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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.

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Which one is correct? "what item ARE YOU looking for?" or "what item YOU ARE looking for?" [duplicate]

Which one is correct? What item are you looking for? or What item you are looking for? In British English if it's important.
user130311's user avatar
14 votes
7 answers
5k 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 ...
Sara's user avatar
  • 149
0 votes
0 answers
16 views

word order in the negative infinitive [duplicate]

Is there any rule that regulates the word order in the negative infinitive form? If the infinitive follows certain verbs in a sentence, it's clear that it should be 'not+to+inf'. For example, We ...
Natalia's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
31 views

Word order in this sentence

I'm writing a poem. Does this sentence make sense? "That song I have not yet of heard." In particular, is the word order correct?
james's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
24 views

word order in a sentence starting with "Not even when"

Not even when the doorbell rang could Mary rise from the bed. Not even when the doorbell rang Mary could rise from the bed. Are both sentences correct? If so, is there a difference in usage between ...
Fra's user avatar
  • 1,613
0 votes
2 answers
63 views

Word order when writing about (computer program) functions?

I have read a number of books about computer programming, and never thought about this before. However, from one day to another, I started to notice that subprograms, functions, and other specific ...
user4311624's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
57 views

Why can't we say "if will there be any novels" as a question? [duplicate]

Which is correct and why: I'll be grateful if you give me some details: where can I find the library and if there will be any novels? I'll be grateful if you give me some details: where can I find ...
Sameh Fawzy's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
63 views

Word order in product name

I am confused about word order when using the name of the product and its colour. For example: the product’s name is “Barrel Bag”. It comes in black colour. So what is correct here: Buy our Black ...
Valerie's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
194 views

Adverb of frequncy, word order question

I’m an English teacher of young learners. I ‘ve got a question about a sentence from an online present simple exercise: Here is the example: (she / dance often)? That's the correct answer given by the ...
Mariya Vitanova-Markova's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
303 views

Happy as they were, there was something missing. Can I say "As they were happy?"

Happy as they were, there was something missing. Can I change the location of "happy" : As they were happy, ~. Question's point: The order of the words (possibility of change of location). ...
gomadeng's user avatar
  • 3,564
1 vote
2 answers
89 views

“How much petrol costs” or “How much costs petrol”? Or are both wrong?

I am very not sure what is correct one, How much petrol costs or How much costs petrol
Rodżo's user avatar
  • 19
1 vote
0 answers
95 views

"... said Sally" or "... Sally said"?

I have always hesitated about the order S+V or V+S after a quote. For example, in the following sentence should I write "... said Sally" or "... Sally said"? "If everything ...
fev's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
30 views

Words order in "the amount of oil produced rose significantly"

This is the sentence I’m confused about: After eight years, the amount of oil produced rose significantly. Why is it oil produced and not produced oil?
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
26 views

I have a question about the order of "as much as" with lengthy phrase

I don't see as much any big problems in him as some people speak of him I don't see as any big problems in him much as some people speak of him which sentence is correct I intend to say: "there ...
pheno8's user avatar
  • 405
-1 votes
1 answer
39 views

"Outside the house boys waited with the patient for the doctor. "

Outside the house boys waited with the patient for the doctor. Boys waited with the patient for the doctor outside the house. Boys waited for the doctor with the patient outside the house. Which ...
user386586's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
50 views

How do English speaker know if a sentence is ideal?

For example, "Because the parents didn't have spend money on a lot of children, the parents could spend more on fewer children." I think the ideal sentence should be: "Since the ...
Redwood's user avatar
  • 209
0 votes
1 answer
44 views

order using the English possessive

I think it is a pretty simple question. I am not sure which sentence sounds better: Please send me the last two file's pages. Please send me the file's last two pages Would a sentence without using ...
Dog_69's user avatar
  • 121
1 vote
1 answer
139 views

What day will (it) be tomorrow?

