Word order comes naturally to native speakers of English but may be difficult for English learners to pick up right away. Our Engram team compiled some examples that contain common word order mistakes to help non-native speakers learn how to place their words in the correct sequence.
- We drive usually to school. → We usually drive to school.
Adverbs of frequency like usually, always, sometimes, and rarely usually come before the verb, which is drive in this case.
- Milo goes always to the gym on Wednesdays. → Milo always goes to the gym on Wednesdays.
Again, the adverbs of frequency like always usually come before the verb, which is goes in this case.
- Quincy arrives early rarely. → Quincy rarely arrives early.
The adverb rarely (like usually, always, and sometimes) should come before the verb arrives.
- Iris all day sat in front of her computer. → Iris sat in front of her computer all day.
All day is an adverbial phrase of duration which is usually placed after the verb, object, and prepositional phrases.
- The lecturer spoke for a long time about semiconductors. → The lecturer spoke about semiconductors for a long time.
Like all day, the adverbial phrase for a long time also comes after the verb, object, and prepositional phrases in the sentence.
- Tim’s daughter a lot likes strawberries. → Tim’s daughter likes strawberries a lot.
A lot is being used as an adverbial phrase of degree in this sentence, so it should be placed after the verb, object, and prepositional phrases.
- The construction worker moved the brown big wooden plank. → The construction worker moved the big brown wooden plank.
In English, there is a generally accepted order of adjectives that native speaker unconsciously follow: opinion, size, physical quality, shape, age, color, origin, material, type, and purpose. In the sentence above, the adjective brown is a color adjective, and the adjective big is a size adjective. Therefore, you would need to flip the order of the two adjective to abide by the generally accepted order. Different writing styles may prefer slightly different sequences but will more or less follow this order.
- He almost walked for the entire day. → He walked for almost the entire day.
Before the correction, the sentence above suggests that the subject was close to making a walk for a whole day but ended up not doing that walk at all. Meanwhile, after the correction, the sentence expresses that the subject walked a distance for nearly a whole day. It is more likely that the writer of the sentence intended to express what the second sentence conveys because people do not usually almost decide to walk for a whole day.
- The company does not pay well the security guards. → The company does not pay the security guards well.
The word well is used as an adverb of degree in this context which means it describes the intensity of the verb, which is pay in this case. Well usually comes after the verb, object, and prepositional phrases.
- Do you know where is it? → Do you know where it is?
Ironically, if you were to ask the question “Where is it?” is would precede it, but when asking or stating whether someone knows where an object or person is, it comes before is.
- Where it is? → Where is it?
When Where is the subject, is it is the correct order.
- Do you know where is it? → Do you know where it is?
When you is the subject, then it is is the correct order.
- I know where is it. → I know where it is.
When I is the subject, it is is the correct order.
Now, which of the following is correct?
- Who told you where it is?
- Who told you where is it?
The correct answer is the first one.
When Who is the subject, it is is the correct order.
Word order may not come instinctively to English learners at first. Feel free to use Engram to check the sentence for any word order errors. Engram’s AI gives suggestions based on how native English speakers write to provide a natural alternative to any writing mistakes.
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