What is the basic word order in English?

English sentences follow a fixed order: subject + verb + object, and then place before time at the end. I play football in the park every day. Unlike some languages, you cannot move the verb or object around freely.

The rule

Every English sentence starts with the subject, then the verb, then the object: I (subject) play (verb) football (object). The object always stays right after the verb — nothing can go between them, not even a time word.

After the object, add any extra information: place first, then time. ...in the park (place) every day (time). Time expressions like every day, on Sunday or at six o'clock normally go at the very end of the sentence, not in the middle.

Form

Examples

• I play football in the park every day.
• She cooks dinner in the kitchen every evening.
• He walks his dog in the park every morning.
• We visit our grandparents in the countryside every summer.
• I meet my friends at the cafe every Friday.

Common mistakes

• ❌ I football play in the park every day. → ✅ I play football in the park every day. The subject and verb always come first, before the object.
• ❌ I play every day football in the park. → ✅ I play football in the park every day. Nothing can go between the verb and the object.
• ❌ I play football every day in the park. → ✅ I play football in the park every day. Place comes before time at the end of the sentence.
• ❌ Every day I football play. → ✅ I play football every day. The subject and verb still come first, even with a time word nearby.