Questions tagged [word-order]
This tag is for questions about the correct order of words in a phrase or a sentence, or how changing the order affects the meaning.
1,205
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Why is "for a tortuous three days" singular even though days is plural?
I was surprised to find out that you should write:
I waited for a torturous three days.
Instead of:
I waited for torturous three days.
Why is this? "Days" is plural ...
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28
votes
3
answers
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views
Is the SVOMPT word order necessary in creating a sentence?
I learned the English word order SVOMPT (Subject, Verb, Objects, Manner, Place, Time) rule at school. Although it was a quite straightforward rule when I was studying, now (under more influence from ...
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votes
10
answers
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Why do you say "air conditioned" and not "conditioned air"?
For a non-native English speaker, it seems that "air" is a noun and "conditioned" is an adjective. Following the correct word order, the adjective should precede the noun, so it ...
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24
votes
5
answers
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I do not really understand the proposal: "Don't hate Monday. Make Monday hate you"
Please explain. I like to learn English. I do not really understand the proposal: "Don't hate Monday. Make Monday hate you". Help me to understand this sentence. I am very interested in this phrase.
...
21
votes
4
answers
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How do I use "also" in a sentence?
Which of the following sentences are grammatically correct in written text?
You also are allowed to see your son.
You are also allowed to see your son.
Also, you are allowed to see your son.
...
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19
votes
6
answers
6k
views
difference between "came along" and "along came"
What is the difference between the two?
For example
John came along.
Along came John.
I don't understand the difference in usage and yet I come across too many sentences starting with '...
- 3,161
18
votes
7
answers
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views
English native speaker vs. Native English speaker
Which of the following options is the correct or the acceptable?
"He is an English native speaker"
or
"He is a native English speaker".
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15
votes
5
answers
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views
Is it correct English to write "John he is my husband," or, "Mary she went to the store?"
Is it correct English to write “John he is my husband,” or, “Mary she went to the store?”
I hear this construction frequently from TV and Radio Journalists. Is there a name for this construction?
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15
votes
3
answers
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What's a lot of money {out of curiosity}?
I have come across the following:
Person A: We made A LOT of money.
Person B: What's a lot of money
out of curiosity?
I am wondering, does ending a question with "out of curiosity" sound ...
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14
votes
7
answers
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views
Is it correct to say "My teacher yesterday was in Beijing."?
In my opinion, it is incorrect. I think that only one of the following two ways is grammatically correct:
My teacher was in Beijing yesterday.
Yesterday my teacher was in Beijing.
However, my son ...
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14
votes
3
answers
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views
Where should the word “probably” be placed
Consider the following sentences:
I'll move to the south by then probably.
I'll probably move to the south by then.
I'll move to the south probably by then.
Which of the three is correct....
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14
votes
3
answers
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views
"I only teach you" vs. "I teach only you" vs. "I teach you only"
I only teach you.
I teach only you.
I teach you only.
I think that all the sentences have same meaning, but my teacher says that they are different from each other.
I think that the ...
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13
votes
5
answers
6k
views
"Tea drinking" vs. "tea drunk" in this context
Which of these two is preferred?
A: Tea drinking is a British custom
B: Tea drunk is a British custom
P.S. What is it called when we say tea drinking instead of drinking tea?
Also, can we ...
- 131
13
votes
5
answers
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views
Why {are you / you are} making noise?
I always get confused between these two sentences:
Why are you making noise?
Why you are making noise?
Could anyone put light in the differences between the two?
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13
votes
3
answers
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views
Usage of indefinite article and too
Is there any alternative to this construction?
It was too stupid a question.
I mean, can we somehow put the 'a' in a different position and is it used in English (maybe informal) or the version ...
- 511
12
votes
2
answers
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views
can we say "hour 11'' instead of ''11-hour''?
It's a paragraph in an article about psychology that was published in NYT:
So does the moment really deserve its many accolades? It is a philosophy likely to be more rewarding for those whose lives ...
- 1,101
12
votes
4
answers
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views
Is there always a "the" before a superlative adjective?
For example:
I could not face being alone again and losing the person dearest to me.
I wonder why there is no "the" in front of "dearest".
