Sentence structure · Elementary (A2)
Sentence structure and word order
Build clear English sentences: subject–verb–object, place before time, simple, compound and complex sentences.
The rules
Basic order: Subject + Verb + Object (+ place + time): She (S) bought (V) a car (O) in Madrid (place) last year (time). Don’t separate the verb and object: I like football very much (not I like very much football).
Every sentence needs a subject and a verb: It is important to… (not Is important to…).
Simple sentence: one clause. Compound: two clauses joined by and, but, or, so. Complex: a main clause + a subordinate clause (because, although, when, if, which…): When I arrived, the meeting had started. Varied sentence types make writing stronger.
Avoid run-on sentences (two sentences joined only by a comma): It was late, I went home ✗ → It was late, so I went home.
Examples
- I met my friends in the park yesterday.
- She speaks English very well.
- It is difficult to learn a language quickly.
- Although it was expensive, we bought it because we needed it.
Common mistakes
✗ I like very much coffee.
✓ I like coffee very much.
Don’t put adverbs between verb and object.
✗ Yesterday went I to the cinema.
✓ Yesterday I went to the cinema.
Subject before verb.
✗ It was raining, we stayed inside.
✓ It was raining, so we stayed inside.
A comma can’t join two sentences.
Practice
Put the words in the right order.
Quiz
1.Which is a complex sentence?
2.Put the words in the right order.
3.A comma alone can join two complete sentences.
4.Put time and place in the natural order: I study ___.