In French, the canonical order of the declarative sentence follows the subject–verb–object schema. The verb generally occupies a central place, while the verb’s complements come after it. Circumstantial complements often come at the end of the sentence, but they can also appear at the beginning to create emphasis.

ÉlémentElement.	PlacePlace.	ExempleExample.
SujetSubject.	Avant le verbeBefore the verb.	Le chat dort tranquillement.The cat sleeps peacefully.
VerbeVerb.	Au centreIn the center.	Le chat dort tranquillement.The cat sleeps peacefully.
ObjetObject.	Après le verbeAfter the verb.	Le chat mange une pomme.The cat eats an apple.
Complément circonstancielCircumstantial complement.	Début ou finBeginning or end.	Ce matin, Paul travaille.This morning, Paul is working.

The qualifying adjective is most often placed after the noun. Some common adjectives precede it depending on meaning, rhythm or register, notably in memorized groups. The placement of the adjective can also modify the nuance or give a more emphatic value, as seen in the usages presented in [Affirmations] ...

RègleRule.	ExempleExample.
Après le nomAfter the noun.	Une maison blanche.A white house.
Avant le nom pour certains adjectifsBefore the noun for certain adjectives.	Un petit enfant.A small child.
Effet de sens ou de registreEffect on meaning or register.	Un grand homme.A great man.
Mise en reliefEmphasis.	Une belle histoire.A beautiful story.

The adverb is often placed after the conjugated verb. With compound tenses, it is usually placed between the auxiliary and the past participle. This placement can vary to emphasize a specific element, especially in declarative sentences and in expressive punctuation.

RègleRule.	ExempleExample.
Après le verbeAfter the verb.	Il parle lentement.He speaks slowly.
Avec un temps composéWith a compound tense.	Il a déjà mangé.He has already eaten.
Accent sur l’adverbeEmphasis on the adverb.	Elle répond toujours calmement.She always answers calmly.

Clitic object pronouns are placed before the conjugated verb in affirmative sentences, as in [Propositions et Subordonnées] when subordination maintains the same syntactic logic. The order is stable: me, te, se, nous, vous, then le, la, les, then lui, leur, then y, then en. In the affirmative imperative, these pronouns come after the verb and are attached with a hyphen.

RègleRule.	ExempleExample.
Avant le verbeBefore the verb.	Je le vois.I see him.
Ordre des pronomsOrder of pronouns.	Tu me le donnes.You give it to me.
Y avant enY before en.	Il y en parle.He talks about it.
Impératif affirmatifAffirmative imperative.	Donne le moi.Give it to me.

Standard negation surrounds the verb with ne and pas. Other negators replace pas depending on the meaning, such as jamais, plus, rien or personne. In casual speech, ne is often omitted, but the basic structure remains the written reference, as in [Négations].

RègleRule.	ExempleExample.
Encadrement du verbeFraming of the verb.	Je ne viens pas.I am not coming.
Négation de fréquenceFrequency negation.	Elle ne vient jamais.She never comes.
Omission de ne à l’oralOmission of ne in speech.	Je sais pas.I don't know.

French interrogation is built through intonation, through est-ce que, through subject–verb inversion, or by adding an interrogative word. The choice depends on the level of formality and the effect sought, with regional variants in the use of inversion and intonation, as in [Interrogation] ...

RègleRule.	ExempleExample.
IntonationIntonation.	Tu viens.You are coming.
Est ce queIs it that.	Est ce que tu viens.Are you coming?
InversionInversion.	Viens tu.Are you coming?
Mot interrogatifInterrogative word.	Quand viens tu.When do you come?

Subordinate clauses are introduced by connectors such as que, qui, dont and où. These words mark the function of the subordinate clause in the sentence and ensure the syntactic continuity with the main clause. Relative clauses specify a noun, while the other subordinate clauses often complete a verb, an idea or a situation, as in [Propositions et Subordonnées] ...

LienLink.	FonctionFunction.	ExempleExample.
quethat.	Introduit une complétiveIntroduces a complement clause.	Je pense qu’il vient.I think he is coming.
quiwho.	Remplace le sujetReplace the subject.	L’homme qui parle arrive.The man who is speaking arrives.
dontof which.	Exprime un lienExpresses a link.	Le livre dont je parle est neuf.The book I’m talking about is new.
oùwhere.	Indique un lieu ou un momentIndicates a place or a moment.	La ville où je vis est calme.The city where I live is calm.

Emphatic constructions allow putting an element forward without changing the sentence's fundamental meaning. The structure 'c’est qui' is used to focus the subject and 'c’est que' is used to focus another constituent. These constructions are common in speech and in careful writing, and they usefully complement the punctuation and exclamation possibilities described in [Exclamations] ...

RègleRule.	ExempleExample.
C’est quiWho’s that?	C’est Marie qui parle.It's Marie who speaks.
C’est queIt's that.	C’est le lundi que je pars.I leave on Monday.
Phrase clivéeCleft sentence.	C’est Paul que je vois.It's Paul that I see.

The French sentence rests on a stable base order, then on precise movements for emphasis, the question, negation or subordination. The verb remains the pivot of the sentence, adjectives and adverbs occupy well-defined positions, and pronouns follow rules of preposing (anteposition) or enclisis depending on the verbal mood. A good mastery of these positions allows you to construct correct and natural sentences in all registers.