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by R. S. Karunaratne
Word order in English
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Nandani almost forgot to bring
her notebook.
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The verb and the object usually go
together. Normally other words are not put in between them.
verb object
Cats like fish.
Cows eat grass.
Sarojini plays table-tennis.
Mother cooks food.
We enjoyed the meal.
She lost her purse.
The verb and the place go together.
verb place
Children go home.
Maya lives in a village.
Chamara drives to office.
Latha walks to school.
Let's meet in office.
The place comes after the object.
Verb object place
I'll take you home.
Sena speaks English in the class.
Susima teaches French at university.
Douglas drives a car to the supermarket.
The judge passed the judgement in courts.
Time is used after place.
place time
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The bridge has already fallen
into the river. |
Savithri walks to school everyday.
Gnanam was in Malaysia last year.
Shyama lived in this house for ten years.
You must be here at 8 o'clock .
Lakshan goes to bed late.
Time may be placed at the beginning of a sentence.
On Friday our school is celebrating its golden jubilee.
Every morning
Mary gets up at 5 o'clock.
In January last year we had no rain.
Some adverbs go with the verb in the middle of a
sentence.
Cathy always quarrels with her brother.
As a general rule the adverb is placed before the verb.
Nandani almost forgot to bring her notebook.
Diana did her homework and also watched television.
My grandfather hardly ever watches television.
Some people rarely read newspapers.
Dharman often forgets to lock the front door.
Commuters always wait for the train.
However, adverbs are used after 'be' verbs.
(am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being)
You're never on time, the teacher said when
I came
to the class.
Chitra was feeling tired and she was also hungry.
If there are two verbs the adverb can be used in
between them.
I can never forget my parents.
Ladies don't usually smoke.
You are probably mistaken.
They have always lived in Colombo.
She can't even make a cup of tea!
The bridge has already fallen into the river.
Test your vocabulary
Find the closest definition and underline it.
Check your answers with the solution.
1. dishevelled: (a) untidy (b) barbarous (c) intelligent
2. baffling: (a) charming (b) good (c) puzzling
3. lenient: (a) short (b) not strict (c) dead
4. repulsive: (a) disgusting (b) beautiful (c) usual
5. audacious: (a) useful (b) bold (c) mad
6. prevalent: (a) fatal (b) widespread (c) catchy
7. ominous: (a) truth (b) threatening (c) simple
8. incredible: (a) unbelievable (b) truthful (c) sharp
9. ophthalmologist: (a) skin doctor (b) heart specialist (c) eye
specialist
10. supersede: (a) repeal (b) take the place of (c) continue
11. anonymous: (a) not known (b) well known (c) rich
12. indefatigable: (a) fast (b) crude (c) tireless
13. atheist: (a) believer in God (b) disbeliever in God (c) monk
14. loquacity: (a) talkativeness (b) poverty (c) foul smell
15. incorrigible: (a) wise (b) fast (c) beyond correction
16. ocular: (a) unnecessary (b) visual (c) continuous
17. affluence: (a) wealth (b) soil (c) poverty
18. gourmet: (a) greedy eater (b) chef (c) connoisseur of good food
19. magnanimous: (a) big (b) generous (c) lavish
20. clandestine: (a) secret (b) open (c) very important
21. nostalgic: (a) nausiating (b) painless (c) homesick
22. antipathy: (a) honesty (b) hostility (c) fright
23. intrepid: (a) fearless (b) callous (c) inexperienced
24. taciturn: (a) talkative (b) disinclined to conversation (c)
charming
Abbreviations:
U
UAE United Arab Emirates
UC Urban Council
UDI Unilateral Declaration of Independence
UFO Unidentified Flying Object
UGC University Grants Commission
UHF Ultra - high frequency
UK United Kingdom
UNCAST (acronym) United Nations Conference on
the Applications of Science and Technology
UNCED (acronym) United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development
UNCITRAL (acronym) United Nations Commission
on International Trade Law
UNCLOS (acronym) United Nations Conference on
the Law of the Sea
UNCSTD United Nations Conference on Science
and Technology for Development
UNCTAD (acronym) United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development
UNDP United Nations Development Programme |
