Order of Words

ORDER OF WORDS

In English, owing to the fewness of the inflexions, the order (or arrangement) of the words in a sentence is of the first importance.

The following is the usual order of words in an English sentence:-

The subject usually comes before the verb; as, The dog bit the horse.

The people rang the bell for joy.

The object usually comes after the verb; as, The horse bit the dog.

The King wears a crown.

When there is an indirect object and also a direct object, the indirect precedes the direct; as,

Lend me your ears.

When the adjective is used attributively it comes before the noun which it qualifies;

as,

Few cats Hike cold water.

I like the little pedlar who has a crooked nose.

King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport.

When the adjective is used predicatively it comes after the noun; as, The child is asleep.

The horse became restive.

The adjective phrase comes immediately after the noun; as,

Old Tubal Cain was a man of might.

The tops of the mountains were covered with snow.

The adverb is generally placed close to the word which it modifies; as, Nothing ever happens by chance.

John is a rather lazy boy. He worked only two sums. He never tells a lie.

Note:- When an adverb is intended to modify the sentence as a whole, it is placed at the

beginning of a sentence; as,

Certainly he made a fool of himself.

All qualifying clauses are placed as close as possible to the words which they qualify;

as,

He died in the village where he was born. The dog that bites does not bark.

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

The normal order of words in a sentence is sometimes altered for emphasis; as, Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Monkeys I detest. Money you shall have. Blessed are the merciful.

Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Great is the struggle, and great is also the prize. Just and true are all Thy ways.

Fallen, fallen is Babylon! .

Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I unto thee.

Owing to faulty arrangement of words a sentence may be turned into perfect nonsense; as,

Few people learn anything that is worth learning easily.

He blew out his brains, after bidding his. wife goodbye with a gun. A gentleman has a dog to sell who wishes to go abroad.

It is, therefore, essential that all qualifying words, phrases and clauses should be placed as near as possible to the words to which they refer.

Exercise

Rewrite the following sentences, improving the arrangement:-

For sale, piano, the property of a musician, with carved legs.

He tore up the tender letter which his mother had written him in a fit of peevish vexation.

The captain took the things which the gods provided with thankful good humour.

Sometimes you will see an alligator lying in the sunshine on the bank eight feet long.

All the courtiers told the Queen how beautiful she was all the day long.

Mrs. Jeremy Daud was sitting with her husband on the steps of the hotel when Amy and Dulce came up, with her lap full of newspapers.

The man ought to be brought before a magistrate who utters such threats.

He visited the battlefield where Napoleon was defeated in his holidays.

He killed the sparrow which was eating some crumbs with a gun.

No magnanimous victor would treat those whom the fortune of war had put in his power so cruelly.

The constable said that the prisoner seizing a bolster full of rage and fury had knocked the prosecutor down.

A nurse maid is wanted for a baby about twenty years old.

I spent the three last days of my holiday in a chair with a swollen leg.

This monument has been erected to the memory of John Brown who was accidentally shot by his brother as a mark of affection.

In thirty-seven wrecks only five lives were fortunately lost.

The following verses were written by a young man who has long since been dead for his own amusement.

Many works must close if the strike lasts over the weekend owing to lack of fuel.

There will be a meeting of all boys who play cricket and football in the long room at 4 o’clock.

Exercise

Rewrite the following sentences improving the arrangement;-

These acts were pushed through Parliament in spite of opposition with but little modification.

The beaux of that day painted their faces as well as the women.

He saw countless number of the dead riding across the field of battle.

They only work when they have no money.

He refused to relieve the beggar with a frown on his face.

His body was found floating lifeless on the water at a short distance from where the boat was upset by a fisherman.

He was very fond of her; he thought of marrying her more than once.

It is proposed to construct a bath for males 99 feet long.

One day the bird did not perform certain tricks which had thought it to his satisfaction.

I have lately received permission to print the following tale from the author's son.

They left the hotel where they had been staying in a motor-car.

The Board of Education has resolved to erect a building large enough to accommodate 500 students three storeys high.

He spoke of the notion that the national debt might be repudiated with absolute contempt.

One of the combatants was unhurt, and the other sustained a wound in the arm of

no importance.

Girl wanted for telephone of nice manners and appearance.

He repeated the whole poem after he had read it only once with perfect accuracy.

He was shot by a secretary under notice to quit with whom he was finding fault very fortunately without effect.

A clever judge would see whether a witness was deliberately lying a great deal better than a stupid jury.

I was rather impressed by the manner of the orator than by his matter.

He was driving away from the church where he had been married in a coach and six.

Stories have been related of these animals which are of an entirely fictitious