42. Errors in Word Order
Most word-order errors in Written Expression consist of two words in reverse order. Some of the most common examples of this type of error are given below:
| Error | Example | Correction |
| Noun + adjective | drivers careful | careful drivers |
| Noun + possessive | clothing women\’s | women\’s clothing |
| Main verb + auxiliary | finished are | are finished |
| Adjective + adverb | a basic extremely idea | an extremely basic idea |
| Verb + subject | Tell me where is it. | Tell me where it is. |
| (in an indirect question or other wh- clause) | I spoke to John when was he here. | I spoke to John when he was here. |
| Preposition/adverb clause marker + adverb | after immediately | immediately after |
| Participle + adverb | baked freshly bread | freshly baked bread |
| Relative pronoun + preposition | the house which in she lives | the house in which she lives |
| adverb, adjective, or quantifier + almost | totally almost late almost all almost |
almost totally almost late almost all |
| enough + adjective* | enough good | good enough |
*Enough can correctly be used before nouns: enough money, enough time. Enough may also be used before an adjective when the adjective comes before a noun. (There weren\’t enough good seats at the concert.)
∇ Sample Items
Goods (A) such as flower fresh (B) and seafood (C) are often shipped (D) by air.
(A) Goods
(B) flower fresh
(C) seafood
(D) often shipped
The answer is (B) because the adjective fresh must come before the noun flowers: fresh flowers.
Visitors to Vancouver often comment (A) on how beautiful (B) its setting is (C) and on how clean is it (D).
(A) often comment
(B) how beautiful
(C) setting is
(D) is it
The answer is (D) because the correct word order is subject + verb: it is.
Exercise 42.1
Exercise 42.2