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