Some of the different ways English language learners make mistakes in word order when writing an academic text in English are:
- Placing adverbs in the wrong position: Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They can express manner, frequency, time, degree, or opinion. Depending on the type and function of the adverb, it can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. However, some learners may not follow the rules or conventions of adverb placement, resulting in unnatural or confusing sentences. For example, “He quickly ran to the bus stop.” is correct, but “He ran quickly to the bus stop.” is more natural. “She always studies hard for exams.” is correct, but “She studies always hard for exams.” is wrong12
- Mixing up the order of adjectives: Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They can express qualities such as size, shape, color, origin, material, or purpose. When using more than one adjective before a noun, there is a general order that native speakers follow. However, some learners may not be aware of this order, resulting in unnatural or confusing sentences. For example, “She bought a beautiful red silk dress.” is correct, but “She bought a red beautiful silk dress.” is wrong34
- Using the wrong word order in questions: Questions are sentences that ask for information or confirmation. They can be formed by using question words (who, what, where, when, why, how), auxiliary verbs (do, have, be, can, will, etc.), or inversion (switching the order of the subject and the verb). However, some learners may not follow the rules or conventions of question formation, resulting in unnatural or confusing sentences. For example, “What time does the movie start?” is correct, but “What time the movie starts?” is wrong. “Are you hungry?” is correct, but “You are hungry?” is wrong5
- Using the wrong word order in subordinate clauses: Subordinate clauses are parts of sentences that depend on a main clause to complete their meaning. They can be introduced by subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if, etc.), relative pronouns (who, which, that, etc.), or adverbs (when, where, how, etc.). However, some learners may not follow the rules or conventions of subordinate clause formation, resulting in unnatural or confusing sentences. For example, “I like the book that you gave me.” is correct, but “I like the book you gave me that.” is wrong. “She was late because she missed the bus.” is correct, but “She was late she missed the bus because.” is wrong.
If you want to learn more about word order and how to avoid these mistakes, you can check out these links:
