📚 Overview

In English, the typical sentence structure is Subject + Verb + Object (S+V+O). Understanding this structure helps you create clear and grammatically correct sentences. This lesson will also explain where to place adverbs and adjectives in your sentences.

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🔐 Basic Word Order: S + V + O

Examples:

• She (subject) likes (verb) chocolate (object).

• They (subject) watched (verb) a movie (object) last night.

The subject does the action, the verb is the action, and the object receives the action.

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📈 Adjectives: Where Do They Go?

Adjectives describe nouns and usually come before the noun.

Examples:

• I saw a beautiful sunset.

• They have a small house in the countryside.

When used with linking verbs like "be," adjectives come after the verb.

• She is happy.

• The food smells delicious.

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🕒 Adverbs: Where Do They Go?

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often describe how, when, where, or how often something happens.

Placement:

1. Before the main verb:

   • She always drinks coffee in the morning.

2. After the verb (when the verb is simple):

   • He runs quickly.

3. At the beginning or end of a sentence (especially time/frequency):

   • Yesterday, I went shopping.

   • I went shopping yesterday.

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✍️ Practice Questions (1–24)

Instructions: Choose the correct word order or rewrite the sentence. Each question focuses on sentence structure, adjective/adverb placement, or both.

Part A: Choose the correct sentence

1. a) She eats always breakfast.
   b) She always eats breakfast.

2. a) The movie was boring.
   b) Was boring the movie.

3. a) He quickly runs.
   b) He runs quickly.

4. a) They have a car red.
   b) They have a red car.

5. a) The children are happy.
   b) Are happy the children.

6. a) She sings beautifully.
   b) Beautifully she sings.

7. a) John bought a new phone.
   b) A phone new John bought.

8. a) They never are late.
   b) They are never late.

Part B: Rewrite the sentence correctly

9. He every day studies.

10. The cat black is sleeping.

11. Was very the performance good.

12. They live in a house big.

13. My sister has hair long.

14. We at the weekend go shopping.

15. Often she arrives late.

16. He plays football well very.

Part C: Fill in the blank with the correct word order

17. I __________ (usually / get up / at 7 a.m.).

18. They __________ (are / friendly / very).

19. She __________ (drives / carefully / always).

20. We __________ (to the beach / went / yesterday).

21. The students __________ (hard / studied / for the test).

22. He __________ (never / speaks / politely).

23. __________ (delicious / looks / dinner / the).

24. The baby __________ (is / cute / really).

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✅ Answer Key with Explanations

Part A:

1. b – Adverb "always" goes before the main verb.

2. a – Standard S+V+O structure.

3. b – "Quickly" usually goes after the verb when simple.

4. b – Adjective comes before the noun.

5. a – Correct word order for state of being.

6. a – Adverb modifying the verb correctly.

7. a – Adjective before the noun.

8. b – Adverb between verb "are" and adjective.

Part B:

9. He studies every day. (Time adverb goes after verb)

10. The black cat is sleeping. (Adjective before noun)

11. The performance was very good. (Correct word order)

12. They live in a big house. (Adjective before noun)

13. My sister has long hair. (Adjective before noun)

14. We go shopping at the weekend. (Time phrase at end)

15. She often arrives late. (Frequency adverb before main verb)

16. He plays football very well. *("Very" modifies "well")

Part C:

17. I usually get up at 7 a.m.

18. They are very friendly.

19. She always drives carefully.

20. We went to the beach yesterday.

21. The students studied hard for the test.

22. He never speaks politely.

23. The dinner looks delicious.

24. The baby is really cute.

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Keep Practicing! Understanding word order makes your English sound more natural and clear. Practice often, and don’t be afraid to write your own examples!

 

✦ IELTS Topic: Work – 10 Useful Phrases

1. Climb the career ladder
   e.g., Most people work hard in order to climb the career ladder.

2. Work-life balance
   e.g., Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for mental health.

3. A dead-end job
   e.g., He left because he felt stuck in a dead-end job with no opportunities.

4. Burnout
   e.g., Long hours and pressure can lead to employee burnout.

5. Job satisfaction
   e.g., Job satisfaction is more important to me than a high salary.

6. Freelance work
   e.g., Freelance work gives people more flexibility but less job security.

7. Be stuck in a rut
   e.g., After ten years in the same office, I felt stuck in a rut.

8. To land a job
   e.g., She finally landed a job at a top law firm after months of interviews.

9. Flexible working hours
   e.g., Many companies now offer flexible working hours to improve staff morale.

10. A demanding job
    e.g., Being a surgeon is a very demanding job with a lot of stress.

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✦ IELTS Speaking Practice Test – Work

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

1. What kind of job do you have (or want)?

2. What do you enjoy about your work or studies?

3. Would you like to do the same job in the future?

4. Do you prefer working alone or in a team?

5. What is your idea of a perfect job?

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Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a job you would like to do in the future.
You should say:

• what the job is

• what skills it requires

• why you are interested in it
  and explain whether you think it would be a good fit for you.

