What is Word Order?
Word order refers to the correct sequence of words in a sentence. In English, word order is very important because changing it can completely change the meaning—or make the sentence incorrect or confusing.
The basic English sentence structure is:
Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)
Example: She (Subject) eats (Verb) an apple (Object).
Unlike some other languages like Hindi, English does not use flexible word order. That’s why maintaining the correct sequence is crucial.
Why is Word Order Important?
It ensures clarity.
It makes communication smooth and easy to understand.
It avoids awkward or incorrect sentences.
It helps you sound fluent and natural.
Common Word Order Mistakes
1. Subject-Verb-Object Confusion
Incorrect: Eats she an apple.
Correct: She eats an apple.
Explanation: In English, the subject comes first, followed by the verb, then the object. Beginners often mix up this order, especially if their native language has a different structure.
2. Adverb Placement Errors
Incorrect: He every day goes to school.
Correct: He goes to school every day.
Explanation: Adverbs of frequency (e.g., always, never, often, every day) usually come after the verb ‘to be’, or before the main verb—but not randomly in between.
More examples:
She often reads books. (right)
She reads often books. (wrong)
3. Question Formation Mistakes
Incorrect: You are coming?
Correct: Are you coming?
Explanation: In English, questions usually start with an auxiliary/helping verb like do, does, did, is, are, was, were etc.
More examples:
You like tea? (wrong)
Do you like tea? (right)
4. Position of Adjectives
Incorrect: She has hair black.
Correct: She has black hair.
Explanation: In English, adjectives come before the noun they describe.
More examples:
It is a big house. (right)
It is a house big. (wrong)
5. Misplacing Prepositional Phrases
Incorrect: She put on the table the book.
Correct: She put the book on the table.
Explanation: The object usually comes before the prepositional phrase unless intentionally restructured for emphasis (which is advanced-level English).
6. Negative Sentence Mistakes
Incorrect: She not likes coffee.
Correct: She does not like coffee.
Explanation: In negative sentences with simple present tense, we use does not / do not + base verb.
Other examples:
I do not know the answer.
I not know the answer.
Tips to Avoid Word Order Mistakes:
Always follow the SVO pattern.
Practice simple sentences before moving to complex ones.
Use grammar check tools and read English sentences aloud.
Break the sentence into parts: subject, verb, object, time/place.
Pay attention to adverbs and prepositions in native English content.
Practice Exercise:
Correct these sentences:
Is raining it outside.
She quickly runs always.
They homework did their yesterday.
A dog small barked loudly.
He not can swim.
By understanding and correcting these word order mistakes, learners can greatly improve their writing and speaking fluency. It brings clarity to communication and makes English usage more natural and effective.