Knowing how a sentence is constructed in English is a fundamental key to correct English speech. Having well understood the principles of constructing English sentences of various types, you can easily operate with different tenses, ask questions correctly, and speak English faster.

Strict word order in an English sentence

The construction of sentences in English requires clarification due to the dissimilarity of the syntax of English and Russian. For example, The boy was picking berries all day. can be translated in ten ways:

1. The boy was picking berries all day
2. The boy picked berries all day
3. The boy picked berries all day
4. The boy picked berries all day
5. The boy picked berries all day
6. The boy picked berries all day
7. The boy picked berries all day
8. The boy picked berries all day
9. The boy picked berries all day
10. The boy picked berries all day

In English, this will be just one option, where the word order is strictly defined - the subject is followed by the predicate, then the object and circumstance. On the one hand, it seems that such a restriction is annoying, but practice shows that the less room for maneuver, the less the likelihood of error. As a result, it turns out to be easier to build sentences of foreign speech according to a strictly defined scheme than to literally convey ornate Russian thoughts.

The scheme of a typical affirmative English sentence looks like this:

Exception for circumstance

There is one exception to the rule “subject, predicate, and then everything else” - this is a circumstance. In English, it can stand in sentences in four different positions:

Before the subject - adverb of time

Last night she left for Pekin - She left for Beijing last night.

Between the subject and the predicate - the circumstance of the frequency of the action

Marcus seldom eats spinach - Marcus rarely eats spinach.

Between the auxiliary and the main verb of the predicate - the circumstances of the image or time of action (adverbs)

Grant has never been to Penza - Grant has never been to Penza.

And according to the traditional scheme - after the addition, at the end of the sentence.

Flora broke the agreement at once - Flora immediately broke the agreement.

Construction of negative sentences in English

The word order in negative sentences in English differs from affirmative sentences only by the particle NOT. The composition of the predicate in a negative sentence has the form "auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb".

Belinda did not show her impatience - Belinda did not show her impatience.

Construction of interrogative sentences in English

General issues

General questions (requiring a yes or no answer) in English always begin with an auxiliary verb. After it, the word order of the affirmative sentence is preserved.

Did the pupils stand still? Were the students calm?

Special questions

Special questions are clarifying in nature and begin with special "question words". After such a word in a special question, we put an auxiliary verb, and then again we return to the affirmative word order.

Why did the pupils stand still? Why were the students standing still?

Stylistic inversion in English.

The order of words in a sentence in English can change when a special stylistic device is used - inversion (reverse word order). Basically, this is an artistic technique that serves to emotionally highlight some expression or thought.

And came empty days full of misery and despair. - And empty days came, full of suffering and despair.

Training and control.

Despite the fact that there is nothing complicated in the scheme of the English sentence, it is not so easy to introduce this very scheme into the Russian consciousness. We are used to being free with words. After all, thanks to the endings, the order of words in a Russian sentence is not important.

When we learn to speak English, we automatically put English words in the place of Russian ones, often completely distorting the meaning of what we want to say.

To develop the automatism of the correct word order in a sentence in English, you need to build a thought over and over again according to the desired scheme. It is difficult to do this on your own. The lessons of the Lim-English learning site are designed in such a way that the Russian and English versions of the sentences in them almost verbatim match. By completing tasks on the site, you will not only understand how a sentence is built in English, but also quietly bring the skill of correct English speech to automaticity. By the way, you can also meet a rather rare phenomenon of stylistic inversion in Lim-English in beautiful English fairy tales.

In the lesson below, we will look at a very important grammatical topic - the construction of declarative sentences in English. The construction of a declarative sentence in Russian is very different from English. Therefore, be careful and pay enough attention to this topic.

First, answer the question - what is a declarative sentence? A declarative sentence is a sentence that expresses the idea of ​​the presence or absence of some actual or supposed phenomenon. Accordingly, they can be affirmative or negative. They are usually pronounced with a falling intonation.

The Russian language is characterized by a free word order, i.e. we can rearrange the words in a sentence and its meaning will remain the same. This is due to the fact that the Russian language has a developed system of case endings.

For example:

• The bear killed the rabbit.
• The hare was killed by the bear.

