UNIT 5
Word order
OUTLINE
Basic word order
Theme and rheme
Marked and Unmarked structures
Examples of unmarked structures
Examples of marked structures
Fronting
Clefting
Inversions
Inversion with negative and limiting adverbials
Inversion with negative objects
Inversion with so neither and nor
Inversion with conditional sentences
BASIC WORD ORDER
In English the basic word order of a sentence
is the following:
Subject + Verb + Complements
However, we can change this order to
emphasize or focus on some elements.
Normally, we tend to move the elements that
we want to emphasize to initial or final
position.
THEME AND RHEME
The topic, or theme, of a sentence is what is being
talked about. In other words, it is the semantic point of
departure of a clause about which some information is
provided. It normally corresponds to the subject of the
sentence.
Tom likes football. (Tom is the theme)
However, in some structures the theme is not the
subject as in ,for example, passive sentences.
The comment (rheme or focus) is what is being said
about the topic.
Tom likes football (likes football is the rheme)
UNMARKED AND MARKED
STRUCTURES
We say that a structure is unmarked when
the theme occupies the position that is
expected, for example, the subject (which is
typically the theme) is in initial position.
We say that a structure is marked when we
move some other element to the position
typically occupied by the theme. This
normally implies some emphasis or intention.
I can’t stand the noise (unmarked)
The noise I can’t stand (marked)
EXAMPLES OF UNMARKED
STRUCTURES
Declarative sentences – Subj + Verb
We are moving to LA
Yes/no interrogatives – Operator + subj
Are we going to Toledo?
Wh- interrogatives – Wh- element
When will we get there?
Imperatives – Base form / let’s + V
Have your tickets ready/Let’s go for a swim
EXAMPLES OF MARKED STRUCTURES
1) Fronting: Consists of moving some
elements of the sentence to front position.
Circunstancial adjuncts
We did a lot of sightseeing in London last year
In London last year, we did a lot of sightseeing
Direct objects
One half she ate herself, the other she gave to the
child
What she expected from me I can’t imagine
Lea asked me to bring her some tea. This I did
Attributes or Subject complements
The person to blame was Peter
Expressions of direction
In these cases
Home went Alice
we tend to
Across the campus raced the students change the
Down to the bottom of the sea plunged the diverposition of
verb/subject
Off they go
Except when
the subject is a
pronoun
EXAMPLES OF MARKED STRUCTURES
2) Clefting
Clefting consists of dividing a sentence in two
different clauses to add emphasis to part of the
original sentence. Normally the element that we
want to emphasize is placed either at the
beginning or at the end of the sentence.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLEFT
SENTENCES
I like chocolate
- Using “What”
- What I like is chocolate What we want to
emphasize is
- Using anticipatory “it” normally placed
- It is chocolate that I like either to the front or
to the end of the
- Using nouns sentence
- The thing that I like is chocolate
OTHER EXAMPLES OF CLEFT
SENTENCES
When can emphasize different parts of a
sentences using cleft sentences.
PETER STOLE THE MONEY ON SATURDAY
It was Peter who stole the money on Saturday
The person who stole the money on Saturday
was Peter
What Peter did was (to) steal the money
What happened was that Peter stole the money
on Saturday
What Peter stole on Saturday was the money
It was the money that Peter stole
It was Saturday when Peter stole the money.
EXAMPLES OF MARKED STRUCTURES
3) Inversions
Inversion consists of moving some elements of
the sentence to the front position, similarly to
fronting. However, moving some elements
requires some changes in the structure of the
sentence as well.
INVERSION WITH NEGATIVE AND
LIMITING ADVERBIALS
I have never been so insulted in my life.
We move the We change the
negative word order
adverbial to between aux
front position and subj
Never have I been so insulted in my life
INVERSION WITH NEGATIVE AND
LIMITING ADVERBIALS
The same happens with limiting adverbials
She only felt relieved when she got home
Only when she got home did she feel relieved
Notice how we
had to add the
auxiliary verb
here
INVERSION WITH NEGATIVE AND
LIMITING ADVERBIALS
Some adverbials require specific structures
and connectors
Just after she arrived home, the telephone rang.
No sooner had she arrived home than the
telephone rang
Past perfect
Barely had she arrived home when the telephone
rang.
INVERSION WITH NEGATIVE OBJECTS
Negative Direct Object produce a similar
inversion.
They didn’t tell him a thing
Not a thing did they tell him
Negative Subject do
not produce inversion:
Nobody told me
anything
INVERSION WITH NEITHER, SO AND
NOR
And the same happens with neither, nor and
so when used at the end of a sentence
(affirmative or negative) to add more
information or as a response to what some
else has said. In this cases, the inversion is
only expressed by the auxiliary verb, the main
verb is normally omitted.
She didn’t finish her homework on time and
neither did her brother.
My bother finished his degree in only 3 years and
so will I
She didn’t finish her homework on time nor did
she study for the exam
INVERSION WITH CONDITIONAL
SENTENCES
Each type of conditional sentence requires a
specific structure.
Type one
If you require further information, let us know
Should you require further information, let us know
Type two
If I bought a new car, it’d be a Ferrari
Were I to buy a new car, I’d be a Ferrari
Type three
If I had know you were sick, I’d have visited you.
Had I known you were sick, I would have visited you
