A Parting of the Ways

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 idiomatic expressions fit into sentences
  • Develop a natural feel for correct English structure
  • Improve both listening and grammar simultaneously
1
0
/11
sister her parting reached a and of Suzanna ways the have
Suzanna and her sister have reached a parting of the ways
Listen
2
0
/15
relationship argued They their their in a they mother struck when ill over bad patch
They struck a bad patch in their relationship when they argued over their ill mother
Listen
3
0
/26
could her is to Suzanna not about with a who sister pick she agree old very want their what to fight do but mother with didn't
Suzanna didn't want to pick a fight with her sister but she could not agree about what to do with their mother who is very old
Listen
4
0
/12
home in want old to folks Suzanna just didn't put an her
Suzanna just didn't want to put her in an old folks home
Listen
5
0
/8
have hatchet bury Now decided they the to
Now they have decided to bury the hatchet
Listen
6
0
/19
her take her move sister and into mother care is their Suzanna will herself of to own apartment going
Suzanna is going to take care of their mother herself and her sister will move into her own apartment
Listen
7
0
/11
cracks the is both paper they it know over But just
But they both know it is just paper over the cracks
Listen
8
0
/13
are too their opinions up to Both of give them so easily strong
Both of them are too strong to give up their opinions so easily
Listen
9
0
/6
are their mother They like just
They are just like their mother
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 idiomatic expressions 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