How to build a sentence in English. Word order in an English sentence: schemes and construction rules

In order to express your thoughts in English, it is not enough just to learn a list of words. These words must be placed correctly in the sentence. Knowing the structure of an English sentence is simply necessary, because each member of the sentence has a specific place, and this order cannot be violated. Therefore, let's look at how sentences are built in English in order to avoid misunderstandings and mistakes in speech and writing.

To build a sentence in English, you need to know its members. As in Russian, the English members of the sentence are divided into main and secondary. Let's consider each type separately:

The main members of the sentence are the members of the sentence, thanks to which the grammatical center is formed. In simple words, without them, the proposal will not make sense. The main members are the subject and the predicate.

The subject, as a rule, is expressed by a noun or a pronoun. The noun is used in the common case, i.e. in its standard dictionary form in singular and plural:

Note that the article may change to a definite article or not at all, depending on the subject / person implied.

If we talk about pronouns, then personal pronouns in the nominative case are usually used here. Table of all pronouns of this group:

I	I
we	we
you	you you
he	is he
she	she is
it	this is it
they	they

And also some indefinite and negative pronouns, for example:

The subject usually comes at the beginning of the sentence before the predicate.

The predicate is expressed by the verb. This part of speech is the key when making a sentence in English, because it shows at what time the action happened, is happening or will happen. There can be two verbs in the predicate:
An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used to express time. As such, it does not have such a meaning in itself and is not translated into Russian in any way. However, his presence is necessary if the temporary form requires it. For example:

The main or semantic verb is a verb that expresses the action performed by the subject:

Secondary members of the sentence - members that explain the main or other minor members. Without them, the sentence will still make sense, since the minor members are not the grammatical center of the sentence. The secondary ones are:

A definition that answers the question "what?" and "whose?". It can be expressed in almost any part of speech. Consider only the most popular cases:
Adjectives:

Communion:

Participle turnover:

Numerals:

Personal pronouns in the objective case:

The definition expressed by the participial turnover usually comes after these members of the sentence:

Indirect - an addition that answers all other case questions:

Circumstance denotes place, cause, time, manner of action, and the like. The circumstance is related to the predicate, but it can be used both at the beginning and at the end of the sentence. The first option is perhaps less common. The circumstance most often expressed is:

adverb

or a noun with a preposition:

How sentences are built in English: the structure of an English sentence

Having studied all the members of the sentence, you can proceed to the construction of the sentences themselves in English. Building a sentence in English is quite easy because, as mentioned earlier, it is done in a fixed order. What does this mean? For example, in Russian we can freely change the order of the members of a sentence. The meaning will be preserved, because the sentence will not lose its logic. The English language is stricter. So, if a sentence begins with a subject, it cannot be rearranged with a predicate. An example for clarity:

As you can see, a whole 5 possible variants of expressing the same thought in Russian are opposed by only one phrase in English.

However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that there are 3 types of English sentences, namely affirmative, negative and interrogative. Each has its own version of the construction of the English sentence.

How to build affirmative sentences in English

Making an affirmative sentence requires direct word order. Direct order means that the subject comes first in the sentence, then the predicate, after the object and circumstance. Scheme for clarity:

Sometimes circumstance can start a sentence.

Examples:

I forgot to do the English exercises. — I forgot to do my English exercises.
Yesterday I bought a Lego construction set to my nephew. Yesterday I bought my nephew a Lego set.
We'll go home after training. We will go home after practice.
He is trying to find this spelling rule. He is trying to find this spelling rule.
I have no idea how to learn to play the guitar. — I have no idea how to learn to play the guitar.

How negative sentences are built in English

English sentences in negation also have direct word order. The only difference is that to write a negative sentence, you must use the negative particle not (not). Such sentences always have an auxiliary verb, so the particle is placed after it.

Examples:

I do not know how to draw up a contract. I don't know how to make a contract.
We don't study at the university. We don't go to university.
Jane will not be there. Jane won't be there.
He is not working at the moment. - It's not working at the moment.
I haven't done sport exercises today yet. I haven't done sports today yet.
I was not aware of the situation in Paris. I didn't know about the situation in Paris.