As you can see, the meaning of the sentence has not changed much. Only the semantic emphasis depends on which member of the sentence comes first. That is, in the first place is what we want to emphasize. The word "bear" is in the nominative case and is the subject of the sentence, wherever it appears. The word "hare" is in the accusative case and is a direct object, wherever it stands.

Now let's do the same with the English sentence:

• The bear killed the rabbit.
• The rabbit killed the bear.

The rearrangement of words in the English sentence radically changed its meaning. Now the second sentence is translated as "The hare killed the bear." And all because in English there are practically no case endings and the function of a word is determined by its place in the sentence. In English, the subject always comes before the verb. And the word after the verb will perform the functions of a direct object. Therefore, in the second English version, it turned out that the word "rabbit" became the subject.

Remember the rule:

The word order in an English declarative sentence is direct (that is, first the subject, and then the predicate) and strictly fixed!

Rules for constructing narrative sentences

Word order scheme in an English sentence

I	II	III	III	III
Subject	Predicate	indirect addition	direct addition	prepositional addition
My name	is Peter.
I	like		skating.
Olga	bought	her brother	a car	for a present.
my brother	teaches	me	to swim.

Following the rules of this scheme, when constructing sentences in English, the grammatical basis is first placed, that is, the subject and the predicate. Additions follow immediately after the predicate. The indirect object answers the question “to whom?”, the direct object answers the question “what?”, and the prepositional object answers the question “for what? as?".

As for the circumstances, the circumstances of place and time can be either at the end of the sentence, or in zero place before the subject. Review the following table:

0	I	II	III	III	III	IV	IV	IV
Circumstance time or place	Subject	Predicate	indirect addition	direct addition	prepositional addition	Circumstance course of action	Circumstance places	Circumstance time
	We	do		our work		with pleasure.
Yesterday	he	read		the text		well.
	I	saw		him			at the school	today.

According to the rules, the definition can be with any member of the sentence, which is expressed by a noun. It does not have a fixed place in the sentence, nor does it change the general obligatory scheme for the declarative sentence. For example:

If necessary, each member of a sentence expressed by a noun can have two definitions: left (located to the left of the word to which it refers) and right definition or attributive turns (located to the right of the word to which it refers).

Direct word order:

Inversion in a declarative sentence

Inversion in English is a change in the order of words in relation to the subject and predicate. That is, the location of the predicate (or part of it) in front of the subject is called inversion.

In declarative sentences, inversion is observed:

1. If the predicate is expressed by the turnover there is / are (there was / were, there'll be, there has been, there can be, etc.).
Examples:

• There is a big lake near our house - There is a large lake near our house (there is - predicate, a lake - subject)
• There was nothing on the table when I returned - There was nothing on the table when I returned

2. In short sentences expressing confirmation or negation with the words so or neither - "So (Neither) do (have, am, can) I", which are translated by the turnover "And I too." In such replica sentences, the subject is preceded by the auxiliary verb do (if the main verb was in Present Simple or Past Simple in the predicate of the previous sentence) or the verbs will, be, have and other auxiliary and modal verbs (if they were contained in the predicate of the previous sentence).

• She knows Spanish very well. − So does her brother. (She knows Spanish very well. - Her brother too.)
• I like the ice cream very much. - So do I. (I like ice cream. - Me too.)
• They came too late. − So did we. (They came too late. - So did we.)
• I haven't eaten this ace-cream yet. - Neither have I. (I haven't eaten this ice cream yet. - Neither have I.)
• She can't go home now. - Neither can I. (She can't go home now. - Neither can I.)

3. If the sentence begins with adverbs here - here, there - over there, now, then, and the subject is expressed by a noun.

• Here are the pencils you'd been looking for − Here are the pencils you were looking for
• Here is an example - Here is an example

If the subject is expressed by a personal pronoun, the direct word order is used in the sentence.

• Nege you are − Here you are
• Here it is

4. With the verbs had, were, should in a non-union conditional clause.

• Should you meet him in town, ask him to ring me up - If you meet him in town, ask him to call me

5. In words introducing direct speech, when these words are after direct speech and the subject is expressed by a noun.

• "Who can read the text?" - asked the teacher - "Who can read the text?" the teacher asked

If the subject in words introducing direct speech is expressed by a personal pronoun, inversion is not used.