- 4,121
12
votes
2
answers
543
views
Use of the definite article in "America the Beautiful"
How do we explain using the definite article for adjectives in "the beautiful"?
Is it possible in Poetry?
or is it possible in titling as in newspapers if I am not mistaken?
I think it is equivalent ...
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11
votes
4
answers
3k
views
“Let for each 𝑗” vs. “For each 𝑗 let”
I wrote
Let for each 𝑗 < 𝑛 a permutation ℎ𝑗 : 𝐿 ↪ 𝐿 be given.
A proofreader (whom I can no longer ask) changed it to
For each 𝑗 < 𝑛, let a permutation ℎ𝑗 : 𝐿 ↪ 𝐿 be given.
This ...
user142975
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What is the order of events? "I had milk and played computer games."
I saw the sentence on the internet like "I had milk and played computer games."
There are two events occurring in the sentence.
I had milk
I played computer games.
I would love to know what is the ...
- 3,281
11
votes
3
answers
59k
views
Should I write "X and I", "X and me", "I and X", or "me and X" in a conjoined object?
A question was asked in one of my friend's interview. The question was to determine the right form from the below sentences.
Q. Correct form of English:
Samuel was with Susan and I
...
- 6,311
10
votes
6
answers
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Put the phone down / Put down the phone
what's the difference between "Put the phone down" and "Put down the phone"?
Is it the same?
As for me the first one means literally to put the phone (the thing) down and the last one is to end the ...
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10
votes
3
answers
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views
"start from the beginning" vs "begin from the starting"
What is the difference between the following two sentences? Do they both mean the same?
Why don't you start from the beginning?
Why don't you begin from the starting?
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votes
3
answers
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Is it grammatically correct to say 'I have ONLY a few friends'?
My question is the following: Is it grammatically accurate to say
I have only a few friends
If I were asked I would say that
I only have a few friends
is just perfect according to the rule ...
- 1,266
10
votes
1
answer
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It's ok to say "the above image" but not "the below image"
Frequently, when editing/reviewing SE posts, I see the following:
as you can see in the below image.
Now, to me, below image, just sounds wrong and I reverse the order, changing it to:
as you ...
- 1,502
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Word order in "She is 5 years old"
There is a sentence like the following.
She is 5 years old
The part of speech of "years" is a noun, and after a noun an adjective "old" is placed in the sentence. Is the word ...
- 456
9
votes
2
answers
2k
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Can you put an adjective after a noun?
"Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown" is the title of an action computer game.
Why is it "Skies Unknown" instead of "Unknown Skies"? Is it grammatically correct?
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8
votes
2
answers
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Only then are you free?
Quote from an awesome TED talk (The prison of your mind given by Sean Stephenson):
When you love yourself, whether you're sleeping on a prison cot, or in a mansion, whether you have food in your ...
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votes
6
answers
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"Less you feel uneasy" vs. "Less uneasy you feel"
When I wrote:
"The more information you have, the less you feel uneasy."
I was advised to use:
"The more information you have, the less uneasy you feel."
I would like to know which is the ...
- 161
8
votes
4
answers
35k
views
"My sister and I" versus "I and my sister"
I've been told to put "I" at the last part of the subject, as in "My sister and I walk to school." Is saying "I and my sister walk to school." wrong?
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8
votes
1
answer
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Hungary 1956 or Czechoslovakia 1968 this is not
Source: Is Putin Winning?
Example:
A Russia that can’t control what happens in Kiev is not exactly poised to dominate Eastern Europe; Hungary 1956 or Czechoslovakia 1968 this is not.
The grammar ...
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8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
"to not" vs "not to"
Which is more appropriate in the following sentence?
"I asked him to not judge her according to (or: based on) her beauty"
vs
"I asked him not to judge her according to (or:based on) her beauty"...
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8
votes
1
answer
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Is it correct to use honorifics or titles after someone's name rather than before?
In India, it is common to place the honorific sir after a person's name. The same is true of the words uncle and aunt. However, when I asked a native English speaker about it, she said that it is ...
