Asking For Trouble

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 common phrasal verbs fit into sentences
  • Develop a natural feel for correct English structure
  • Improve both listening and grammar simultaneously
1
0
/14
there construction going to on were problems told Tucker site his be boss the
Tucker told his boss there were going to be problems on the construction site
Listen
2
0
/14
the of hanging were several young gate Several the for around site hours men
Several young men were hanging around the gate of the site for several hours
Listen
3
0
/10
boss He boss called didn't the him believe his but
He called his boss but the boss didn't believe him
Listen
4
0
/20
young he his while figured to thought out later called boss check up he again had and A the men
A while later he thought he had figured out the young men and called his boss again to check up
Listen
5
0
/12
from mafia were enough Sure the a men local said boss his
Sure enough his boss said the men were from a local mafia
Listen
6
0
/20
but right to wanted boss asking that said there for Tucker be trouble it his would and then battle out
Tucker wanted to battle it out right there and then but his boss said that would be asking for trouble
Listen
7
0
/18
and for they send the young decided Tucker agreed to the come away wait to and men police
Tucker agreed and they decided to wait for the police to come and send the young men away
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 common phrasal verbs 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