• "Who can read the text?" - he asked - "Who can read the text?" - he asked

By remembering the rules for constructing declarative sentences in English, you will be able to correctly express your thoughts. The main thing is to remember what the direct word order looks like in English, that is, to learn the scheme. Good luck in learning English! ( 5 Votes: 4,20 out of 5)

The correct construction of sentences in English is impossible without knowledge of the basic laws of the formation of their structure. So, in Russian, to describe any situation, it is enough to take the words involved in it (names of concepts, objects, etc.) and connect them together using endings formed by declension in cases and numbers. However, the English language is devoid of such endings, and therefore the correct description of the situation can be achieved only if the words are arranged in sentences in a certain way.

Simple sentences and their classification

Simple English sentences are divided into two types - non-common and common. The former consist only of a subject and a predicate. It is important that the subject is in the first place, and the predicate is in the second. For example: "The bus stopped" ("The bus stopped").

The second type of simple sentences, in addition to the main members, involves the entry of minor ones (addition, definition, circumstance). The construction of sentences in English using secondary members allows us to clarify the main situation. For example: "The yellow bus stopped at the station" ("The yellow bus stopped at the station"). In this case, the first minor member of the sentence (yellow) acts as a definition and explains the subject (the bus), and the second - the circumstance of the place (at the station) and refers to the predicate (stopped).

construction scheme

As mentioned above, the endings in English words remain unchanged, so each word must be in the place strictly provided for it (this is called direct word order). Otherwise, the essence of the proposal will be distorted, and the person who reads it will receive incorrect, sometimes even opposite, information. And if in Russian we can say: “Yesterday I went to the cinema”, “I went to the cinema yesterday”, or “Yesterday I went to the cinema”, then the existing sentence schemes in English do not allow this.

Whereas in Russian the essence of the situation will be clear, even if the words are reversed, in English everything is different. For example, regardless of whether we say in Russian "Jack hit Jim" or "Jack hit Jim", the information will be received correctly. But in English, two such sentences as "Jack hit Jim" and "Jim hit Jack" have the opposite meaning. The former translates to "Jack hit Jim", while the latter translates to "Jim hit Jack". To avoid such misunderstandings, it is necessary to build sentences in English according to the following scheme: put the subject in the first place, the predicate in the second, the addition in the third and the circumstance in the fourth. For example: "We do our work with pleasure". It is also acceptable to place the circumstance of place and time before the subject, for example: "At the moment I am cooking dinner".

Negative sentences with not

Negative sentences in English have the following structure:

1. Subject.
2. The beginning of the predicate.
3. Negative particle not.
4. The end of the predicate.
5. The nominal part of the predicate.

Examples include the following negative English sentences: "I'm not reading the book" or "I have not seen Kelly in a while" ("I haven't seen Kelly in a while = I Haven't seen Kelly in a while."

If verbs in Present Simple or Past Simple are used in negative sentences, then they are reduced to the form “do/does/did + main form”. For example, "I do not like mice" ("I do not like mice"), "She does not need help" ("She does not need help") or "Steven did not look tired" ("Steven did not look tired").

Negative sentences with negative words

In English, the negative type is possible not only using the particle not, but in another way. We are talking about building a construction with the content of negative words, which include the following: nobody (no one), never (never), nothing (nothing), none (none), nowhere (nowhere).

For example: "Nobody wanted to bring chair" ("No one wanted to bring a chair"). It is worth noting that in English one sentence cannot contain both the particle not and the negative word. So, the phrase “I don’t know anything” is translated into English as “I know nothing” and by no means “I do not know nothing”.

Interrogative sentences

Interrogative sentences can be presented in the form of general and special questions. So, general questions require a yes/no answer. For example: "Did you like the book?" (“Did you like the book?”) or “Have you ever been in the Paris?” (“Have you ever been to Paris?”). As for special questions, it may be necessary to compose sentences in English of this type when it is necessary to obtain more specific information on the question asked - color, time, name, object, distance, etc. For example: "What is your favorite movie?" (“What is your favorite movie?”) or “How long is the flight to Prague?” (“How long does it take to fly to Prague?”).

