SENTENCE STRUCTURE --- PART-3

     
        (*)  THE ORDER OF WORDS IN A SENTENCE (*)

382. The right arrangement of words in a sentences is very important, for the whole
        meaning of a sentence may suffer if the words composing it are not arranged
        properly.

*) Study the following groups of words :---
    
           1) sing to tried crow the foolish
           2) bad tools quarrels workman with his a 

          Now these groups of words do not make any sense.
          why? Because the words are not placed in their right order.


@) Now put the same words in the right order.

        1). The foolish crow tried to sing.
        2). A bad workman quarrels with his tools.

       Now these groups of words make sense.Each is a sentence, because in each the
       words are placed in the right order.




383.The following is the usual order of words in a sentence :-

(1) The Subject usually comes before the Verb ; as,
               
               (*) The blind beggar cheated us.
               (*) The people loudly cheered the Prime Minister.



       (*) Exceptions :- When a sentence is introduced by there,the Subject 
                                                       generally comes after the Verb; as,
        
                                      (1) There has been a fall in prices.
                                      (2) There will be a holiday tomorrow.

      
      *) When a sentence is introduced by it, the real Subject comes after the Verb; as,

             (1) It is good to be helpful to others.
             (2) It was nice to see her in good health.




(2) The Object usually comes after the Verb ; as,

          (*) The hunter shot the tiger.
               (*) She sold all her ornaments.




(3) When the Verb has two Objects, one direct and the 
      other indirect, the indirect object comes before the
      direct; as,

               (*) We gave her ( indirect ) a prize ( direct ).
               (*) The Headmaster promised the children ( indirect ) a holiday ( direct )




(4) The Complement usually comes after the Verb ; as,

               (*) They elected him captain.
               (*) The President appointed him Governor.
               (*) The committee appointed Clinton secretary of the club.




(5) When the Adjective is used attributively, it usually 
      comes before the Noun it qualifies ; as,

                (*) The old beggar thanked the kind lady.
                (*) Few servants like cruel masters.





(6) When the Adjective is used predicatively ( i.e., 
       as part of the Predicate ), it comes after its Noun ; as,

                 (*)    The poor beggar was very grateful.
                 (*)    The children were thirsty and hungry.




(7) An Adjective Phrase is usually placed close to the 
      word it modifies ; as ,

                (*) She was a woman of noble nature.
                (*) The king wore a crown of gold.
                (*) My father was a man of high character.




(8) An Adverb is usually placed close to the word it 
      modifies : as,

              (*) She always wears ornaments.
              (*) Nothing ever happens by chance.
              (*) He worked only three sums.
              (*) He is rather slow but works steadily.



NOTE :- When an Adverb is intended to modify the sentence 
                 as a whole, it is placed at the beginning of a 
                 sentences; as,

          (*) Certainly he failed to prove his innocence.
          (*) Fortunately all escaped unhurt.
          (*) Possibly your opinion is correct.





(9) All qualifying clauses should be placed as close as possible to       the words they qualify ; as,

                  (*) The boy who works hard seldom fails.
                  (*) He who is healthy is happy.
                  (*) He that is down need fear no fall.
                  (*) All that glitters is not gold.
                  (*) He died in the village where he was born.




384. The usual order of words in a sentence in a sometimes                    altered for the sake of emphasis ; as,

                 (*)  Blessed are the meek.
                 (*)  Fallen, fallen, is Babylon.
                 (*)  Silver and gold have I none.
                 (*)  Sweet are the uses of adversity.
                 (*)  Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
                 (*)  Slowly and sadly we laid him down.
                 (*)  My right there is none to dispute.
                 (*)  Clashed all their sabres bare.



385 . A faulty arrangement of words sometimes turns a 
         sentence into nonsense.

        Incorrect:-
                 
                (*) He thought of marrying his cousin more than once.
                (*) Wanted a nurse for a baby seventy years old.
                (*) He killed a sparrow which was eating some crumbs with a gun.


          Correct :-

                (*) More than once he thought of marrying his cousin.
                (*) Wanted for a baby a nurse seventy years old.
                (*) He killed with a gun a sparrow which was eating some crumbs.

        It is therefore necessary that all the qualifying words,phrases and clauses should
        be placed as close as possible to the words they refer to.






                           

                              (*) ADVERB ORDER(*)

386. Order of Adverbs is very important in English, since                           Adverbs can be placed in different positions in a 
       sentence in order to obtain proper emphasis.

       (a) Adverbs of Manner, Place and Time.
        
        *) Examples:-
            1) She spoke well ( Manner ) at the debate ( place ) this evening ( Time ).
            2) The children played merrily ( Manner ) in the park ( Place ) all day ( Time ).


      
    (b) With Verb of movement, the Adverb of Place comes
          immediately after the Verb.

              1) She went to the station by taxi.
              2) They go to school by bus.

    

    (C) The Adverb of Time is placed either at the beginning 
          or at the end of a sentence,but not in the middle.

              1) She was born at 12 O' clock on Christmas morning in the year 1940.
              2) He died at 10 p.m. on August 14th in the year 1964.