English sentences generally follow the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order. In this structure, the subject comes first (the person or thing doing the action), the verb comes second (the action), and the object comes last (the person or thing receiving the action).
Basic Pattern
The basic SVO pattern looks like this:
- Subject + Verb + Object
- Example: She (subject) + reads (verb) + books (object).
This is the most common sentence structure in English.
Subject Rules
- The subject is usually a noun or pronoun.
- It must agree with the verb in number (singular/plural).
- Example: He runs vs. They run.
Verb Rules
- Use the correct verb form for the subject and tense.
- Regular verbs add -s or -es for third person singular in the present tense.
- Irregular verbs have unique forms (e.g., go → goes).
- Example: She plays vs. They play.
Object Rules
- The object is a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
- It receives the action of the verb.
- Example: I eat apples. / *He sees her.
In the sentence "He sees her," what is the object?
her
'Her' is the object receiving the action of the verb 'sees.'
Examples
Here are some simple examples using the SVO pattern:
| Subject | Verb | Object | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | like | coffee | I like coffee. |
| She | reads | books | She reads books. |
| They | watch | movies | They watch movies. |
| We | play | soccer | We play soccer. |
| He | eats | lunch | He eats lunch. |
Which English sentence correctly follows the SVO pattern?
They watch movies.
The correct SVO order is subject ('They') + verb ('watch') + object ('movies').
Additional Points
- Questions and negatives change the word order or add auxiliary verbs but still follow SVO internally.
- Adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases can be added but do not change the core SVO order.
- Direct and indirect objects may appear, but the main object follows the verb.
Understanding SVO order helps you build correct, clear sentences in English.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