In the case of expressing the predicate with the verb to have or to be, general questions are built as follows: first the predicate, and then the subject. In the case when the predicate includes a modal or it is he who is placed before the subject. In the case of expressing the predicate with a verb in Present or Past Simple, you must use do / does or did.

As for the word order in the construction of a special question, it is the same as in general, except that a question word must be present at the beginning of the sentence: who (who), when (when), what (what), how long ( how long), where (where), how (how).

Imperative sentences

Considering the types of sentences in English, one cannot fail to mention imperative sentences. They are necessary to express a request, an inducement to some action, an order, and also a prohibition when it comes to the negative form.

The imperative sentence assumes a direct word order, but first the verb is put: “Give me my pen, please” (“Give me my pen, please”). In some cases, this construction may consist of only one verb: "Run!" (Run!). Wanting to soften the command or turn it into a request, the speaker can use would you, will you or won't you by placing them at the end of the sentence.

exclamatory sentences

The construction of sentences in the English language of the exclamatory type is carried out according to the same scheme as the usual one, however, they should be pronounced emotionally, and in writing at the end of such a construction, for example, “You are very beautiful!” (“You are very beautiful!”) or “I’m so happy!” ("I'm so happy!").

In the case when an exclamatory sentence requires additional reinforcement, you can use the interrogative words what and how. For example, "What a big house it is!" (“What a big house!”), “What a sad movie!” (“What a sad movie!”) or “How well Matt can dance!” ("How well Matt dances!"). It is worth noting that in the case of using the subject in the singular, the indefinite article a or an is required.

Complex sentences: definition and classification

In addition to simple sentences, there are also complex ones that are formed by combining the first. Compound and complex are types of sentences in English that have a complex structure. The difference between them is that the first one is a construction consisting of two independent simple sentences, and the second one is the main one and one or more dependent (subordinate) ones.

Compound sentences are built with the help of such as and (and), or (or), but (but), for (because), yet (nevertheless). As for the unions that are used for education, they are divided into the following groups:

• causes/effects: since (since), because (because), therefore (for this reason, therefore), so (therefore, so);
• time: before (before, before), while (while, while), after (after), when (when);
• others: although (despite the fact that), if (if), though (although), unless (if only).

In all simple sentences that make up complex ones, a direct order must be maintained. There are a huge number of sentences in the English language, but regardless of their type, the basic rule of construction must be observed.

Types of conditional sentences

In English, they are used to describe a situation with various signs. They can take various forms, but in most cases the following construction is used: "If Condition, (then) Statement" (If Condition, (then) Statement). For example, "If it is warm, many people prefer go to the park" ("If it's warm, many people prefer to go to the park"), "If you buy this dress, I will give you free gloves" ("If you buy this dress, I'll give you free gloves").

There are three types of conditional sentences in English. The first is used to denote real, feasible conditions relating to any of the times (future, present, past). To build such a construction in its main sentence, the verb is used in the future form, and in the subordinate clause - in the present.

The second describes unrealistic conditions that refer to the future or present. To create such a sentence in its main part, the verb should or would is used and the verb in the base form without the particle to, and in the subordinate clause - were for the verb to be or the Past Simple form for all the rest.

And the third covers unfulfilled conditions in the past. The main part of the sentence is built using the verb should / would and the verb in the present tense, and the subordinate clause is the verb in the Past Perfect form.

And to do it quickly and without hesitation - "on the go", I wrote in a separate article. Now let's talk about declarative sentences.
Can you claim to be familiar with English sentence structure?
Do you know the order in which the words should be put in a sentence? What if it's a complex sentence? What if there are listings?
It also happens: I started to study a foreign language, you seem to know the words, but how to put them, what “goes” for what - you can’t put your mind to it. So it turns out complete confusion, bileberda in one word.

So, in order for the speech to be correct and well structured, so that you are well understood, and you feel confident speaking English, you can express your thoughts clearly and clearly, you need to know the structure of the English sentence. This is what we're going to do right now!

1. Standard English sentence scheme:
subject + predicate + what? + where? + when? (i.e. the rest of the sentence)

A Russian sentence can be impersonal. In an English sentence always there is a subject.
Compare:
Cold. - It is cold.

