Word order in statements

Word order deals with the elements of the clause (S, P, O, C, A) and how they are arranged within the sentence. It is also important how information is arranged within the clause. Theme gives the information who or what is the topic of the sentence, positioned at the beginning, while rheme follows theme and is the main part of the message that gives information about the topic. Jane (theme) is my daughter (rheme).

 Basic word order for statements is:

Subject + verb + object (direct/indirect if the verb is transitive) + adverbials (manner, place, time) 

                                      S  +  V +  O + A  ( M   P   T )

Clause Types    

There are 7 basic fixed clause types. They differ according to whether one or more clause elements are obligatory present in addition to the subject and verb. The occurrence of other clause elements beneath the subject and the verb is determined by the potential of the individual verb (transitive, intransitive, copular).

S + V                     The sun (S) is shining (V).

S + V + C              Your dinner (S) seems (V) ready (C).

S + V + O             That lecture (S) interested (V) me (O).

S + V + A              My office (S) is (V) in the next building (A).

S + V + Oi + Od  I (S) must send (V) my parents (Oi) an anniversary card (Od).

S + V + O + C      Most students (S) have found (V) the teacher (Od) reasonably helpful (C).

S + V + Od + A   You (S) can put (V) the dish (Od) on the table (A).

Optional Adverbials (initial, final, not-position)

(A) + S + V + (A)                              Sometimes she sings beautifully.

(A) + S + V + (A) + A       In America most students are now on vocation.

S + (A) + V + Oi + Od      She kindly sent us some photographs.

Optional adverbials in the front position are used to emphasize. In the mid NOT position we place usually before the main verb adverbs of frequency. In the final position we put neutral adverbs of manner-place-time.

The word order of final adverbials is Manner – Place – Time (He was driving dangerously through the park yesterday.) Where there are more place adverbs, we place first the smaller place and then the larger one (He spent a lot of time in Wenceslas Square in Prague.) With more time notions, we first place shorter period and then the longer one (I’ll see you at nine on Monday.)