Name
Lesson
7
Date
Subjects in Unusual Order
Teaching
In most questions, the subject comes after the verb or between parts of the
verb phrase.
Are you ready? Have you packed a bag? (Have packed is the verb phrase)
VERB SUBJECT
CHAPTER 1
VERB SUBJECT
PHRASE
The subject of a command, or imperative sentence, is usually you. Often, you
doesn’t appear in the sentence because it is implied, or understood.
Get into the car.
VERB (The implied subject is You.)
In an inverted sentence, the subject comes after the verb.
Off on a trip went the happy family.
VERB
SUBJECT
In some sentences beginning with the words here or there, the subject follows
the verb. You find the subject by looking at the words that follow the verb.
Here is the state park. There are many campsites available.
VERB
SUBJECT
VERB
SUBJECT
Finding Subjects and Verbs in Unusual Positions
Copyright © McDougal Littell Inc.
In the following sentences, underline the simple subject once and the verb or verb
phrase twice. If the subject is understood, write You in parentheses on the line.
1. Over the hill came a park ranger.
______________
2. Did he help the family with their tent?
______________
3. Was the tent easy to assemble?
______________
4. There were four air mattresses for four people.
______________
5. Start the campfire carefully.
______________
6. Here is the food for our supper.
______________
7. Near our tent stood a large deer.
______________
8. Was the deer alone or with a group?
______________
9. There goes a family of raccoons through the woods.
______________
10. Look at all the stars in the sky tonight.
______________
11. Can you spot the Big Dipper?
______________
12. Here comes an owl above the treetops.
______________
GRAMMAR, USAGE, AND MECHANICS BOOK 19
Name
Lesson
7
Date
Subjects in Unusual Order
More Practice
A. Writing Sentences
EXAMPLE Through the woods scurried a frightened rabbit.
A frightened rabbit scurried through the woods.
1. Was the family trip to the state park fun?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Around the campfire sat the entire family.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Are boats available at that campsite?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. In the deep lake swam many fish.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Were you sorry when the trip ended?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
B. Writing Sentences
Rewrite each sentence as an inverted or imperative sentence. You may choose to
add Here or There. Then underline each subject once and each verb twice in your
new sentence.
EXAMPLE The sun rose over our campsite.
Over our campsite rose the sun.
1. You can hike through the forest.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Beautiful wildflowers grew in the meadow.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Poison ivy is here by this tree.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. You must extinguish the campfire carefully.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Wading birds live around the lake.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
20 GRAMMAR, USAGE, AND MECHANICS BOOK
Copyright © McDougal Littell Inc.
CHAPTER 1
In the following sentences, underline the simple subject once and the verb twice.
Then rewrite each sentence so that the subject comes before the verb.
Name
Lesson
7
Date
Subjects in Unusual Order
Application
A. Revising Using Different Sentence Orders
Have you ever gone camping with your family? To a state park went
my family last weekend. In a tent camped all four of us. There were many
interesting things to do. Through the woods hiked the family. There were
wildflowers in the meadow. Around our campsite were spotted many wild
animals. There were boats to row on the lake. All too soon came the time to
leave. Reluctantly packed my family. To come back to the state park again
was our decision.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
B. Revising Using a Variety of Sentence Orders
Copyright © McDougal Littell Inc.
The writer of this paragraph decided always to use the usual word order of subject
before verb. Rewrite the paragraph, this time using many kinds of sentence orders.
Write at least two sentences in which the subject comes before the verb. Write at
least two sentences in a more unusual order, with the subject after the verb.
We made a list of camping equipment to take with us. A tent was first on
our list. Air mattresses were also on our list. We included sleeping bags for
each of us. A small propane stove for cooking our meals was needed, too.
Two large coolers were added to our list. We took enough food and beverages
for the entire weekend. Flashlights were at the bottom of the list. Everyone
brought some rain gear, just in case. We were ready for anything.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
GRAMMAR, USAGE, AND MECHANICS BOOK 21
CHAPTER 1
The writer of this paragraph decided never to use the usual word order of subject
before verb. In all of the paragraph’s sentences, the subject is found in an unusual
position or is understood. Rewrite the paragraph. Use a variety of sentence orders
to improve the paragraph.