mean-past

Word Order Practice

Listen to each sentence and arrange the words in the correct order. Click on words to move them to your answer area.

Green checkmark (✓) means your current word order is correct so far. Red X (✗) means there's an error in the order.

Why Word Order Matters in English

Word order is crucial in English because it affects meaning. Unlike some languages that use case endings or particles to show word relationships, English relies heavily on word order to convey meaning.

This exercise helps you:

  • Internalize English sentence patterns
  • Recognize how grammar patterns fit into sentences
  • Develop a natural feel for correct English structure
  • Improve both listening and grammar simultaneously
1
0
/3
Randolph was upset
Randolph was upset
Listen
2
0
/11
way lady He on to tried to help the work a
He tried to help a lady on the way to work
Listen
3
0
/4
nothing He meant bad
He meant nothing bad
Listen
4
0
/16
train by on He the as her giving his wanted rode only seat they to help
He only wanted to help by giving her his seat on the train as they rode
Listen
5
0
/8
offered when But looked he upset she it
But she looked upset when he offered it
Listen
6
0
/9
He said even to her seat a Please have
He even said to her Please have a seat
Listen
7
0
/16
What you me She trying mean I Are that to you tell old am do said
She said What do you mean Are you trying to tell me that I am old
Listen
8
0
/6
No I to only meant help
No I only meant to help
Listen
9
0
/6
thought might like you it I
I thought you might like it
Listen
10
0
/6
it thought I was manners good
I thought it was good manners
Listen
11
0
/6
to mean I you insult didn’t
I didn’t mean to insult you
Listen
12
0
/6
Well help needs help someone who
Well help someone who needs help
Listen
13
0
/4
help don’t need I
I don’t need help
Listen
14
0
/13
another him to on farther away place she from train moved the And
And she moved to another place on the train farther away from him
Listen
15
0
/19
insult because meant he instead her the Randolph and only to help upset was meant lady he thought to
Randolph was upset because he only meant to help and instead the lady thought he meant to insult her
Listen
16
0
/9
world he The is really changing thought to himself
The world is really changing he thought to himself
Listen

Tips for Effective Practice

  1. Always listen to the audio first before attempting to order the words
  2. Pay attention to common patterns like subject-verb-object
  3. Notice how grammar patterns are positioned in sentences
  4. If you make a mistake, use it as a learning opportunity - try to understand why the correct order is different
  5. After completing each sentence, listen to the audio again while reading your correctly ordered sentence