What is the basic word order of an English sentence?

Subject, then verb, then object: I play football, not I football play. Add place before time at the end: in the park every day, not every day in the park. Nothing can go between the verb and the object, not even a time word.

Why can't I say I play every day football?

The object must always stay right after the verb in English; nothing can separate them, not even a time expression. Say I play football every day instead, with the time word always moved to the very end of the sentence.

Which comes first, place or time?

Place comes before time when both appear at the end of a sentence: in the park (place), then every day (time). Say I play football in the park every day, not I play football every day in the park, which sounds wrong.

What order do subject, verb and object go in?

Subject, then verb, then object, always in that order and never separated: I play football, not I football play or I play sometimes football.

Does place or time come first at the end of a sentence?

Place comes first, then time: in the park every day, not every day in the park.

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Basic Word Order – A1 Grammar Exercises with Answers

Exercises:

Choose the word or phrase that completes each sentence with the correct word order.

Example

(e.g., I play ___ in the park every day. → football)

✅ Correct	❌ Wrong
I play football in the park every day.	I play every day in the park football.

The object always comes right after the verb — never a time or place word.

Question 1 of 10

I play ___ in the park every day.

Keep practising

Adjectives: Word Order and Basic Rules

Adverbs of Manner: Quickly, Well, Carefully

Articles: A, An, The or No Article

Conjunctions: And, But, Or and Because

Want the rules first?Read the explanation: Basic Word Order – A1 Grammar Exercises with Answers →

▸Answer key

Practice Questions & Answers

All A1 questions for “Basic Word Order – A1 Grammar Exercises with Answers”, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Try the interactive exercises above, then check your answers here.

Basic Word Order: What Goes in the Gap

1. I play ___ in the park every day.
- A. football ✓
- B. every day
- C. in the park
- D. sometimes
Answer: football
Football is the object. It goes right after the verb play, not a time or place word.
2. ___ TV in the living room every evening.
- A. TV she
- B. She watches ✓
- C. Watches she
- D. She TV
Answer: She watches
The subject comes before the verb: She watches, not Watches she or She TV.

Written by the Olly English team · How we build our tests

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Building Sentences with Correct Word Order

1. teeth / my / brush / I / bathroom / the / in / morning / every
Answer: I brush my teeth in the bathroom every morning.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: bathroom, then morning.
2. cat / her / feeds / kitchen / sister / My / in / the / every / evening
Answer: My sister feeds her cat in the kitchen every evening.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: kitchen, then evening.
3. car / our / wash / garden / We / in / the / on / Saturdays
Answer: We wash our car in the garden on Saturdays.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: garden, then Saturdays.
4. room / clean / my / I / dinner / before / every / day
Answer: I clean my room before dinner every day.
Subject, verb, object come first; time phrases follow the object in order.
5. grandmother / visit / their / countryside / They / in / the / every / summer
Answer: They visit their grandmother in the countryside every summer.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: countryside, then summer.
6. bike / rides / his / He / school / to / every / morning
Answer: He rides his bike to school every morning.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: school, then morning.
7. movie / watch / a / living / We / room / in / the / on / Fridays
Answer: We watch a movie in the living room on Fridays.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: living room, then Fridays.
8. taxi / wait / for / a / I / corner / at / the / every / morning
Answer: I wait for a taxi at the corner every morning.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: corner, then morning.
9. plants / waters / her / garden / She / in / the / every / evening
Answer: She waters her plants in the garden every evening.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: garden, then evening.
10. work / drives / to / dad / My / city / in / the / every / weekday
Answer: My dad drives to work in the city every weekday.
Subject, verb, object come first; place comes before time: city, then weekday.