How to write a sentence containing a question

Unlike the other two types, interrogative sentences in English must use reverse word order. In the reverse order, the part of the predicate, namely the auxiliary verb, comes first, and after it comes the subject. The semantic verb and the secondary members of the sentence remain in their places. Accordingly, the use of an auxiliary verb in questions is also a necessity. Scheme:

Examples:

Do you like this album? — Do you like this album?
Did they go fishing the day before yesterday? Did they go fishing the day before yesterday?
Have you been to Moscow? - Have you ever been in Moscow?
Are you listening to me? - You are listening to me?

If sentences contain a question word, it is used at the very beginning:

But in order to make a sentence with a disjunctive question, you will have to deviate from the standard scheme. Such a question is built using an affirmative or negative sentence in the first part and a short question in the second:

That's all. We hope you have learned how to write sentences in English. In fact, English sentences are like a constructor, you just have to pick up its correct parts. To consolidate the material, do exercises on the topic. And most importantly - communicate with native speakers, because no exercises will give you as much knowledge as people who speak this language.

The rules for constructing sentences in English are quite strict. Unlike the Russian language, there is a clear word order here. If you know the basic construction of an English sentence, you can build any phrase.

The members of the sentence in English, as in Russian, are divided into main and secondary.

The main members of the sentence are those due to which the grammatical basis of the statement is formed. Without them, the proposal would not make sense. The main members are the subject and the predicate.

(Who?) They (what did?) thought. - They thought.

Who?) The cat (what is he doing?) is walking. – The cat is going.

(What?) The apple (what will it do?) will fall. - The apple will fall.

Subject

As a rule, the subject is expressed by a noun or a pronoun, this is the main actor sentences that answer the questions “who?”, “what?”.

The noun is used in its standard dictionary form, singular or plural.

a product - products (product - products)

a magazine - magazines (magazine - magazines)

a university - universities (university - universities)

The article may be definite, indefinite, or absent at all, depending on the intended subject/person.

As for pronouns, personal pronouns in the nominative case are most often used as the subject: I (I), we (we), you (you / you), he (he), she (she), it (this / it) , they (they).

And also some indefinite and negative pronouns: someone/somebody (someone), no one/nobody (nobody), everyone/everybody (all), something (something), nothing (nothing), everything (everything), each (everyone).

AT colloquial speech it can be replaced by this (this), that (that).

In an affirmative sentence, the subject comes at the beginning of the sentence before the predicate.

Predicate

This part of the sentence is expressed by the verb and is the key when constructing sentences in English, because it shows at what time the action happened, is happening or will happen. The predicate answers the question “what to do?”.

There can be two verbs in the predicate, auxiliary and semantic.

An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used to express time. As such, it does not have such a meaning in itself and is not translated into Russian in any way. However, his presence is necessary if the temporary form requires it.

For present simple- do / does
For Past Perfect - had
For Future Continuous - will be

The main or semantic verb is a verb that expresses an action performed by the subject.

Examples:

She runs. - She is running.

We went. - We're going.

I want to be there. - I want to be there.

Secondary members of the sentence are those that explain the main ones. Without them, the sentence will still make sense, since they are not the grammatical basis of the sentence. The secondary members include definition, addition and circumstance.

Definition

This member of the sentence answers the questions "what?" and "whose?". The definition stands next to the subject or object and describes its properties; it can be expressed in almost any part of speech.

In most cases, the definition is expressed as:

Adjectives: nice (cute), brave (brave).
Participles: sold (sold), crying (crying).
Participle turns: made of plastic (made of plastic), laughing out loud (laughing out loud).
Numerals: first (first), thirty (thirty).
Noun in the possessive case: Nick's (Nick), Diana's (Diana).
Personal pronouns in the objective case: my (my), your (your).

I see a beautiful girl next to him. - I see (what?) beautiful girl next to him.

My red cat is lying on the windowsill. - (Whose?) My (what?) red cat lies on the windowsill.

A definition can be placed either before the subject or before the object.

Her wavy hair is so beautiful. - Her wavy hair is so beautiful.

I have read a great book. - I read a wonderful book.

The definition, expressed by participial turnover, usually comes after the subject and object.

