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