Sentence Structure – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Telling a roommate about a detailed morning routine
Choose the best answer (A, B, or C) to complete each sentence. Pay attention to the correct word order.
1 To start my morning, ______
(a) I drinks coffee in the kitchen at 7 AM.
(b) I at 7 AM drink coffee in the kitchen.
(c) I drink coffee in the kitchen at 7 AM.
2 I am curious about your routine. ______
(a) Do you every day eat breakfast at home?
(b) Do you eat breakfast at home every day?
(c) Are you eat breakfast at home every day?
3 My sister usually wakes up early, but ______
(a) she don’t read the newspaper in the living room.
(b) she doesn’t read the newspaper in the living room.
(c) she in the living room doesn’t read the newspaper.
4 Right after I wake up, ______
(a) I take a shower in the bathroom.
(b) I in the bathroom take a shower.
(c) I taking a shower in the bathroom.
5 My other roommate is very healthy. ______
(a) My roommate at 6 AM goes to the gym.
(b) My roommate go to the gym at 6 AM.
(c) My roommate goes to the gym at 6 AM.
6 I want to make some cereal. ______
(a) Do we have milk in the fridge today?
(b) Does we have milk in the fridge today?
(c) Do we today have milk in the fridge?
7 I try to keep the apartment clean, so ______
(a) I don’t in the morning leave my keys on the table.
(b) I doesn’t leave my keys on the table in the morning.
(c) I don’t leave my keys on the table in the morning.
8 Before we go to work, ______
(a) we watch the news on TV at 7:30
(b) we watches the news on TV at 7:30
(c) we at 7:30 watch the news on TV.
9 Your brother is visiting us next week. ______
(a) Do he make coffee in the kitchen every morning?
(b) Does he make coffee in the kitchen every morning?
(c) Does he every morning make coffee in the kitchen?
10 I have a busy schedule for my classes. ______
(a) I study English at my desk on Mondays.
(b) I on Mondays study English at my desk.
(c) I studies English at my desk on Mondays.
11 The neighbors are very quiet because ______
(a) they not eat cereal in the room on weekdays.
(b) they don’t eat cereal in the room on weekdays.
(c) they don’t on weekdays eat cereal in the room.
12 To get ready for the day, ______
(a) I in the bathroom wash my face at 6:15
(b) I washes my face in the bathroom at 6:15
(c) I wash my face in the bathroom at 6:15
13 You always leave the house so fast! ______
(a) Do you pack your bag in the bedroom at night?
(b) Are you pack your bag in the bedroom at night?
(c) Do you at night pack your bag in the bedroom?
14 My sister is very organized. ______
(a) She every morning brushes her teeth in the bathroom.
(b) She brush her teeth in the bathroom every morning.
(c) She brushes her teeth in the bathroom every morning.
15 I want to protect my eyes, so ______
(a) I not check my phone in bed at 6 AM.
(b) I don’t check my phone in bed at 6 AM.
(c) I don’t at 6 AM check my phone in bed.
16 We have a nice tradition in our apartment. ______
(a) We drink tea on the balcony every Sunday.
(b) We every Sunday drink tea on the balcony.
(c) We drinking tea on the balcony every Sunday.
17 I need to know about your cat’s schedule. ______
(a) Does she at 7:00 feed the cat in the kitchen?
(b) Does she feeds the cat in the kitchen at 7:00?
(c) Does she feed the cat in the kitchen at 7:00?
18 When I want to relax after studying, ______
(a) I listen to music in my room every evening.
(b) I every evening listen to music in my room.
(c) I listens to music in my room every evening.
19 My brother is very polite when he visits. ______
(a) He don’t wear his shoes in the bedroom in the morning.
(b) He doesn’t in the morning wear his shoes in the bedroom.
(c) He doesn’t wear his shoes in the bedroom in the morning.
20 To make sure I get good grades, ______
(a) I doing my homework at the desk every evening.
(b) I do my homework at the desk every evening.
(c) I every evening do my homework at the desk.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 c
Explanation: (c) is correct (Subject + Verb + Object + Place + Time). (b) is a common mistake (putting the time “at 7 AM” between the subject and the verb). (a) is a structural error (“I” takes the base verb “drink”, not “drinks”).
