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