Word order: verb + object, place, time

Verb + object

The verb and object of the verb normally go together. We do not usually put other words between them:

I like children very much.  (not I like very much children)

Did you see your friends yesterday?

Mary often plays tennis.

Review these examples. Notice how the verb and the object go together each time:

  • Do you clean the house every weekend?  (not Do you clean every weekend the house?)
  • At the end of the street you'll see a supermarket on your left.  (not ‘…see on your left a supermarket)

Place and time

Usually the verb and the place (where?) go together:

go home / live in a city / walk to work etc.


If the verb has an object, the place comes after the verb + object:

take somebody home meet a friend in the street


Time (when? / how often? / how long?) normally goes after place:

Steve walks to work every morning.  (not Steve walks every morning to work)

He has been in Mexico  since May.

We arrived at the airport  early.


It is often possible to put time at the beginning of the sentence:

On Monday I'm going to Prague.

Every morning John walks to work.

Word order: adverbs with the verb

Some adverbs (for example, always, also, probably) go with the verb in the middle of a sentence:

  • Andy always goes to work by car.
  • We are feeling very tired and we were also hungry.
  • Your car has probably been stolen.

If the verb is one word (goes / fell / cooked etc.), the adverb usually goes before the verb:

adverb – verb

Joe always goes to work by bus.

I almost fell as I was climbing down the ladder.

Notice that these adverbs (always / often / also etc.) go before have to:

• Johnny never calls me. I always have to call him.  (not I have always to call)

But adverbs go after am / is / are / was / were:

• We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry.

If the verb is two or more words (can remember / doesn't smoke / has been stolen etc.), the adverb goes after the first verb (can / doesn't / has etc.):

verb 1 – adverb – verb 2

I can never remember his name.

Mary doesn't usually smoke.

Are you definitely going to the party tomorrow?

Your car  has probably been stolen.

Notice that the probably goes before the negative. So we say:

• I probably won't see you. or I will probably not see you.  (but not I won't probably…)

We also use all and both in these positions:

• We all felt ill after the meal.  (not we felt all ill)

• My parents are both teachers.  (not my parents both are teachers)

Sometimes we use is / will / did etc. instead of repeating part of a sentence. Notice the position of always / never etc. before the verb in sentences like these.

• He always says he won't be late but he always is. (= he is always late)

• I've never done it and I never will.  (= I will never do it.)

We normally put always / never etc. before the verb in sentences like these.