2 b
Explanation: (b) is correct (Auxiliary + Subject + Verb + Object + Place + Time). (a) is a common mistake (putting the time “every day” in the middle of the sentence). (c) is a structural error (using “Are” instead of “Do” for an action verb).
3 b
Explanation: (b) is correct. Place (“in the living room”) goes at the end. (c) is a common mistake (putting the place before the verb). (a) is a structural error (“She” requires “doesn’t”, not “don’t”).
4 a
Explanation: (a) is correct (Subject + Verb + Object + Place). (b) is a common mistake (putting the place before the verb). (c) is a structural error (using V-ing without a “to be” verb).
5 c
Explanation: (c) is correct. “My roommate” is singular, so we use “goes”, followed by Place then Time. (a) is a common mistake (time inserted before the verb). (b) is a structural error (missing “-es” on the verb).
6 a
Explanation: (a) is correct. Place (“in the fridge”) then Time (“today”) at the end. (c) is a common mistake (putting “today” before the verb). (b) is a structural error (“we” requires “Do”, not “Does”).
7 c
Explanation: (c) is correct (Subject + don’t + Verb + Object + Place + Time). (a) is a common mistake (putting time “in the morning” in the middle). (b) is a structural error (“I” takes “don’t”, not “doesn’t”).
8 a
Explanation: (a) is correct. Place (“on TV”) then Time (“at 7:30”). (c) is a common mistake (putting time before the verb). (b) is a structural error (“We” takes the base verb “watch”).
9 b
Explanation: (b) is correct. (c) is a common mistake (putting “every morning” in the middle of the question). (a) is a structural error (“he” requires “Does”).
10 a
Explanation: (a) is correct. (b) is a common mistake (inserting the time “on Mondays” before the verb). (c) is a structural error (adding “-s/es” to the verb for the subject “I”).
11 b
Explanation: (b) is correct. (c) is a common mistake (putting the time in the middle). (a) is a structural error (using “not eat” instead of “don’t eat”).
12 c
Explanation: (c) is correct. (a) is a common mistake (putting the place “in the bathroom” before the verb). (b) is a structural error (“I” takes the base verb).
13 a
Explanation: (a) is correct. Place (“in the bedroom”) + Time (“at night”). (c) is a common mistake (putting the time in the middle). (b) is a structural error (using “Are” instead of “Do”).
14 c
Explanation: (c) is correct. “She” needs the verb “brushes”, followed by Place then Time. (a) is a common mistake (putting the time before the verb). (b) is a structural error (missing “-es”).
15 b
Explanation: (b) is correct. Place + Time at the end. (c) is a common mistake. (a) is a structural error (“not check” instead of “don’t check”).
16 a
Explanation: (a) is correct. (b) is a common mistake (putting the time between the subject and the verb). (c) is a structural error (“drinking” without “are”).
17 c
Explanation: (c) is correct. (a) is a common mistake (putting the time before the verb). (b) is a structural error (adding “-s” to the main verb in a “Does” question).
18 a
Explanation: (a) is correct. (b) is a common mistake (putting the time in the middle). (c) is a structural error.
19 c
Explanation: (c) is correct. (b) is a common mistake (inserting the time in the middle). (a) is a structural error (“He” requires “doesn’t”).
20 b
Explanation: (b) is correct. (c) is a common mistake (putting the time before the verb). (a) is a structural error.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The Golden Rule of Word Order: In English, the structure of a standard sentence is Subject + Verb + Object. You must keep these three parts together.
2 Place and Time at the End: Words that tell us Where (Place) and When (Time) usually go at the end of the sentence. If you have both, Place comes before Time.
- Correct: I drink coffee (S+V+O) in the kitchen (Place) at 7 AM (Time).
- Incorrect: I at 7 AM drink coffee in the kitchen. (This is a common mistake made by translating directly from your native language).
3 Question Structure: The rule is the same for questions. Do not put the time or place in the middle!
- Correct: Do you eat breakfast at home?
- Incorrect: Do you at home eat breakfast?