Every word has a slot.
In English, the order shows who does what. See each word in its slot, check where yours goes, then test yourself with a short quiz.
I often work late.
- SUBJECTI
- ADVERBoften
- VERBwork
- TIMElate
Always and often go before the main verb. Adverbs →
Where does it go? Answer two questions.
Think of the sentence you're writing.
Every slot, at a glance
The sentence skeleton, and every word-order lesson.
- QUESTION WORD(where)
- AUXILIARY(did)
- SUBJECTyou
- ADVERB(often)
- VERBmeet
- OBJECTher
- PLACEat the station
- TIMEyesterday
- Ana
- drinks
- coffee
- every morning
Basic Word Order: Subject, Verb, Objectsubject → verb → objectI met her at the station yesterday.- I
- often
- work
- late
Where Do Adverbs Go? Always, Often, Neverbefore the verb, after beI often work late. She is always late.- where
- did
- you
- go
- last night
Word Order in Questionsquestion word → auxiliary → subject → verbWhere did you go last night?- Do you know
- where
- the station
- is
Indirect Questions: Do You Know Where…?polite questions, statement orderDo you know where the station is?- beautiful
- old
- red
- car
The Order of Adjectivesopinion → size → age → colour…a lovely little old Italian car
The pairs people mix up
You understand it. Now find it in your own writing.
Paste an email or an essay. Clarigram marks the mistakes you actually make, shows the rule behind each one as a picture, and builds your practice from them.
Questions people ask
What is the basic word order in English?
Subject, verb, object: Ana drinks coffee. Then usually how, where and when: She sang beautifully at the concert last night.
Why does word order matter so much in English?
English has few word endings to show who does what, so the order does that job. The dog bit the man and The man bit the dog use the same words but mean different things.
What are the most common word-order mistakes?
Putting something between the verb and its object (I like very much coffee), adverbs in the wrong place (I go often to the gym), and question order in indirect questions (Do you know where is the station?).