I was told that this is correct: What day will it be tomorrow? Do you consider this wrong "What day will be tomorrow?" If it's wrong without "it", why do we not need "it" ...
user1425's user avatar
  • 3,621
0 votes
1 answer
104 views

Order of "I", "my wife", "you" that must be followed by "were"

In one of my exams, I had a multiple choice question and I had to choose the correct option. Question: Please try to remember when I, you and my wife were talking there. Options: you, I and my wife ...
Severus Snape's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
22 views

correct word order: $200 of sales tax" Or "sales tax of $200"

Which one of these is correct? -"I paid $200 of sales tax on my computer." -"I paid sales tax of $200 on my computer." Can anyone please explain me the correct word order.
ansonman's user avatar
  • 304
1 vote
1 answer
27 views

$6000 of employment income or employment income of $6000

(1) If you have earned $6000 of employment income maximum this year, you will not need to declare income tax next year. (2) If you have earned an employment income of $6000 maximum this year, you will ...
ansonman's user avatar
  • 304
1 vote
2 answers
153 views

"To whom"/"Whom to" is that boy running?

Given the sentence That boy is running to his mother. How can this be turned into an object-related question? To whom is that boy running? Whom to is that boy running?
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
165 views

What do you mean what am I doing? VS What do you mean what I am doing?

I have watched this subtitle like the capture. This is “ What do you mean what am I doing?”. But I am curious the correct sentence should be "What do you mean what I am doing?" Usually I am ...
Tae-Bbong-E's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
579 views

Can we use affirmative sentences word order in interrogative questions

In case of interrogative questions, when we already have questioning words like When, Which, Where,... with subjects in 3nd person form (he, she, it) I tend to omit auxiliary word and use affirmative ...
remort's user avatar
  • 103
1 vote
2 answers
50 views

The combination of two nouns

I have been always having trouble with the order of nouns when I want to indicate that one describes the other. For example, suppose I want to discuss a feature of a system named SNR (Signal-to-Noise ...
M.H's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
32 views

"I’ve seen a dozen times an instance"

Which one is correct? I’m also sort of puzzled. On the videos roaming around the YouTube I’ve seen a dozen times an instance where more than one person was present in a car. I’m also sort of puzzled....
katschak's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
170 views

Is there a difference other than emphasis between "has been utterly" and "has utterly been"?

Is there any difference between: 1a. Ben has been utterly concentrated only on his work for several months. and 1b. Ben has utterly been concentrated only on his work for several months. or ...
elizaveta's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

Never having p.p. vs. Having never p.p.?

Recently I have encountered 'Having not p.p.', which puts not between having and p.p. In fact, I was taught to put not before having p.p. And BBC Learning English confirms it. Which is the definite ...
user121695's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
37 views

Is that correct? James Wilson's Sentence in House MD TV Sereies

I am asking about the sentence this guy (James Wilson, House's best friend) says at 7:00 in this video. The transcription is: Okay, maybe. But he's our friend and this is his one chance to not be ...
Dog_69's user avatar
  • 121
0 votes
2 answers
45 views

What are the differences between these?

What is the difference between He is hard to understand He is hard to being understood Which one of the above should I use if I want to say that "He doesn't understand others much"? Thank ...
Guri's user avatar
  • 141
26 votes
10 answers
6k views

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 ...
Carlos's user avatar
  • 261
0 votes
1 answer
36 views

word order don't correspond the meaning of a sentence

I can't seem to get started today If we read from the left to the right then we consecutively get following equals: I can't (to do smth) where "to do smth" is "seem to get started ...
xyz's user avatar
  • 179
1 vote
1 answer
186 views

Which of these are correct ways to ask what something is?

If I want to know what something is called, for example a book, would I ask it in which of these ways: What book is it? What is this book? What book is this called? What is this book called? Are ...
Guri's user avatar
  • 141
1 vote
1 answer
114 views

“Who was… with?”, “Who was with…?”, “With whom…?”, and “Whom… with?”

Leaving to one side whether “who” is the subject or the object of the sentence, to the best of my knowledge all four questions below are considered grammatical and acceptable ways of asking who the ...
Mari-Lou A's user avatar
  • 24.2k
0 votes
0 answers
65 views

quality of food or food quality?

