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