Example: The girl singing on stage is my sister. - The girl singing on stage is my sister.

Addition

According to the construction of sentences in English, the object is placed after the predicate. It can be expressed as a noun or pronoun, answers case questions.

I see a girl with him. - I see (who?) a girl (who?) with him.

She is reading a book to the children. - She reads (what?) a book (to whom?) to children.

There are two types of supplement:

Direct - an addition that does not answer questions of the accusative case "who?", "What?".
Indirect - an addition that answers all other case questions "who?", "what?", "to whom?", "what?".

If two types of complement are used at once in one sentence, the direct one is used first, and then the indirect one.

Example: I play a computer game with her. - I play computer game with her.

Circumstance

This part of speech indicates the place, cause, time, mode of action, and the like. The circumstance is related to the predicate, but it can be used both at the beginning and at the end of the sentence. The first option is less common. The circumstance informs “where?”, “When?”, “How?”, “Why?” some action has taken place.

My red cat lies on the windowsill. - My red cat lies (where?) on the windowsill.

Yesterday I saw her with him. - (When?) Yesterday I saw her with him.

He behaved differently. - He behaved (how?) differently.

The circumstance can be expressed as:

Adverb: today (today), slowly (slowly).
Noun with a preposition: in Paris (in Paris), behind the scenes (behind the scenes).

How to write sentences in English - scheme

There are two main word orders in English: direct and reverse. Direct is used in affirmative and negative sentences, reverse - in questions.

The English sentence differs from the Russian one in word order. In Russian it is free, in English it is strictly defined.

Example: Mother was cleaning the frame. - Mom washed the frame. / Mom washed the frame. / Mom washed the frame.

Structure of affirmative and negative sentences

The direct word order in an English sentence is as follows: the subject comes first, the predicate comes second, and the object comes third. In some cases, circumstance may come first. In an English sentence, the main verb may have an auxiliary verb.

Word order in affirmative sentence:

1. Circumstance.

3. Predicate.
4. Addition (possibly with a definition).
5. Circumstance.

Yesterday I learned English words - Yesterday I learned English words.

Yesterday (adverb) I (subject) learned (predicate) English words (addition with a definition).

My little sister will visit me in three days - My little sister will visit me in three days.

My little sister (subject with definition) will visit (predicate) me (object) in three days (circumstance).

Word order in a negative English sentence is also direct. In order to show negation, the particle not is used, which corresponds to the Russian particle “not”. Also, in a negative sentence there is always an auxiliary verb, it is to it that not adjoins.

Word order in a negative sentence:

1. Circumstance.
2. Subject (possibly with a definition).
3. Auxiliary verb + not.
4. Main verb.
5. Addition (possibly with a definition).

Yesterday I did not learn English words - Yesterday I did not learn English words.

Yesterday (adverb) I (subject) did not (auxiliary verb + not) learn (main verb) English words (addition with definition).

My little sister will not visit me in three days - My little sister will not visit me in three days.

My little sister (subject with definition) will not (auxiliary verb + not) visit (main verb) me (object) in three days (circumstance).

Structure of interrogative sentences

When a question is asked in Russian, sometimes, only by the intonation of the speaker, you can determine that this is a question. When constructing English sentences in the form of a question, the subject and predicate are reversed - the reverse word order is used. But only a part of the predicate is placed in the first place - the auxiliary verb, and the main verb still comes after the subject.

They live in the city. - They live in the city.

Do they live in the city? - Do they live in the city?

Word order in an interrogative sentence:

Auxiliary.
Subject (possibly with a definition).
Main verb.
Complement (possibly with a definition)
Circumstance.

Did I learn English words? - I learned English words?

Did (auxiliary verb) I (subject) learn (main verb) English words (object with definition)?

Will my little sister visit me in three days? - Will my little sister visit me in three days?

Will (auxiliary verb) my little sister (subject with attribute) visit (main verb) me (object) in three days (circumstance)?

When answering a question, you can use a short answer. But in English you can't just say Yes/No, such an answer can be considered rude or unfriendly in some cases. A well-formed short answer should, in addition to Yes/No, contain a subject and an auxiliary verb.

Question: Do they work in the office? - Do they work in the office?

