Basic Word Order in English
1. Subject, Verb, and Object (SVO)
The subject is the person or thing doing the action (e.g., I).
The verb is the action (e.g., eat).
The object is the thing affected by the action (e.g., apples).
I [Subject] eat [Verb] apples [Object].
We put them in this order: Subject + Verb + Object.
This is often called SVO.
2. Adding Place and Time
You can add more words to give extra information.
A common order is Subject + Verb + Object + Place + Time.
2.1 Place
Place often comes after the object. Some verbs, like go, come, and live, do not have an object. With these verbs, the place comes straight after the verb.
With an object: I eat apples at home. (apples = object)
Without an object: I go to the park. (no object — place comes straight after the verb)
2.2 Time
Time expressions go at the end of the sentence (for example: every day, in the morning).
I eat apples at home every day.
She studies English at school in the morning.
:::tip You can also put a time expression at the very beginning of the sentence for emphasis. When the time expression is more than one word, add a comma after it.
Every day, I eat apples at home.
In the morning, she studies English at school.
:::
3. Summary
- Basic order: Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)
- Add extra information at the end: Subject + Verb + Object + Place + Time
I eat apples at home every day.
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Last updated July 15, 2026