What order do words go in an English sentence?
Build a clear sentence by asking who, does what, and to what.
2 min read · Updated 9/8/2026
The key idea
In a simple affirmative sentence, the order is often: who + does what + what. Then you can add place and time.
I read articles at home in the evening. Here I is the doer, read is the action, and articles is the thing that is read.
Copying the word order of your own language directly can cause confusion in English. First build a short, complete sentence. Add the details after that.
See an example
Confusing: Every day English I study.
Clear: I study English every day.
You can also put the time first: Every day, I study English. But the basic link I study stays.
Not a full sentence: Because the course is useful.
Full sentence: I chose the course because it is useful.
Now you try
Put the words in the right order.
- reads / my brother / before bed / a book
- because / I / practise / want to improve / I
Identify the part of the second sentence that gives the reason.
A personal draft. It is not saved when you leave or automatically graded.
Reveal the answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
- My brother reads a book before bed.
- I practise because I want to improve.
In the second sentence, because I want to improve gives the reason. I practise is a separate full sentence. We don't leave the because part standing alone here. When checking word order, first find the doer and the verb.
When do we use I study and I am studying?
Official sources for this topic
British Council · Grammar