Word order 1: verb + object; place and time

This lesson explains the typical English order for actions, objects, place and time. In statements, English usually places the verb and its object first, then expressions of place, then expressions of time.

• Basic order: Subject + Verb + Object + Place + Time.
• Place expressions (e.g., at the office, in London) usually come before time expressions (e.g., yesterday, at 3 PM).
• Time expressions can be moved to the beginning of a sentence for emphasis: "Yesterday, we met the client."

Remember: when you describe an action, say what happened, then where, then when.

Keep the order: object → place → time. This is the most natural sequence in English statements.

• If both place and time appear at the end: place comes before time.
• If you start with a time expression, follow it with the subject then the verb (Time + S + V ...).
• Indirect object (receiver) normally comes directly after the verb or after the direct object with a to-phrase.

Think: What? Where? When?

Learners often misplace words in sentences. Watch for these typical errors:

• Putting time before place at the sentence end: "They announced the results yesterday at the meeting." (In English, prefer place before time.)
• Placing the object after a place phrase incorrectly: "They discussed at the office the proposal." (Correct: "They discussed the proposal at the office.")
• Beginning with time but keeping the rest in the wrong order: "Yesterday we in London met the client." (Correct: "Yesterday, we met the client in London.")

Check the order: object → place → time. If you move time to the front, make sure the rest follows normal order.