Putting Words in Order: Understanding Word Order in English

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What does SVO stand for?

Putting Words in Order: Understanding Word Order in English

What is the correct word order in an English sentence?

1. Verb-Subject-Object
2. Object-Subject-Verb
3. Object-Verb-Subject
4. Subject-Verb-Object

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to confidently identify and use the correct word order in English sentences.

Begin the lesson by stating the learning objective and explaining the importance of understanding word order in English.

What do you already know about word order in English?

What is Word Order?

Word Order is the arrangement of words in a sentence. In English, the most common word order is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

For example 

I chatted with my friend.

Start by defining what word order is and introducing the most common word order in English. Encourage students to share examples of SVO sentences.

Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) Word Order

Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) is the most common word order in English. The subject is the person or thing doing the action, the verb is the action, and the object is the person or thing receiving the action.

Provide a more detailed explanation of the SVO word order and examples. Encourage students to identify the subject, verb, and object in the examples.

Inverted Word Order

Inverted word order is when the verb comes before the subject. This is often used in questions and commands.

For example
1- Did you watch 'Adolescence' yesterday?

2- close the window!

Introduce the inverted word order and explain when it is used. Provide examples and have students identify the subject and verb in each example.

Adverb Placement

Adverbs usually come after the verb in an SVO sentence. However, they can also be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis.

For example

1- We usually speak English.

2- Usually we speak English (formal).

3- We speak English usually (formal).

Explain the placement of adverbs in SVO sentences and provide examples. Encourage students to experiment with different adverb placements to see how it changes the emphasis in a sentence.

Object-Subject-Verb (OSV) Word Order

Object-Subject-Verb (OSV) is a less common word order in English. It is often used for emphasis or to create a more formal tone.

For example

 A movie I watched.

Introduce the OSV word order and explain when it is used. Provide examples and have students identify the object, subject, and verb in each example.

Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) Word Order

Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) is another less common word order in English. It is often used in poetry and literature.

For example

Jenny cake eats.

Introduce the SOV word order and explain when it is used. Provide examples and have students identify the subject, object, and verb in each example.

Practice: SVO Sentences

Practice identifying the subject, verb, and object in SVO sentences.

Provide a list of SVO sentences and have students identify the subject, verb, and object in each sentence. Provide feedback and corrections where necessary.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now have a better understanding of word order in English.

Review the main points of the lesson and remind students of the importance of understanding word order in English.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.