WORD ORDER 1 - VERB OBJECT PLACE ANDTIME. A VERB OBJECT. THE VERB ANDTHE OBJECT OF THE VERB NORMALLY GO TOGETHER.WE DO NOT USUALLY PUT OTHER WORDSBETWEEN THEM. VERB OBJECT I ILDRENVERY MUCH. NOT I ILDREN DID YOU NORMANYESTERDAY. ANN OFTEN PLAYSTENNIS. HERE ARE SOME OTHER EXAMPLES. NOTICE HOW EACH TIME THE VERB AND THE OBJECT GO TOGETHER -DO YOU CLEANTHE HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND ? NOT DO YOU CLEAN EVERY WEEKEND THE HOUSE -EVERYBODYENJOYED THE PARTY VERY MUCH. NOT EVERYBODY ENJOYED VERY MUCH THE PARTY FOR THEPOSITION OF WORDS LIKE ALSO SEE THE NEXT PAGE. B PLACE ANDTIME. WE USUALLY SAYTHE PLACE WHERE? BEFORE THE TIME. WHEN? HOW OFTEN? HOW LONG? PLACE TIME TOM WALKSTO WORK EVERY MORNING. NOT TOM WAKSEVERY MORNING TO WORK WE HAS BEENIINCE APRIL. WE ARRIVEDAT AIRPORT EARLY. IT IS OFTENPOSSIBLE TO PUT THE TIME AT THE BEGII MGOING TO PARIS. -IICYCLED A LOT. NOTE THAT YOUCANNOT USE EARLY OR LATE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE. The order ofwords in which the subject is placed after the predicate is calledinveted order or inversion. Inversionoccurs in the following cases 1.Inquestions which are not put to the subject, e.g. Wherecan i find a more interesting book ? Are they still at home ? BUT Whocan answer my question ? 2.Inexclamatory sentences expressing wish inwhich the verb is in the Subjunctive Mood, e.g. Longlive the Soviet Army ! May you be happy and crazy ! 3.When thesentence is introduced by there, e.g.There was no wind. There have been many such incidents. 4.In thefollowing constructions, e.g. Youcan do it and so can i. I must leave now So must i. I have never liked detectivestories Neither have i. 5.Insentences introducing direct speech, e.g. This is what i want ,said my friend.
I think it s alldelightful ,murmured Emily. Inversion may be the result of emphasis,whenthe author wishes to produce a cetain stylistic effect.Here wemust distiguish between the following cases 6.The adverbial modifier of place or time opens the sentences what is rare . In thiscase the subject is generally lengthy ormodified by a phra- se or aclause, e.g. Downbelow spread the town with its wide streets,beautiful buld- ings,bridges and green parks.
Inthe centre of the room of the his flat stoodthe head of the family old Jolyon himself. 7.Adverbialmodifiers expressed by such words as so,thus, then, here,now, there openthe sentense. In this case the subject is expressed by anoun, e.g. Soended the terrible seige of my flat. Thus began their friendship.
BUT Thereshe goes. The subject is expressed by a pronoun. 8.Anadverbial modifier with a negative meaning opens the sentence never invain,little,etc e.g. Neverhave i been so happy as now. Little did he think about it then. In vain did he try to persuade his friendsto follow his example 9.Theemphatic particle only ontonly but Theadverbs hardly,scarcely corrrlated with sup3 the conjuction when sup3 openthe sentence The adverb so sooner correlated withthe sup3 conjuction than sup3 Orconjuction nor frac34 e.g. Onltthen did he understand it. No sooner had the German pilot caughtsight of the soviet plane than began to fire. Hardly had we started when it began torain.
They did not come to the meeting.Nor didthey telephone the sec- ratery. 10.Adverbialmodifiers of amnner expressed by adverbs open the sentence, e.g. Loudlyand cheerfully did the children greet him. Calmly and attentively did they listen tohis story. 11.Sofollowed by an adverbial modifier opens the sentence, e.g. Soloudly did he speak that everybody could hear him. So perfectly did he do his work that itwon the prize. 12.In vividspeech when the sentence begins with an adverb of direction in,out,away,down if the subject is expressed by a noun , e.g. Outcame the chaise.
In rushed the others. Off went the gun. BUT Downhe rushed.
The subject is expressed by a pronoun 13.When anobject or an adverbial modifier expressed by a word-group with anot a many a opens the sentence, e.g. Not asingle mistake did he make. Many a sleepless night did she spend. 14.When a predicative sometimes preceded by so or expressed by such opens thesentence if the subject is expressed by a noun , e.g. Socold was the night that they amde a fire. Bright and sunny was the morning when we started.
Such were the events of the day ! BUT Agloomy day it was The subject is expressed by a pronoun. 15.Inclauses of concession where the predicative is followed by the con- juction as if the subject is expressed by a noun , e.g. Coldas was the water,I plunged into it. Rich as was the merchant,they did not envyhim. Dickens BUT Hardas it was,we did it The subject is expressed by a pronoun 16.Inconditional clauses in the Subjunctive Mood when the conjuction if is notused,and only with the verbs had,was,were,should,could, e.g. Had imore time,i should come to see you more often.
Were it not so late,i should go to thelibrary.
Could he come,we should be very pleased. 17.Any wordcan be made emphatic by prefacing it with the words it is or it wasand using a clause after it, e.g. It washe who did it. It was here that i saw them for the firsttime.