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LESSON PLAN OF ORDER OF WORDS IN SENTENCES
The order in which words and phrases are placed in a sentence is very important, for a slight change may give quite a different meaning to a sentence.
The following is the natural order of words in a sentence:
1. the subject usually comes before the predicate; as,
a) all the people were shouting with joy.
b) He has been teaching in this school for seven years.
2. The object usually comes after the predicate; as,
a) Murtaza likes cold coffee.
b) Kazim Ali bought a new car.
3. When the verb governs two Objects, the indirect Object comes first; as,
a) Father bought Abida (indirect) a doll (direct).
b) He taught me (indirect) English (direct).
4. When the Adjective is used attributively, it usually comes before the Noun it qualifies; as,
a) The old servant love the little child.
b) The rich man refused to help his poor neighbor.
5. When the Adjective is used predicatively (i.e. as part of the predicate). It comes after the Noun; as,
a) The old man is dead.
b) The way was long, the wind was cold.
c) The miner was infirm and old.
6. If two or more Adjectives limit one Noun, They are sometimes placed after it; as,
a) The poor lad, hungry and miserable was crying.
b) A beggar, old, weak and blind, met me on the way.
7. An Adjective phrase come immediately after its Noun; as,
a) He was a man of great renown.
b) The teacher was a man of noble character.
8. An Adverb is usually placed close to the word it modifies; as,
a) Nothing ever happens by chance.
b) He seldom comes late.
c) Mary immediately went out of the room.
d) He never tells a lie.
e) He always speaks the truth.
f) I frequently visited her there.
g) He gave us only a rupee.
9. When an Adverb is intended to limit the sentence as a whole, it is placed at the beginning of the sentence; as,
a) Certainly he made a mistake.
b) Fortunately he was not at home on that time.
10. All qualifying clauses are placed as close as possible to the words which they qualify; as,
a) The clouds that thunder seldom rain.
b) All that glitters is not gold.
c) He that is down fears no fall.
d) He who hesitates is lost.
11. The complement usually comes after the verb; as,
a) They appointed her secretary.
b) They elected him president.
12. The usual order of words in a sentence is sometimes changed for the sake of emphasis; as,
a) Sweet are the uses of adversity.
b) Blessed are the meek.
c) Uneasy lies the head that wears
d) Silver and Gold have I none.