Answer: Yes, they do. / No, they don't. - Yes. / Not.

Question: Has he visited the British Museum? / Did he visit the British Museum?

Answer: Yes, he has. / No, he hasn't. - Yes. / Not.

Question: Will you call me? - Will you call me?

Answer: Yes, I will. / No, I won't. - Yes. / Not.

Question: Do you like tea? - Do you like tea?

Answer: Yes, I do. / No, I don't. - Yes. / Not.

Alternative grammatical constructions of English sentences

The construction of English sentences may in some cases deviate from the norm. Modern English is extremely rich in grammatical structures. Some of them are not the norm in the generally accepted sense, but reflect modern language trends. These include contraction (reduction), ellipsis (omission), insert (insert), preface and tag (introduction and tag).

Contraction - abbreviation

This phenomenon is quite familiar and understandable in most cases.

Examples: can't = cannot, don't = do not, I'm = I am

Abbreviations are considered a sign of conversational style, however, the above forms are the norm, that is, their use does not contradict established grammatical rules. According to the rules of colloquial English, it is possible to combine auxiliary verbs with modal ones when abbreviated, even with a negative particle not.

Examples: Mike couldn't've known about it. Mike didn't know about it. You shouldn't've gone there. You shouldn't have gone there.

In colloquial speech, abbreviation can be used if there is a subject expressed by several nouns.

Examples: Mark and Jenny've passed the exam. Mark and Jenny passed the exam. The President and his team're going to the summit. - The President and his team are going to the summit.

Ellipsis - omission

In colloquial speech, part of the traditional construction of the English sentence can be omitted, if the meaning of the statement is preserved. This phenomenon saves time and makes speech more fluent. Most often, words are skipped at the beginning of a sentence or not far from it.

You can drop:

Auxiliary
Example: How are you doing? - How are you? Ellipsis: How are you doing? - How are you?
Example: I'm alright, thanks. - I'm fine, thank you. Ellipsis: Alright, thanks. - Well thank you.
Subject + be/will
Example: I'll see you later. - See you later. Ellipsis: See you later. - See you later.
Example: I'm not sure about that. - I'm not sure about that. Ellipsis: Not sure about that. - Not sure.
Parts of the interrogative form (often with the verbs see, hear, think)
Example: Are you going with us? - Are you coming with us? Ellipsis: Going with us? - Are you coming with us?
Example: Would you like some lemonade? - Would you like some lemonade? Ellipsis: (Some) lemonade? - Lemonade?
Example: Do you want some water? - Do you want water? Ellipsis: Want some water? - Do you want some water?
Example: Have you got a little time? - Do you have some time? Ellipsis: Got a little time? - Do you have time?
Example: Do you like it? - Do you like it? Ellipsis: Like it? - Like?
Noun
Example: I can't complain. - I can't complain. Ellipsis: Can't complain. - Not complaining.
Example: I don't know. - I don't know. Ellipsis: Don't know. - I do not know.
Article
Example: The delivery man's here. - The courier is here. Ellipsis: Delivery man's here. - The courier is here.
It and there
Example: It might get colder tomorrow. - It might get colder tomorrow. Ellipsis: Might get colder tomorrow. - It might get colder tomorrow.
Example: Is anyone there? - Is there anyone there? Ellipsis: Anybody there? - Is there anyone?

The grammatical structures in Russian and English do not match, so the difference between a full and an elliptical sentence is not always visible in the translation, which sometimes may not be literal.

It is also possible to omit words at the end of a sentence, especially in short answers.

Question: Will you be at the meeting? - Will you be at the meeting?

Answer: I should be. - Should.

Question: Are you singing at the gala concert? - Do you sing at the gala concert?

Answer: I hope to. - Hope.

Insert - insert

The insertion of a word or expression in the construction of English sentences performs some communicative functions. For example, thinking out loud, emphasizing attention, agreeing, etc. Insertion usually helps speech sound more fluid and logical, it is not used in writing.

