Build a Sentence
Word-order patterns, with worked examples
Build a Sentence gives you the words and asks for the order. Each pattern below has its own page: what it is, how it lines up, and several worked examples at different difficulties.
Word order shown is Reach120’s reading of standard English usage for this sentence. ETS does not publish a correct/incorrect judgement for individual items, and this is not an official score.
Passive Voice
Past passive: was/were + past participle
Past passive uses "was" (singular) or "were" (plural) + past participle. The agent follows "by" at the end.
6 worked examplesPresent passive: is/are + past participle
Present passive uses "is" (singular) or "are" (plural) + past participle for ongoing or general passive actions.
6 worked examplesPerfect Tenses
Present perfect: have/has + past participle
Present perfect connects past actions to the present. Use "have" (I/you/we/they) or "has" (he/she/it) + past participle.
6 worked examplesPast perfect: had + past participle
Past perfect describes an action completed before another past action. Use "had" + past participle for all subjects.
6 worked examplesPrepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrase of place
Place prepositions (in, on, at, under, beside) show location. Order multiple phrases from specific to general.
6 worked examplesMultiple prepositional phrases
When stacking prepositional phrases, order them logically: place before time, or follow the sequence of the action.
6 worked examplesPrepositional phrase of time
Time prepositions: "at" for clock times, "on" for days/dates, "in" for months/years/seasons, "during" for periods.
6 worked examplesComparative Superlative
Comparative with -er/more + than
Short adjectives add -er (taller, faster); long adjectives use "more" + adjective. Always follow with "than."
6 worked examplesSuperlative with -est/most
Superlatives use "the" + adj-est or "the most" + adjective. They compare one item against all others in a group.
6 worked examplesIrregular comparative/superlative
Some adjectives have irregular forms: good/better/best, bad/worse/worst. These do not follow -er/-est patterns.
5 worked examplesQuestion Formation
Indirect question formation
Indirect questions start with a polite phrase, then use a question word followed by statement word order (Subject + Verb).
6 worked examplesEmbedded question word order
In embedded questions, use statement word order after the question word. The subject comes before the verb, not after it.
6 worked examplesAdverb Placement
Manner adverb placement
Manner adverbs (carefully, quickly, efficiently) describe how an action is done. They go before the verb or after the object.
6 worked examplesAdverb Placement
In English, adverbs that modify verbs are often placed after the verb or at the end of the sentence.
6 worked examplesFrequency adverb placement
Frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, never) go before the main verb but after "be" and auxiliary verbs.
6 worked examplesadverb_placement
In English, adverbs often come before the main verb or after the object. Here, 'very enthusiastically' is placed after the verb 'participates' to modify it.
4 worked examplesDegree adverb modifying manner adverb
Degree adverbs (very, extremely, remarkably) intensify other adverbs or adjectives. Place them directly before the word they modify.
4 worked examplesRelative Clauses
Relative clause with "that"
"That" introduces a defining relative clause for people or things. It identifies which specific noun is being discussed.
6 worked examplesRelative clause with "who"
"Who" introduces a relative clause describing a person. The clause comes immediately after the noun it modifies and contains its own verb.
6 worked examplesRelative clause with "which"
"Which" introduces a relative clause describing a thing or concept. Place it directly after the noun being described.
6 worked examplesBasic Svo
Complex SVO with multiple modifiers
With multiple modifiers, adjectives precede nouns, adverbs go near verbs, and prepositional phrases come at the end of the clause.
6 worked examplesSVO with adverbial modifiers
When adverbs modify the verb, they typically come before the main verb or after the object. Manner adverbs often follow the object.
6 worked examplesSimple past tense SVO
English past tense statements follow Subject + past-tense verb + Object order. The verb changes form to show the action happened before now.
6 worked examplesPresent tense SVO
Present simple uses Subject + base verb (+s for third person) + Object. This basic word order is the foundation of English sentence structure.
4 worked examplesConditionals
Second conditional: If + past, would + base
Second conditional expresses unreal or unlikely situations. The if-clause uses past tense; the main clause uses "would/could" + base verb.
6 worked examplesFirst conditional: If + present, will + base
First conditional expresses real future possibilities. The if-clause uses present tense; the main clause uses "will" + base verb.
6 worked examplesWhen-clause with habitual result
When-clauses describing habits or general truths use present tense in both clauses. "When" implies certainty.
6 worked examplesCompound Complex
Compound sentence with "and"
"And" joins two related independent clauses. Each clause has its own subject and verb forming a complete thought.
6 worked examplesComplex sentence with "although/while"
"Although" introduces a concession. "While" shows simultaneous actions or contrast between two situations.
6 worked examplesCompound sentence with "but"
"But" joins two contrasting clauses. The second clause presents an unexpected or opposite idea to the first.
6 worked examplesComplex sentence with "because"
"Because" introduces a reason clause explaining why the main clause happened. It can come before or after the main clause.
6 worked examplesModal Verbs
Modal verb: should + base verb
"Should" expresses advice or recommendation and is followed by the base form of the verb, never past tense or infinitive with "to."
6 worked examplesModal verb: could + base verb
"Could" expresses possibility or suggestion. Like all modals, it takes the base verb form. Adverbs go between modal and main verb.
6 worked examplesModal verb: might + base verb
"Might" expresses uncertain possibility. It takes the base form and adverbs usually come between might and the verb.
6 worked examplesModal verb: must + base verb
"Must" expresses strong obligation or necessity. It is followed directly by the base form of the verb.
6 worked examples