ORDER OF WORDS

203. In English, owing to the fewness of the inflections, 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:-

(1) The subject usually comes before the verb; as,

The dog bit the horse.

The people rang the bell for joy.

(2) The object usually comes after the verb; as,

The horse bit the dog.

The King wears a crown.

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

Lend me your ears.

(4) 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.

(5) When the adjective is used predicatively it comes after the noun; as,

The child is asleep.

The horse became restive.

(6) 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.

(7) 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.

(8) 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.

204. 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.

205. 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.