Insert examples:

Well - an expression of doubt or pause before returning to the subject of the previous discussion.
Well, I haven't been there yet. Well, I haven't been there yet.
Right - attracting attention, persuading that the listener agrees with what is being said.
right. Can you switch off your phones, please? - So. Could you please turn off your phones?
You're OK, right? - You're all right, right?
I mean - paraphrase, explanation, clarification.
I speak this language, I mean, English. - I speak this language, I mean English.
You know - the belief that the listener understands what is being said.
I really liked French cuisine, you know, frogs' legs and so on. - I really liked French cuisine, you know, frog legs and so on.
OK - the belief that the listener agrees with what was said, usually stands at the end of the statement.
See you at 5, OK? - See you at 5, okay?
Now - change the topic or return to the previous topic.
That was interesting. Now, who wants to listen to another story? - That was interesting. Now, who wants to hear another story?
Like - pause, an indication that the statement is not completed and further information on the topic follows.
I didn't join them because it was, like, dangerous. “I didn't go with them because it was, well, dangerous.

Inserts can be used not only by the speaker, but also by the listener for one purpose or another.

Question: There's been another bank robbery. - There was another bank robbery.

Answer: Really? - Truth?

(insert used to show interest to the speaker)

Question: I'm sick and tired of his behaviour. - I'm fed up with his behavior.

Answer: Uh huh. - Well, yes.

(insert used by the listener to show tolerance, understanding what his interlocutor is saying)

Preface and tag - introduction and tag

Preface - an introductory word or phrase. Tag is a word (phrase) following the main statement. Both phenomena are used to make sure that the listener follows the train of your thoughts, understands what is being said.

An example with an introductory phrase: That night club, what's it called? - What's the name of that nightclub?

Tag example: What is she doing, that girl? What is she doing, that girl?

An introductory phrase or word can also be used to introduce a new topic.

Example: Ireland, what a lovely country it is! - Ireland, what a beautiful country!

In English, as in Russian, there are five categories of sentences, the rules for constructing which you need to know accurately in order to successfully communicate in the language.

Simple sentence - compound sentence
declarative sentence - interrogative sentence - exclamatory sentence

Simple sentence in English

Simple sentences are those sentences in which there is only one actor (subject) and one action (predicate). With simple sentences, things are not so simple. You need to know a fixed word order - unfortunately, in English it is strict and it is highly undesirable to deviate from it.

For the English sentence, The main rule consists of two points:

1. The subject is in the first place, the predicate is in the second, and then everything else follows.

Schematically, this can be represented as follows:

Table 1. Word order in an English sentence


SUBJECT	PREDICATE	OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OFFER

		to work every day.

The following remark should be made to this table: BEFORE the subject, you can put a definition. And secondly, this scheme is used for affirmative English sentences, i.e. those that end with a dot.

2. An English sentence ALWAYS has a predicate, i.e. verb!

Even if you don’t hear this verb in the Russian translation of this sentence. For example: There are many wolves in the forest. (there is not a single verb here, although you can remake this sentence for a convenient translation: “There are many wolves in the forest.” This version already has a verb - there is). - There are many wolves in the forest.

Difficult sentence

We call a complex sentence a sentence of several simple sentences. As a rule, there are no difficulties with complex sentences, unless it is a complex sentence (that is, a sentence with a subordinate clause).

If you have already graduated from school a long time ago, then the term "subordinate clauses" will most likely not tell you anything. Therefore, let's refresh our memory: there are simple sentences (in which there is one predicate / verb), and there are complex sentences (they consist of several simple ones). In turn, complex sentences are divided into compound sentences (in which you can put the union “and” between several simple sentences) and complex sentences (in them, from one simple sentence to another, you can ask the question “what? why? where? when? under what condition? how? etc.”) And the subordinate clauses are just those simple ones to which we give a question. They are also called dependents. The scheme of a complex sentence looks like this:

As can be seen from the diagram, various conjunctions serve as a link between the main and dependent clauses: where, when, which, whose, because, if, etc.

It all seems so far and incomprehensible, but in fact we use complex sentences much more often than we ourselves notice it. So, as unions often act:

Who used in relation to persons (= who):

I'll call George, who is good at computers.

Which refers to inanimate objects, animals, and also to the main clause in general (=which):

Don't buy the lipstick which we saw yesterday.

She has already finished the report which will allow her a pay rise.