2.When?(adverb of time) can be both at the end and at the beginning of the sentence:

3. Where?(adverb of place) can also be both at the end and at the beginning of a sentence:

4. If the proposal contains circumstances of the course of action:

If a AS? put at the beginning of the sentence, you get a strengthening of what was said, an emphasis on as action has been taken.

Compare:
She played the piano very well.
very well she played the piano.

ATTENTION!

Got it sorted out. The great thing is practice! When you talk a lot in the target language, as a rule, you don’t think about what to put where, what “goes” for what - the sentence turns out by itself, .. but is it right? Maybe not always... that's why it's good to know the standard schemes! :)

Now imagine that you are going to buy a sofa. You walk into an antique shop and see a stunning sofa - just the way you wanted it. You are ready to buy it, but decided to consult with your friend. You call him and start describing this sofa. Question: What order should adjectives be in a sentence?

Here is the standard order:
1) subjective adjectives (opinion. impression)
size 2

• height/length
• shape/width (may be after item 3 "age")

3) age (new, old. young...)

4) color
5) Origin (English, French, German...)
6) material (what it is made of: wood, iron...)
7) purpose (for what: office, computer ...)

Example:
This is a beautiful small old brown French leather sofa.

This is a large new black English wooden office table.

When the offer contains:
- adverbs of frequency of action (sometimes, often, always,never, seldom...)

- probably

- definitely

- hardly/hardly ever
- almost
- nearly

These words should be

• BEFORE the semantic verb:
  Example:
  He often goes to the gym.
  She rarely have a lie-in in the morning.
  They usually go shopping on Sunday.

• AFTER the verb to be:
  Example:
  to be tired - to be tired, to be tired
  He is often tired after work.

  to be wrong - to be wrong, to be wrong
  You areprobably wrong.

• in compound verb forms AFTER the first verb:
  Example:
  You must neverdo it again.
  They can also play tennis.

I would also like to make a small note.
Pay attention to the word order in a sentence when it contains words:
- definitely
- probably
-possibly
- certainly

1. Positive sentence:
Here is a sentence in the future tense with one of these words:
I will probably see him later.

The correct word order in a sentence in English is a painful topic for many, especially those who are just starting to learn the intricacies of translating a foreign language. But be that as it may, the topic must be learned well, since competent speech is an integral part of a pleasant impression of a person. Consider the word order in an English sentence and the features of its construction, as well as give vivid examples for better assimilation of information. Forward for new knowledge!

Before we proceed to the main block of information, we immediately notice that today we will consider the construction rules only standard offers. Today we will not talk about the intricacies of composing complex inversions, exclamations and elliptical constructions, but we will talk exclusively about standard sentences. They are a kind of skeleton, the basis for compiling other types of proposals. So, let's start with the rules for constructing a standard sentence.

The purpose of sentences is to express a complete thought. To achieve this goal, you need to apply the parts of the sentence in the right composition, which allows you to make the thought complete. For a sentence to be logical, it must contain two main components in the form and predicate. In a standard sentence, the subjects come first, then the predicates.

How to determine the subjects? Everything is simple, if you remember that they can be expressed not only by nouns, but also by pronouns. Mother, apple, cat, tail, flower, phone, cake can act as nouns, and I, we, you, they, he, she, it can act as pronouns. The predicates are expressed (to write, to sleep, to enjoy, to read, to bake) and, as we have already said, take the second place in the sentence (subjects are in the first place).

For a better understanding, here are some examples.:

• The bird is singing => The bird is singing.
• The child is smiling => The child is smiling.
• The pear will ripen => The pear will ripen.

On a note! Predicates allow you to understand what is happening, has happened or will happen to an object or object. Moreover, they can consist of two parts - the main and auxiliary verbs. It is the auxiliary verb that allows you to determine the time in which the action takes place, and this, in turn, allows you to correctly translate sentences from one language to another.

In addition to the main members of the proposal, there are also additional, so-called minor members, this includes => additions, definitions,. Additions are of two types - direct and indirect. Their sequence in the sentence - in the first place there is a direct object, and after it - an indirect one.

• They saw a cat with her => They saw a cat with her.
• The grandmother is baking a cake to the children => The grandmother bakes a cake for the children.

