CHAPTER 7 WORD ORDER & CONJUNCTIONS Verb + object The verb and the object normally go together. We do not usually put other words between them:
verb +
Object
I
like
my job very much. (not 1 like very much my job)
Did you
see
your friends yesterday?
Liz often
plays
tennis.
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?) usually goes after place:
It is often possible to put time at the beginning of the sentence: On Monday I’m going to Paris. Every morning Ben walks to work. Some adverbs (for example, always, also, probably) go before the main verb but after auxiliary verbs: Helen always drives to work. We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry. The concert will probably be cancelled. You have always been very kind to me. Jack can’t cook. He can’t even boil an egg. Do you still work for the same company? The house was only built a year ago and it’s already falling down. But adverbs go after am/is/are/was/were:
We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry.
Why are you always late? You’re never on time.
The traffic isn’t usually as bad as it was this morning.
Probably goes before a negative (isn’t/won’t etc.). So we say: I probably won’t see you. or 1 will probably not see you. (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) Sarah and Jane have both applied for the job. We are all going out this evening. Sometimes we use auxiliary verbs instead of repeating part of a sentence. In this kind of situation we use (always/never etc.) before those auxiliaries:
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)
STILL, YET AND ALREADY. ANYMORE/ANY LONGER/NO LONGER Still We use still to say that a situation or action is continuing. It hasn’t changed or stopped. It usually goes before the main verb:
Do you still want to go away or have you changed your mind?
Any more / any longer / no longer We use not ... any more or not ... any longer to say that a situation has changed. Any more and any longer go at the end of a sentence:
Lucy doesn’t work here any more (or any longer). She left last month.
Yet = until now. We use yet mainly in negative sentences (He isn’t here yet) and questions (Is he here yet?). Yet shows that the speaker is expecting something to happen.Yet usually goes at the end of a sentence:
It’s 10 o’clock and Joe isn’t here yet.
Have you met your new neighbours yet?
‘Where are you going for your holidays?’ ‘We don’t know yet.’
Still is also possible in negative sentences (before the negative):
She said she would be here an hour ago and she still hasn’t come.
This is similar to ‘she hasn’t come yet'. But still ... not shows a stronger feeling of surprise or impatience. Compare:
I wrote to him last week. He hasn’t replied yet. (but I expect he will reply soon)
I wrote to him months ago and he still hasn’t replied. (he should have replied before now) Already We use already to say that something happened sooner than expected. Already usually goes before the main verb:
‘What time is Sue leaving?’ ‘She has already left.’ (= sooner than you expected)
Shall I tell Joe what happened or does he already know?