BASIC WORD ORDER

WORD ORDER

PART  1  Basic Word Order

1.      Introduction

Mastering basic worl 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,requests,and commands automatically.

2.      Affirmative Statements

The regular order of words in affermative statements is SUBJECT + VERB + COMLEMENT or OBJECT.

            SUBJECT + VERB                                                    George smokes

            SUBJECT + VERB + COMLEMENT                      They are students

            SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT                                 John likes Mary

2a. The verb be is frequently followed by a complement. The complement may be an adjective, a noun, or a pronoun.

SUBJECT	VERB	COMPLEMENT
Jack They It	Is are was	ill friends mine

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

                        I fell tired

                        She looks happy

                        He became ill

Become may also be followed by a noun or pronoun

                        The brothers became engineers

                         The fortune will become his

2b. Verb 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, phase, or clause that is a substitute for a noun.)

SUBJECT	VERB	OBJECT
Alfred I He	Collects Saw likes	Stamps Them swimming

2c. Certain verb are frequently followed by two objects : an indirect object and a direct object. Some examples are the verb bring, get, give, hand, leave, offer, pass, send, take, tell, read, write, teach, buy, sell, fix, make.

The indirect object is the person to whom, or occasionally for whom, something (the direct object) is given, sent, told, and so forth. When a verb is followed by two objects, the order after  the verb is INDIRECT OBJECT + DIRECT OBJECT.

He   gave Jim   bought	INDIRECT OBJECT	DIRECT OBJECT
	me Marry	the book a present

Frequently a phase introduced by to or for is used instead of the indirect object. The to phase may follow all of the verb listed.

2d. Single word modiefers of the   subject, object, or  complement are ordinarily placed before the word modified.

Modifier	SUBJECT	VERB	Modifiers	COMPLEMENT or OBJECT
	He	bought	three	shirts

2e. most modifiers or verbs are regulary placed after the verb abd after the complement or object, if any.

SUBJECT	VERB	COMPLEMENT or  OBJECT	Modifiers Of Verb
They	went		home

2f. An important exception to the regular order of subject + verb occurs in statements beginning with there is, there are, atc. In sentence of this kind, there appears in the subject position. The real subject follows the verb.

There is a lecture today

3.      Negative Statement

A  statement may be made negative by using not with verb. Thee basic principles operate in making statement negative.

(1)   With simple present and past tense forms of be :

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

He	Is		a student
He	Is	Not	a student
He	Isn’t		a student

            Contraction of is, are, was and were + not are generally used in conversational English.

Isn’t = is not                            aren’t = are not

Wasn’t = was not                    weren’t = were not

(2)   With simple present and past tense forms of verbs other than be :

The original verb is first changed to a verb phrase composed of do (does) or did + the simple form of the verb. Then not is placed after do (does) or did. Contractions of do,does and did +not are generally used in conversational English.

Don’t = do not  ( I don’t (do not) want to book)

Doesn’t = does not ((does not speak French)

Didn’t = did not ((dit not arrive yesterday)

With constructions of auxiliary + principel verb

not is placed after the auxiliary

he

Will

Not

be

a student

Contractions of the auxiliaries + not are generally used in conversational English

Haven’t = have not       won’t = will not      wouldn’t = would not

Hasn’t =has not             can’t = can not       shouldn’t = should not

Hadn’t = had not                                             couldn’t = could not

4. AFFERMATIF QUESTIONS

Three basic principles operate in changing statements to questions.

1)      Whit the simple present and past tense froms of be:

The verb is placed before the subject.

Is

He

a student

2)      With sampel present and past tense forms of verbs other than be:

Does

He

like

coffee

3)      With constructions of auxiliary + principal verb:

Will

he

be

a doctor ?

5. LONG AND SHORT RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS

Questions like those in section 4 normally receive a yes or no type of response.The response may be either long (a full statement) or short.

QUESTION	TYPICAL LONG RESPONSES	TYPICAL SHORT RESPONSES
Is bob in my room?	Yes,he’s there	Yes,he is
	No,he isn’t there now	No,he isn’t

The following contractions of subject  and verbs are frequently used in conversational English :

I’m = I am                     he’s = he is                                you’are = you are

I’ve = Ihave                  he’ll = he will                             you’ve = you have

I’ll = I will                      she’s = she is                             you’ll = you will

We’re = we are           she’ll = she will                          they’re = they are

We’ve = we have        it’s = it is                                     they’ve = they have

We’ll = we will                                                                 they’ll = they will

6. NEGATIVE QUESTIONS

In the negative forms of questions,not may be contracted whit the verb from before the subject or may be palced after the subject.

   

Is	He			a student?
Is	He	not		a student?
Isn’t	He			a student?

  Three general types of meaning may be expressed by negative questions.

a.       A negative question may suggest an emotional tone or bia on the part of the speaker.

Haven’t you cleaned your room yet?

The person to whom such questions are directed usually senses the emotional tone or bias and responds accordingly.

b.      A negative question may also suggest that the speaker expects a certain response,usually agreement.

Isn’t she pretty?

Although the speaker may expect affirmative responses to these questions,the responses may be either affirmative or negative.

c.       In some situations,negative and affirmative questions may express practically the same meaning,although the negative form seems to suggest greater interest or concern on the part of the speaker.

Will you have some coffee?

The responses to either question might be as follows :

Yes,thank you

No, thank you