Word Order Mistakes to Notice

1. Which option does not belong?
- A. I coffee make in the kitchen every morning. ✓
- B. I make coffee in the kitchen every morning.
- C. She reads a book in the garden every afternoon.
- D. We play cards at home every weekend.
Answer: I coffee make in the kitchen every morning.
Subject and verb must come first: I make coffee, not I coffee make.
2. Which option does not belong?
- A. He fixes his bike in the garage every Saturday.
- B. I do every day my homework in my room. ✓
- C. I do my homework in my room every day.
- D. They cook pasta in the kitchen every Thursday.
Answer: I do every day my homework in my room.
The object stays right after the verb: do my homework, not do every day my homework.
3. Which option does not belong?
- A. We eat lunch in the cafeteria at noon.
- B. She studies English at the library every evening.
- C. We eat lunch at noon in the cafeteria. ✓
- D. He walks his dog in the park every day.
Answer: We eat lunch at noon in the cafeteria.
Place comes before time at the end: in the cafeteria, then at noon.
4. Which option does not belong?
- A. I wash the dishes in the kitchen after dinner.
- B. They watch movies in the living room every Friday.
- C. She feeds the birds in the garden every morning.
- D. I the dishes wash in the kitchen after dinner. ✓
Answer: I the dishes wash in the kitchen after dinner.
Subject and verb must come first: I wash the dishes, not I the dishes wash.
5. Which option does not belong?
- A. We visit every August our uncle in the village. ✓
- B. We visit our uncle in the village every August.
- C. I read comics in my bedroom on Saturdays.
- D. He plays chess at the club every Tuesday.
Answer: We visit every August our uncle in the village.
The object stays right after the verb: visit our uncle, not visit every August our uncle.
6. Which option does not belong?
- A. I meet my friends at the mall every Saturday.
- B. I meet my friends every Saturday at the mall. ✓
- C. She practises the guitar in her room every evening.
- D. We clean the house on Sundays.
Answer: I meet my friends every Saturday at the mall.
Place comes before time at the end: at the mall, then every Saturday.
7. Which option does not belong?
- A. He cooks dinner in the kitchen every night.
- B. I check my messages on my phone every hour.
- C. He dinner cooks in the kitchen every night. ✓
- D. They walk to school every morning.
Answer: He dinner cooks in the kitchen every night.
Subject and verb must come first: He cooks dinner, not He dinner cooks.
8. Which option does not belong?
- A. I take photos in the park every weekend.
- B. She writes letters at her desk every Sunday.
- C. We watch the sunset at the beach every evening.
- D. I take every weekend photos in the park. ✓
Answer: I take every weekend photos in the park.
The object stays right after the verb: take photos, not take every weekend photos.
9. Which option does not belong?
- A. He plays basketball every afternoon at the court. ✓
- B. He plays basketball at the court every afternoon.
- C. I water the garden in the evening.
- D. They study French at school every day.
Answer: He plays basketball every afternoon at the court.
Place comes before time at the end: at the court, then every afternoon.
10. Which option does not belong?
- A. I close the windows every night.
- B. I the windows close every night. ✓
- C. We tidy the classroom after school every day.
- D. She feeds her fish in the morning.
Answer: I the windows close every night.
Subject and verb must come first: I close the windows, not I the windows close.

Correcting the Word Order

1. I basketball play at the gym every evening. (correct the word order)
Answer: I play basketball at the gym every evening.
Subject and verb must come first: I play basketball, not I basketball play.
2. She cooks every day pasta in the kitchen. (correct the word order)
Answer: She cooks pasta in the kitchen every day.
The object stays right after the verb: cooks pasta, not cooks every day pasta.
3. We the guitar practise at home every weekend. (correct the word order)
Answer: We practise the guitar at home every weekend.
Subject and verb must come first: We practise the guitar, not We the guitar practise.
4. He washes every morning his car in the garage. (correct the word order)
Answer: He washes his car in the garage every morning.
The object stays right after the verb: washes his car, not washes every morning his car.
5. They their homework do at the library after school. (correct the word order)
Answer: They do their homework at the library after school.
Subject and verb must come first: They do their homework, not They their homework do.
6. I read every night a book in my bed. (correct the word order)
Answer: I read a book in my bed every night.
The object stays right after the verb: read a book, not read every night a book.
7. She the piano plays in the music room every afternoon. (correct the word order)
Answer: She plays the piano in the music room every afternoon.
Subject and verb must come first: She plays the piano, not She the piano plays.
8. We visit every summer our cousins in the countryside. (correct the word order)
Answer: We visit our cousins in the countryside every summer.
The object stays right after the verb: visit our cousins, not visit every summer our cousins.
9. He his bike rides to school every morning. (correct the word order)
Answer: He rides his bike to school every morning.
Subject and verb must come first: He rides his bike, not He his bike rides.
10. I check every hour my phone at my desk. (correct the word order)
Answer: I check my phone at my desk every hour.
The object stays right after the verb: check my phone, not check every hour my phone.

Basic Word Order – A1 Grammar Exercises (with Answers)