That refers to both animate and inanimate objects (=which):

The man that we met yesterday is my ex.

The car that Tim bought used to be mine.

Table 2. English words complex sentence connectors

It is important to observe the correct punctuation (punctuation marks) in complex sentences.

The structure of complex sentences, as a rule, corresponds to two possible schemes.

Main clause + union + subordinate clause

Relative clause + , + Main clause

Alan couldn't come to the meeting as he was ill.

Things get more complicated if the subordinate clause starts with who, which, or where. Sometimes a comma is needed, sometimes not - it depends on how IMPORTANT this clause is for the meaning, whether it is stressed, accented.

Main clause + conjunction + Significant subordinate clause

The driver didn't remember the place where he had left the car.

The subordinate clause EXPLAINS the word place. Without this subordinate clause, the clause will lose its meaning, so it is significant. This means that a comma before it is not needed - it cannot be separated from the main sentence in any way.

Main clause + , + Insignificant subordinate clause

The driver didn't remember the parking lot in his neighborhood, where only expensive cars are parked.

The main sentence already contains a specification - in his neighborhood. Therefore, the subordinate clause is DESCRIPTIVE, it does not provide important information. This means that it can be separated from the main clause by a comma.

Also, subordinate clauses can interrupt the main thing, "wedged" into it. In this case, select or not select with commas on both sides.

The driver didn't remember the place where he had left the car well.

The driver didn't remember the parking lot in his neighborhood, where only expensive cars are parked, well.

How to write sentences in English

Declarative sentence

The classification into declarative, interrogative and exclamatory sentences is based on punctuation marks. At the end of the narrative we put a period, at the end of the question - a question mark, at the end of the exclamation - an exclamation point. However, they differ not only in punctuation, but also in word order. In declarative sentences, the word order is direct - we talked about them above.

Interrogative sentence

So, there are 2 basic types of questions: general and. We answer “yes” or “no” to the first, and to the second we answer something specific, special (depending on what is asked in the question itself). Remember that the word order in any English sentence is FIXED, and this also applies to questions.

0 place- QUESTION WORD

What - what? which?
Who - who?
Who(m) - to whom? by whom?
Where - where? where?
When - when?
Why - why?
How - how?
How much (many) - how much?
Which - which?
What - what?
Whose - whose?

1 place- AUXILIARY

is/are/am
do / does / did
will / would / shall
have / has
can / could
may/might
ought
should

2nd place- SUBJECT

3rd place- BASIC (SENSITIVE) VERB

4th place- OTHER WORDS

There are also a few notes about this structure:

NOTE 1. How to choose an auxiliary verb? Very simple: the auxiliary verb is the one that is first present in the original sentence. For example:

Danny is a worker ---> is
Anna will drive ---> will
They have finished the report ---> have

Therefore, to ask a question, you just need to rearrange the subject and predicate in places.

What if there is no auxiliary verb? For example: We visited the museum. Here we have only the main verb - visited. Therefore, when there is no visible auxiliary verb, then it is do / does / did, depending on the tense. In our case, this is did, since the verb is in .

NOTE 2. The main (semantic) verb, when you ask a question, goes clean, that is, without any endings, in its initial form.

NOTE 3. How to understand 0 place? This position in the question is called so because interrogative words are only in special questions, but they are not in general ones. It is by the question word that you determine what to answer. For example:

Mother gave her son a tasty medicine yesterday because he was ill.

Who? -Mother
Whom? - son
Whose son? -her
What? - medicine
What medicine? - tasty
When? - yesterday
Why? - because he was ill

In general questions (those to which you answer “yes” or “no”) there is no interrogative word, that is, the auxiliary verb immediately goes.

Exclamatory sentence

As a rule, exclamatory sentences begin with what (what for .., what ...) or how (how ...). Here, too, you need to be careful with word order.

What..!

Table 3 Word order of the English exclamatory sentence

How..!

In exclamations, after how it is customary to put either an adjective or an adverb.

How sweet! - How cute!

How lovely! - How funny!

Sometimes you can find a more detailed construction: How + adjective / adverb + subject + predicate.

How interesting it was to hear her story!

How wonderful it is to see you!

