Word order: position of verbs
A verb can consist of just one word. Affirmative sentences in the simple present and simple past tenses have one-word verbs.
- John broke another window yesterday.
- Alice invited me to her party.
- He rejected the offer.
- They have been invited. (Auxiliary verbs: have, been; main verb: invited)
- Susie is writing. (Auxiliary verb: is; main verb: writing)
In questions the auxiliary verb comes before the subject whereas the main verb goes after the subject.
- Has Susie arrived? (NOT Has arrived Susie?)
- What did he say? (NOT What said he?)
We can form affirmative sentences without auxiliary verbs, but we cannot form questions or negatives without them.
The only type of word that can go between the subject and the verb are adverbs of frequency. Examples are: usually, often, never, seldom, always and occasionally.
- She often visits her friends in Singapore.
- I usually get up at 7 am.
- We sometimes watch action films.
- I have never been invited to their parties. (NOT I have been never invited to their parties.) (NOT I have been invited never to their parties.)
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