00 / Clauses & Questions
Basic word order
Standard English sentences follow a strict Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order. Adverbs of manner and place typically follow the object to complete the clause.
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01 / The SVO Pattern
English is a fixed word order language. In a basic statement, the person or thing doing the action comes first, followed by the action, and then the person or thing receiving the action.
- Subject: The doer (e.g., I, Maria, The dog).
- Verb: The action (e.g., eat, plays, speaks).
- Object: The receiver (e.g., apples, tennis, English).
02 / Sentence Structure
Subject + Verb + Object + Adverb
When adding extra information like how or where something happens, these words usually go at the end of the sentence. Do not place an adverb between the verb and the object.
03 / Examples
04 / Common mistakes
I like very much coffee.
I like coffee very much.
The object (coffee) must follow the verb directly. Do not put adverbs between them.
Plays soccer David.
David plays soccer.
The subject must come before the verb in a standard statement.
05 / Practice
Put the words in the correct order: (tea / drinks / she / every morning)
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Answer: She drinks tea every morning.
Why: The subject (She) comes first, followed by the verb (drinks), the object (tea), and finally the time expression.
Correct the sentence: 'They speak well Italian.'
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Answer: They speak Italian well.
Why: The adverb 'well' should not separate the verb 'speak' from its object 'Italian'.
Put the words in the correct order: (the book / reads / he)
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Answer: He reads the book.
Why: English requires the Subject-Verb-Object order.