Unit Two

Word order

Word order

A sentence must have a subjectsubject and a verbverb.

E.g.

subject verb

Emma goes to secondary school.

Sometimes,

the subject can be omitted in a sentence

because it is clear who or what

the subject is.

This is common when we give

commands or instructions.

Here the speaker is telling you

(the subject) to do something.

ExampleExample

Open the window.

verb object

Subject Verb Object

(You) Find a desk.

(You) Close your book.

(You) Read this sentence.

(You) Look at this picture.

(You) Listen to the dialogue.

Commands / Instructions

PracticePracticeThese are the commands Mr Chan used in Emma’s first English lesson. Put the words in the correct order.

1. a use pencil

2. books write your in

3. at blackboard the look

4. practise dialogue this

Use a pencil.

Write in your books.

Look at the blackboard.

Practise this dialogue.

How can the words be arranged in a sentence if the sentence contains different parts of speech?

e.g. went to, the Parkin’shop, Jack, happily, this morning. Ans: Jack went to the Parkin’ shop

happily this morning

.

The word order should be like this:Subj verb obj adverb place time

They played happily in his home yesterday.

Susan gives me 10 dollars every day..

They are studying very hard in the library now.

Susan will do her project tomorrow.

It rained heavily in H.K. last Sunday.

But the word order can also be like this :

1.Last night, she didn’t sleep well.

(time) (subj) (verb) (adverb)

2.She always obeys her parents.

(subj)(adv) (verb) (obj)