position of the adverb is based on which part of speech it is modifying. If it is modifying the verb, it is placed after the verb; if it is modifying the adjective, it is placed before the adjective, and if it is modifying another adverb, it is placed just before the adverb it is modifying. Also, if it is an adverb of frequency, it is positioned after the subject. On the other hand, adverbs of time are always positioned either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence. If you have all types of adverbs in a sentence, put them in this order – manner, place, frequency and time. Take a look at the following examples.

Examples of sentences with multiple adjectives:

• We reached the railway station around 8 p.m.
• Last night, my friends and I had dinner at Hotel Taj.
• Brittany was extremely angry with the way the officials spoke to her parents.
• They always take the 9 a.m. bus to college.
• I need it now.

Check Your Understanding of Word Order

Go through the following jumbled sentences and order them adhering to the word order rules so that it makes complete meaning. Also, punctuate them appropriately.

1. dance/party/everyone/the/at

2. happily/gave/she/me/her/cake/of/piece

3. kicked/whistle/the/moment/boy/blown/little/the/ball/was/the

4. doing/here/what/you/are/

5. come/artie/with/will/us/able/be/to

6. she/running/she/kept/until/fell/circles/in

7. this/or/prefer/you/skirt/pants/do/these

8. bobby/his/loved/car/lamborghini/new

9. the/sixty/there/red/are/in/american/there/basket/apples

10. school/morning/there/accident/in/yesterday/an/front/was/our/of

Here are the answers for the exercise on word order. Go through them to find out if you have rearranged the sentences correctly according to the rules of word order.

1. Everyone danced at the party.

2. She happily gave me her piece of cake.

3. The little boy kicked the ball the moment the whistle was blown.

4. What are you doing here?

5. Will Artie be able to come with us?

6. She kept running in circles until she fell.

7. Do you prefer this skirt or these pants?

8. Bobby loved his new Lamborghini car.

9. There are sixty red American apples in the basket.

10. There was an accident in front of our school yesterday morning.