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8
votes
2
answers
496
views
The syntax of metaphors in English
I tried to translate a line of a Persian poem into English, it is almost like:
If you come to visit me, come slowly and softly
Lest the delicate porcelain of my loneliness cracks
Here, the ...
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8
votes
3
answers
1k
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Can I put the question word “where” at the end of a question?
I got this sentence from a Primary 5 student's worksheet.
According to this passage, this creature can be found where?
Some of the parents think that the sentence should be "..., where can this ...
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7
votes
2
answers
624
views
in his ears hammered still the harsh notes – how can ears hammer harsh notes?
While I read the novel 'Rain', one sentence looks awkward to me. the sentence is below
in his ears hammered still the harsh notes of the mechanical piano
I think it means that he heard the harsh ...
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7
votes
3
answers
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A parallelism between "Here come they ..." and "Here comes the bus ..."
A1. Hardly had they arrived ...
A2. Hardly had the bus arrived ...
B1. Here come they ...
B2. Here comes the bus ...
One can notice a parallelism between A1 and A2, and these sentences are both ...
user114
7
votes
1
answer
212k
views
What is the difference between "girl, lady, and woman?" [closed]
When can we use them? Are they the same or different? Are they used in different situations?
user3731
7
votes
2
answers
894
views
How to properly position adjectives
Sometimes I find myself in the position to describe something and of course making massive use of adjectives. Check out the following sentences, I would say, for example:
three large red apples;
...
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2
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Difference between "such things as" and "things such as"?
I read a lot of English books, and I have noticed that when authors need to list examples of something, they tend to use "such things as" rather than "things such as", although they both sound correct....
7
votes
1
answer
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views
Why are lakes called "Lake Soandso" but seas are called "Soandso Sea"?
I am an English teacher for Brazilians. I was explaining the Great Lakes, and after that I mentioned the sea in Europe and noticed that the names were in a reversed order:
Which of the great lakes ...
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7
votes
1
answer
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Which is correct? - "Guess, what it is?" or "Guess, what is it?"
I want to know which sentence is correct. If i say
Guess, what it is?
or
Guess, what is it?
which one is correct?
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4
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“as would a calm dog whose yard…”
I'm reading the novel "The Circle" these days. However, there is a sentence making me curious.
"When she opened her eyes she saw a harbor seal, twenty feet in front of her, staring at ...
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votes
1
answer
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The order of adjectives: Is it exactly the same in GB, the USA, and elsewhere in the English-speaking world?
When learning the order of adjectives in a sentence, I thought up a word "saSHcomp" standing for the "Size-Age-Shape-Color-Origin-Material-Purpose" order.
Later, I found out that there's a slightly ...
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votes
6
answers
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The order of words in a clause: "tell me who is the real man" vs. "tell me who the real man is" [duplicate]
"Tell me who she is."
"Tell me who your boyfriend is."
We usually reverse the order, so it becomes like that.
But I wonder whether "tell me who is the real man" also works because "tell me who ...
- 1,517
6
votes
4
answers
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"Bring up the subject" vs "bring the subject up"
Example:
I stared at my brown sneakers, deciding whether to bring up the
subject.
I stared at my brown sneakers, deciding whether to bring the subject
up.
What's the different between ...
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6
votes
1
answer
16k
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"I don't always" vs. "I always don't"
Is there any difference between these two sentences?
I don't always get up early.
I always don't get up early.
I know it's one of the silliest questions ever, but, to my shame, I wasn't able to ...
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6
votes
2
answers
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views
"The function `hello`" or "The `hello` function"
When writing technical articles, I often have issues with the word order in the following situations:
The color red.
The .jpg extension.
The variable foo.
The "Further Notes" section.
The ...
6
votes
3
answers
13k
views
"God only knows" vs. "Only God knows"
One can say only God knows in reference to some mystery only an omniscient being would know, or for those who prefer their oaths minced, heaven knows or goodness knows or lord knows.
The inverted ...
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6
votes
1
answer
801
views
How is "a solid 8 hours every night" correct?
I'm watching Gilmore Girls. In the show, a guy says A: Here where they sleep, "a solid 8 hours every night."
But 8 hours is a plural. How can an a comes before a plural? As far as I know, you can ...
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