← 💬 English as a Second Language
Use of English: word order, articles and nouns
Putting words in the right order, using a, an and the, and countable and uncountable nouns.
📌 Key points
- Basic word order is Subject + Verb + Object: Lina (S) reads (V) books (O).
- Adjectives usually go before the noun: a red car (not a car red).
- Words like always, usually, often, sometimes and never go before the main verb but after be: I often walk. She is always late.
- Use a before a consonant sound (a dog, a uniform) and an before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour).
- Use the when we know which one (the sun, the book on the table) or it was mentioned before.
- Countable nouns can be counted (one apple, two apples). Uncountable nouns cannot (water, rice, bread, advice).
- Use many and a few with countable nouns; use much and a little with uncountable nouns.
- Use some in positive sentences and any in most questions and negatives: I have some bread. Have you got any milk?
📖 Key words
- Subject
- The person or thing that does the action.
- Object
- The person or thing the action happens to.
- Article
- The words a, an and the.
- Countable noun
- A noun you can count: one chair, two chairs.
- Uncountable noun
- A noun you cannot count: water, rice, information.
- Adverb of frequency
- A word that says how often: always, never.
✏️ Worked example
Put the words in the correct order: always / breakfast / at / eats / Sami / 7 o'clock
- Find the subject (who?): Sami.
- 'Always' goes before the main verb: always eats.
- Then the object: breakfast.
- The time goes at the end: at 7 o'clock.
- Answer: Sami always eats breakfast at 7 o'clock.
For a or an, listen to the first sound, not the first letter: an hour (the h is silent), a uniform (it sounds like 'you').
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