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✦ Sample Answers Using the Work Phrases

Part 1 Answers

1. I’d love to land a job in marketing because it combines creativity and communication skills.
2. I really enjoy working on projects where I feel a sense of job satisfaction.
3. Yes, I think I could build a good career and eventually climb the career ladder.
4. I enjoy team projects – they break the routine and keep me from getting stuck in a rut.
5. My perfect job would offer flexible working hours and a healthy work-life balance.

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Part 2 Answer

One job I would love to have in the future is being a content strategist for a global company. It’s a creative but demanding job that requires strong writing and digital marketing skills.

I’ve always enjoyed producing content, and the idea of helping shape a company’s voice online really appeals to me. I also value freelance work, so I hope to find a role that offers some flexibility or remote options.

What attracts me most is the chance to develop professionally and eventually climb the career ladder in the field. At the same time, I want to avoid burnout, so a company that promotes a strong work-life balance is very important to me.

All in all, I think this job would be a good fit for my personality and goals.

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✦ Comprehension Test: Work Phrases

1. "Most people work hard in order to climb the career ladder."
Q: What does this phrase suggest about people's goals?

2. "Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for mental health."
Q: What is the person trying to manage in this sentence?

3. "He left because he felt stuck in a dead-end job with no opportunities."
Q: Why did the person leave their job?

4. "Long hours and pressure can lead to employee burnout."
Q: What is the danger of working too much?

5. "Job satisfaction is more important to me than a high salary."
Q: What does the speaker value most in a job?

6. "Freelance work gives people more flexibility but less job security."
Q: What are the pros and cons of freelance work?

7. "After ten years in the same office, I felt stuck in a rut."
Q: How does the speaker feel about their work?

8. "She finally landed a job at a top law firm after months of interviews."
Q: What happened after the speaker kept trying?

9. "Many companies now offer flexible working hours to improve staff morale."
Q: Why are flexible hours becoming more popular?

10. "Being a surgeon is a very demanding job with a lot of stress."
Q: What is the nature of the surgeon’s job?

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✅ Answer Key

1. To advance or get promoted

2. The balance between work and personal life

3. It didn’t offer progress or growth

4. Exhaustion or mental collapse

5. Enjoyment and fulfillment

6. Flexibility vs. insecurity

7. Bored and unmotivated

8. She succeeded in getting the job

9. To make employees happier

10. It's stressful and challenging

 

🌿 The Secret Garden – Chapter 5: The Door Opens

Mary woke up early the next morning. The key was under her pillow. She touched it and smiled. Today felt different.

The wind had stopped. Sunlight came through the window. It was a perfect day.

After breakfast, she quietly walked outside. She didn’t tell Martha or anyone else. She didn’t want them to stop her.

She followed the path to the old wall. The robin flew above her and landed on the same tree as before.

“I’m here,” she whispered. “Is it time?”

The bird chirped and flew toward the ivy.

Mary pulled back the vines with shaking hands. There was the little door. Her heart was beating fast.

She took out the key, held her breath, and placed it into the keyhole.

It turned.

Click.

The door opened with a soft sound.

Mary stepped inside.

It was quiet. Wild roses and long grass covered everything. Trees bent over the walls. Ivy climbed up every corner. The garden had been locked for ten years, and nature had grown freely.

But it wasn’t dead. No—it was alive.

Mary looked around with wide eyes. She had never seen anything so magical.

There were signs of life everywhere—small green shoots on the ground, buds on the trees, birds singing in the branches.

“It’s not dead,” she whispered. “It’s waiting.”

She walked carefully through the garden. She touched the branches gently. She smelled the sweet air. She felt peaceful for the first time in her life.

A small fox appeared in the distance and ran off. The robin flew from tree to tree, as if showing her around.

“I’m going to take care of this place,” she said. “I’ll clean it. I’ll help it grow again.”

She didn’t know how to garden, but she was full of energy. She picked up sticks and cleared dry leaves. Her hands got dirty, but she didn’t care.

Suddenly, she heard a noise.

She froze. Was someone watching?

But it was only the wind in the trees—and the robin, singing happily.

After an hour, she closed the door gently and covered it with ivy again.

No one had seen her.

The garden was her secret now.

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📖 Glossary

Word/Phrase	Meaning
Pillow	A soft cushion for your head when sleeping
Vines	Long, climbing plants
Keyhole	The place where you put a key
Shoots	New baby plants growing from the ground
Buds	Small parts on a plant that will become flowers
Magical	Full of wonder or beauty; like in a fairy tale
Cleared	Removed something to make a space clean or open

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. Where did Mary hide the key the night before?

2. What was the weather like in the morning?

3. What did she find behind the ivy?

4. What did the garden look like after being locked for ten years?

5. How did Mary feel inside the garden?

6. What did she decide to do in the garden?

7. Why was it important that no one saw her?

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✅ Answers

1. Under her pillow.

2. Sunny and calm.

3. A small door, and it opened with her key.

4. Wild but full of life—plants growing, birds singing.

5. Peaceful and happy, like she belonged there.

6. She wanted to clean it and help it grow again.

7. Because it was her secret—the garden was hidden.