Learners often have problems with how to build sentences in English. Here, each member of the statement has a strictly allotted place. In Russian, words can be freely rearranged without distorting the meaning; in English, the meaning of the entire phrase changes due to the lack of case endings.

Construction of sentences in English

The rule for composing an utterance is very important, since the location of a word determines its meaning in a simple sentence. AT English phrases the following structure is assumed, which is forbidden to violate:

subject;
predicate;
addition;
circumstance.

The girls saw a dog three days ago. The girls saw the dog three days ago. (the girls - subject, saw - predicate, a dog - addition, three days ago - circumstance)

The definition is not characterized by a stable place, since it can refer to different members of the sentence, expressed by nouns.

An old man was crossing the road. The old man was crossing the street. (old - definition to the subject)

Mark bought a new car a year ago. (new - definition for addition)

The place of the addition in the sentence depends on some features:

The direct always follows the verb:

She has just read a book. She has just read a book. (a book is a direct object)

An indirect without a preposition is placed between the predicate and the direct object:

I showed my granny the photos. I showed my grandmother the photos. (my granny is an indirect object without a preposition)

An indirect object with a preposition follows a direct one:

Mike received a letter from his boss. Mike received a letter from his boss. (a letter is a direct object, from his boss is an indirect with a preposition)

The position of circumstances in the composition of English statements is determined by their meaning and part of speech:

The circumstance of the course of action always comes after the complement:

I went home with pleasure. - I was happy to go home. (with pleasure - mode of action)

A circumstance reporting a place is used after indicating the mode of action:

I saw her accidentally in the street. - I saw her suddenly on the street. (in the street - place)

The adverb of time is in the last place in the sentence, but can also be used at the beginning of the phrase:

My friends went to the cinema on Saturday. My friends went to the cinema on Saturday. (on Saturday - time)

The place of the adverb, which plays the role of a circumstance, is determined by the predicate: the adverb is in preposition in relation to the semantic verb, but after to be.

I always go to the South in the summer. I always go south in the summer.

He is always late for the first lesson. He is always late for the first lesson.

Rule generalization

To better remember the structure of statements, you need to use the word order scheme in an English sentence.

Exceptions

In some cases, the order of words in sentences in English may be reversed. The most common cases include:

there is/are constructs:
the words of the author in direct speech:
“I'm tired,” said the boy. "I'm tired," said the boy. (the predicate said comes before the subject the boy)

Reverse word order also occurs in sentences that begin with adverbs, pronouns, and adverbs.

What have we learned?

The word order in English sentences is fixed: subject - predicate - object - circumstance. There are cases of permutation of the subject and predicate.

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The word order in an English sentence is, on the one hand, an easy topic, because the basic rules are simple, on the other hand, it is inexhaustible, because the nuances are endless. In this article, we will not try to embrace the immensity, but consider the basic rules, principles for constructing sentences in English.

What is a sentence in English

Word order in a subordinate clause (in a complex sentence)

In subordinate clauses, the word order is simple - the same as in the affirmative,

I know where you live. - I know where you live.
I don't know where you live. - I don't know where you live.
Do you know where I live? - Do you know where I live?

For clarity, I will present the proposals in the form of a table:

A common mistake is that in the part of the sentence that begins with unions (in this case, these are unions) who, why, when, where the words rearrange, as in an interrogative sentence.

Not right: I don't know why did she call me.
Correctly: I don't know why she called me.

In this case, “…why she called me” is not at all the same as the interrogative sentence “Why did she call me?”, but a subordinate clause. The word order in it is direct, as in a simple affirmative sentence.

Especially often so mistaken in complex interrogative sentences. In this case, the reverse word order should be only in the main part (Do you know), but not in the subordinate clause (where I live).

Not right: Do you know where do I live?
Correctly: Do you know where I live?
Not right: Do you know who was it?
Correctly: Do you know who was it?

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*Subject*	*Predicate*	*Addition*			*Circumstance*
*Subject*	*Predicate*	without pretext	direct	indirect with preposition	course of action	places	time
I	bought		new shoes.
Jack	gave	Mary	his phone number			at the cafe	last night.
I	received		a letter	from an old friend.
We	met				by chance.