Which one is better? Visitors picked up food quality as the prominent advantage of the island. Visitors picked up quality of food as the prominent advantage of the island. I know that "food ...
a.toraby's user avatar
  • 1,906
0 votes
1 answer
22 views

Order of consecutive determinatives

Is there any accepted order for different determiners? I read in an article that “determiners” come before adjectives, but what about different kinds of determiner? For example: The memory of Lilian’...
shapoor's user avatar
  • 689
0 votes
1 answer
118 views

How can we identify the structure of a sentence with the verb "ask" and how can we use it correctly?

I'm studying infinitives and gerunds now, and I found out that the verb "ask" can have a direct object. For example: I asked to go to the park. I asked my parents to go to the park. (I know ...
Thunder05's user avatar
  • 155
0 votes
1 answer
41 views

"On Fridays Mary goes to the supermarket by bike."

On Fridays Mary goes to the supermarket by bike. or Mary goes to the supermarket by bike on Fridays. And If I turn it into a question, can I say: Does Mary go to the supermarket by bike on Fridays?...
Ines's user avatar
  • 3
0 votes
1 answer
36 views

Which one of these parents' children is/are you?

It seems to me that the two are correct. 1 Which one of these parents’ children is you? (My interlocuter is looking at a picture with parents and children and wants to know which one is me.) 2 ...
user1425's user avatar
  • 3,621
1 vote
1 answer
43 views

"Municipality of <municipality-name>" or "<municipality-name> Municipality"

I was discussing with some people about which form is more correct regarding a Municipality, or other territory divisions. For example, regarding to a map of the municipality, is it more correct to ...
befc's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
4k views

What's the difference between "must not be" and "must be not"?

I hear that: That must not be Toby! - correct That must be not Toby! - doesn't make sense Do you agree?
user1425's user avatar
  • 3,621
0 votes
0 answers
85 views

Adjectives in the introductory there structure can come after nouns?

I have seen in some grammar book the following pattern, which allows to place an adjective after a noun: A shelf is empty. ➔ There is a shelf empty. I want to know whether the above pattern is a ...
Later's user avatar
  • 417
0 votes
1 answer
245 views

Correct order of adjectives [duplicate]

Is there any rule governing the order of adjectives, when we use consecutive adjectives? For example, is the order of the adjectives in the following sentence correct? I mean the order of "his, ...
shapoor's user avatar
  • 689
2 votes
1 answer
105 views

Correctness of “Give me back my keys!”

I was discussing this with a friend but couldn’t find an answer online. Which one is correct? (I’m guessing both) Give me my keys back! or Give me back my keys!
Melvin's user avatar
  • 123
0 votes
2 answers
33 views

"Achieving this will be not easy" or "Achieving this will not be easy"?

Achieving this will be not easy or Achieving this will not be easy, which is correct? I feel that Achieving this will be not easy is the correct way, but I'm not sure.
Just a learner's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
161 views

Too hard to imagine

I have written an answer to this question below. "Would you kill animals for fun or sport?" My answer is "It's too hard to imagine for me." But I think it's wrong so I changed it ...
Antonia A 's user avatar
  • 1,991
0 votes
3 answers
128 views

Preposition TO with indirect object [duplicate]

Should I use the preposition to? Are both correct? The document I sent you The document I sent to you
Monique Budriesi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
76 views

How does "had" change the meaning in the sentece "Only once had she put the doctrine of non-interference into practice, when...."

First I thought it was the phenomenon of "Conditional inversion", but the full sentence does not contain a hypothetical situation but a past occurrence, so that shouldn't be the case (Should ...
justanotherguy's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

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?
YT99's user avatar
  • 91
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Which question is grammatically correct? "Which (one) do you think he is?" and "Which (one) do you think is he?"

"Which (one) do you think he is?" "Which (one) do you think is he?" If they are both grammatically correct, what is the difference in meaning?
Den Allan's user avatar

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