When we talk about a definition, we must remember that it stands next to subjects or objects and is used to describe their characteristics. Answers the questions “what?”, “whose?”.

• I look at this marvelous picture => I look at this marvelous picture.
• Her gray rabbit lies on the carpet =>

If we are talking about a circumstance, then the peculiarities of the context should be taken into account, since the circumstance can be placed both at the end and at the beginning of the sentence.

• Her gray rabbit lies on the carpet => Her gray rabbit lies on the carpet.
• Tomorrow she will be listening to the music => Tomorrow she will be listening to music.
• I will come to you the next day => I will come to you the next day.
• Her friend behaves indifferently => Her friend behaves indifferently.

Structure English suggestions

English offers direct and reverse word order. We observe the first option in an affirmative and negative sentence, the second - when you need to make a question.

Reference: sentences in English are different from sentences in Russian. In Russian, we observe a free word order => Galya took ''Gala'', ''Gala'' took Galya, took ''Gala'' Galya. Regardless of the word order in a sentence, the meaning does not change, which cannot be said about the English language => Galya was taking Gala is the only correct translation in English.

Fixed word order in a sentence - a feature of the English language. Here one member of the sentence clearly follows the other. For children, this feature of the English language can be a kind of stick in the wheel, because in the Russian language everything is different.

Remember: English words cannot "jump" from one place to another. The conservatism of word order in a sentence explains the conservatism in the behavior of the English, their tendency to order and patterns.

Word order in an English sentence: affirmation, negation, question

Here the scheme is simple, subject + predicate + object. But! There are cases when a circumstance is taken to the first place as an addition (we have already considered examples). Also note that the main verb can be accompanied by an auxiliary verb. But in this case it is easier than in the case in addition, because the auxiliary verb is an integral part of the predicate. The result is direct word order. The following table makes it easier to understand the material.

Word order in an affirmative sentence

Circumstance	Subject	Predicate	Addition	Circumstance
Tomorrow	she	will learn	Spanish vocabulary.	———
Tomorrow she will learn Spanish vocabulary.
———	her elder brother	will visit	her	in five weeks.
Her older brother will visit her in five weeks.
next year	I	will come	here again.
I will come here again next year.

Note that definitions can be added to subjects.

Word order in a negative sentence

Circumstance	Subject	Auxiliary verb + not	Basic verb	Addition	Circumstance
Last week	he	did not	study	English.
He didn't study English last week.
———	Her little friend	will not	come	to me	several days.
Her little friend won't come to me for a few days.
next month	I	will not	do	my exercises.	————
I won't be doing my exercises next month.

The sentences given are negative, but they also have standard word order. To express negation and make a negative sentence from an affirmative sentence, we use the particle not .

Reference: In sentences of a negative nature, the Auxiliary verb will always be present, since the particle is added to it not. To the main verb particle not cannot adjoin.

Word order in an interrogative sentence

Auxiliary verb always comes first. For comparison: in Russian, we can guess only by intonation that we have been asked a question. In English, there is no need to listen to intonation, because if you have not the offer will be negative in any case.

Reference: the interrogative sentence is characterized by the reverse word order. What does it mean? Subjects and predicates change places. But ... since we have already talked about conservatism, remember that only, that is, only part of the predicate, should be taken out in the first place. Further, the formation of sentences will go in the standard way - theBasic verb should be placed only after Auxiliaryverb.

It is interesting! In interrogative sentences, the circumstance is never put in the first place. It will be at the end of the sentence. Those who build a question with a circumstance at the beginning of an interrogative sentence are making a mistake. Remember this!

Summing up

The construction of sentences in English has its own rules and nuances. First you need to remember that all English sentences have a standard word order. The reverse word order is inherent only in interrogative sentences. In this case, in the first place is not the main verb, but its auxiliary part. The main verb comes only after the subject.

Considerable attention should be paid to additions. If we are talking about circumstances, then they can stand both at the beginning and at the end of sentences. But! If we are talking about questions, then remember that in these cases the circumstance is the last member of the sentence, not the first.

Knowing the word order in an English sentence, you will quickly learn how to correctly compose correct affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences. Good luck and patience! Remember: patience, perseverance and hard work are the basis of ideal success! Good luck!