word order

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These include word order preferences, such as whether verbs come before or after objects, and hierarchical structures, such as how grammatical relationships are marked within sentences.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

Several researchers noted “more short sentences, confused word order, and repetition, alongside extended digressions.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2024

At the talk Nordlinger asked Levinson what would happen if participants spoke a language with free word order.

From Scientific American • Oct. 18, 2023

Adger taught the study participants different versions of Nápíjò, in which the noun placement in this word order was the opposite of in their native tongue: first for English speakers, last for Thai.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2019

As we’ll see, a writer must constantly reconcile the two sides of word order: a code for information, and a sequence of mental events.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker