Word Order

Let’s delve into the fascinating world of word order in English grammar. Word order, also known as syntax, refers to the arrangement of words within a sentence. It plays a crucial role in conveying meaning and emphasizing specific elements. Here are some key points:

1. Basic Word Order:
   • The typical word order in English sentences is:
     • Subject (S) + Verb/Predicate (V) + Object (O).
   • For example:
     • “She (S) sings (V) a song (O).”
2. Emphasis and Focus:
   • To add emphasis or focus, we can rearrange the word order.
   • Indirect Object (IO) vs. Prepositional Complement (PC):
     • Typical: “I gave [IO] Margaret [DO] a present.”
     • Unusual (more emphasis on recipient): “I gave a present [DO] to Margaret [PC].”
   • In formal contexts, prepositional complements can be placed at the beginning:
     • “[PC] For his wife, he wrote [DO = focus] a beautiful poem.”
   • We don’t normally put indirect objects in front position:
     • Incorrect: “Williams he passed the ball.”
     • Correct: “He passed Williams the ball.”
3. Active and Passive Voice:
   • Active voice (typical word order):
     • “Lesley has written four successful novels.”
   • Passive voice (focus on the doer):
     • “The cake was cut.” (no doer)
     • “The music was played by a local quartet.” (doer in a prepositional phrase)
4. Cleft Sentences:
   • Cleft sentences divide a single message across two clauses to focus on new information.
   • It-cleft sentences:
     • Focus on the “it”-clause:
       • “It was my phone that I’d lost.”
   • Wh-cleft sentences:
     • Introduced by a wh-word (usually “what”):
       • “What I love about you is your sense of humor.”
       • “Where you’ll find great seafood is Molly’s Seafood Restaurant on the quay.”
5. The Thing, The One Thing, Something:
   • We can use “the thing” in front position with a form of the verb “be” to draw attention to an item in the clause.