Word order for sentences

The basic word order for sentences in English that you need to follow is:

• Subject (the scientist)
• Verb (measured)
• Direct object (the leaves)
• Indirect object (the laboratory)

The scientist measured the leaves in the laboratory.

Note that you would not write:

The scientist measured in the laboratory their leaves.

This puts the indirect object before the direct object and is wrong for a sentence in the English language. Native English language speakers have an expectation of the order in which they should read words in a sentence.

The order that you put the words in the sentence also conditions the weight that the reader will give to each bit of information.

It is important to try to keep the subject, verb, direct object and indirect object as close to each other as possible.

For example, you could write:

For the second time the scientist measured the leaves in the laboratory.

But you should not write:

The scientist measured for the second time the leaves in the laboratory.

Readers expect words that are closely associated with each other to appear next to each other in the sentence, place the words in the most logical order possible. For example some authors have written:

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a global problem that requires a multifaceted effort to curb it.

Which is better than writing:

Multidrug resistance (MDR) requires a multifaceted effort to curb what is now a global problem.

Or in another case some authors have written:

Plastic accumulation is a global concern because of its effects on marine organisms.

Which is better than if they had written:

Plastic accumulation, because of its effects on marine organisms, has become a global concern.

Subject before the verb

Make sure that you place the subject before the verb. For example you should write:

Our data reveal that AstA is wake-promoting.

Rather than:

It is revealed by our data that AstA is wake-promoting.

Or, you should write that:

A range of organisms are known to ingest microplastics.

Rather than:

It is known that a range of organisms ingest microplastics.

Extract for word order

Read through the extract below thinking specifically about the word order and try to identify, the subject, verb and object in the sentences.

Meta-analysis reveals an extreme “decline effect” in the impacts of ocean acidification on fish behavior

Abstract

Ocean acidification—decreasing oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of excess atmospheric CO₂—has the potential to affect marine life in the future. Among the possible consequences, a series of studies on coral reef fish suggested that the direct effects of acidification on fish behavior may be extreme and have broad ecological ramifications. Recent studies documenting a lack of effect of experimental ocean acidification on fish behavior, however, call this prediction into question. Indeed, the phenomenon of decreasing effect sizes over time is not uncommon and is typically referred to as the “decline effect.” Here, we explore the consistency and robustness of scientific evidence over the past decade regarding direct effects of ocean acidification on fish behavior. Using a systematic review and meta-analysis of 91 studies empirically testing effects of ocean acidification on fish behavior, we provide quantitative evidence that the research to date on this topic is characterized by a decline effect, where large effects in initial studies have all but disappeared in subsequent studies over a decade. The decline effect in this field cannot be explained by 3 likely biological explanations, including increasing proportions of studies examining (1) cold-water species; (2) nonolfactory-associated behaviors; and (3) nonlarval life stages. Furthermore, the vast majority of studies with large effect sizes in this field tend to be characterized by low sample sizes, yet are published in high-impact journals and have a disproportionate influence on the field in terms of citations. We contend that ocean acidification has a negligible direct impact on fish behavior, and we advocate for improved approaches to minimize the potential for a decline effect in future avenues of research.

This extract is taken from: Clements JC, Sundin J, Clark TD, Jutfelt F (2022) Meta-analysis reveals an extreme “decline effect” in the impacts of ocean acidification on fish behavior. PLOS Biology 20(2): e3001511. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001511