Word order: direct / indirect object; position of other clauses

• English has precise rules regarding syntax, so in most cases we cannot move a phrase or an adverb wherever we want to. As for the rules on the position of adjectives and adverbs see Units 10 and 11. • When deciding where to place a phrase in a sentence, remember you must never put anything between the main verb and the Direct or Indirect Object. For the position of the other phrases in a sentence look at the rules below this example.

subject verb object rest of the sentence

I like pizza very much

(not: I like very much pizza)

Direct Object or Indirect Object • When there are both a direct and an indirect noun object you can choose between two structures:

Verb + Indirect Object (IO) + Direct Object (DO) Verb + Direct Object (DO) + TO + Indirect Object (IO)

I gave John an apple I gave an apple to John

• However, when the sentence has a noun and a pronoun, the pronoun always goes first. I gave him an apple I gave it to John • When both the direct and indirect object are pronouns you must always use this order: verb + DO (Pronoun) + TO + IO (Pronoun) I gave it to him

• After some verbs followed by Direct Object – like buy, get, find, book or make – we use the preposition FOR + Indirect Object Example: Mum will make us a cake. ➝ Mum will make a cake for us.

Position of prepositional phrases after object • After the Object the very next prepositional phrase in a sentence usually refers to place. • Phrases and adverbs of time come at the end of the sentence, however (*) they can also be placed at the beginning when the sentence isn’t a question.

subject

Tom My parents

Did you

He The teacher

We

verb

has often go tell wasn’t will give went

Direct Object or Indirect Object

lunch

Fred

us a lot of homework

prepositional phrases place and other phrases time* at school every day. to work by car about the plan last night? in the car with me. for tomorrow. to Greece for a holiday in 2001.

• With more than one phrase related to place, time or other aspects, the order of the phrases is the following: I left my umbrella on a chair in the kitchen (both refer to place but the chair is smaller than the kitchen) What were you doing at 3 o’clock yesterday? (both refer to time but 3 o’clock is smaller than the whole day)

Complete the following sentences with the missing phrases from the box below.

on holiday to Paris all afternoon next year in Holland my parents

1 2 3

I’ll spend a week ______________ with Grandma. ______________ Jane will be in year 4. Adam is ____________ in the US at the moment.

4 5 6

Every June I go to Sardinia with ______________. Did you play computer games ______________? I’ll travel ______________ by plane.

Are these sentences right (3) or wrong (7)? Correct the wrong ones. 1 We go every day to the beach with them. ________________________________________ 2 On Friday our teacher doesn’t usually give us homework. ________________________________________ 3 Are your cousins coming to France for Christmas? ________________________________________ 4 Giorgia speaks very well English and French. ________________________________________ 5 That mp3 player is mine: give me it. ________________________________________ 6 Who was the Nobel Peace Prize won by in 1979? ________________________________________ 7 Today we’re having lunch at the school canteen. ________________________________________ 8 Tom is holding in his hand his diary. ________________________________________

Substitute the underlined words with a personal pronoun and change the sentence structure as necessary. Look at the example. 0 I’ll give these apples to my grandson. I’ll give him these apples. 1 Could you send Alice your new phone number? ________________________________________________ 2 You can’t ask these things to Hanna: she’s so touchy. ________________________________________________ 3 I must forward this message to my boss. ________________________________________________ 4 Maria brought David some souvenirs from Ireland. ________________________________________________ 5 Can you show the guests their rooms, please? ________________________________________________ 6 I must buy my son two sandwiches tomorrow. ________________________________________________

Write numbers in the boxes before each phrase to indicate their order in the sentences. 1 I’m meeting at her place after school Jackie. 2 We must read tomorrow carefully the contract. 3 We’re going to Liverpool by car definitely next week. 4 The lady asked later Mr Jones to call politely her. 5 They will send to you probably it next week by courier. 6 We’ve bought lovely for Emma blouse a just silk. 7 I’ll be at the end in Greece of March with some friends on holiday. 8 He likes to spend in the mountains his holidays in a little cottage alone.

First Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first using the word in brackets. You must use between 2 and 5 words. 1 Aidan usually drives to work on Mondays. (goes) Aidan usually __________________ on Mondays. 2 The little boy greedily ate the chocolates. (greed) The little boy ate ___________________________. 3 Please, write your details in this form. (fill) Please, ___________________________ your details. 4 He’s likely to go there on foot. (walk) He will ___________________________________ there. 5 I asked them to book me a flight tomorrow. (for) I asked them to _____________________ tomorrow. 6 Can Dave borrow your car, Dad? (lend) Can _____________________ Dave, Dad?

36 Listen to 6 students making syntax mistakes while speaking. Rewrite the sentences you hear in the correct way.