In simple sentences, both languages follow the S-V-O structure.

Français	Anglais
Il a acheté des actions.	He has bought some shares.

The simple structure, however, can get complicated when other sentences parts come in.

La négation / Negation

In English, the negation usually precedes the verbs. In French, the negative particles encircle the verb.

Français	Anglais
Je ne regarde pas la télévision.	I don’t watch TV.
Je ne regarde jamais la télévision.	I never watch TV.

In English, the one-negation-word rule applies.

Français	Anglais
Personne ne regarde la télévision.	No one watches TV.
Nulle part, elle n’a vu jamais personne.	She has never seen anyone anywhere.

Les adverbes / Adverbs

Time expressions can be placed at the beginning or at the end.

Français	Anglais
Hier, il a acheté des actions.	Yesterday, he bought some shares.
Il a acheté des actions hier.	He bought some shares yesterday.

Adverbs of place precede those of time:

Français	Anglais
Il a acheté des actions à New York hier.	He bought some shares in New York yesterday.

Adverbs of frequency follow the verb in French.

Français	Anglais
Nous allons rarement au cinéma.	We rarely/seldom go the cinema.
Ils ne parlent jamais de leur travail.	They never speak about their work.
Il fait toujours la même erreur.	He always makes the same mistake.

Alternately, they are placed at the start/end of the sentence, like in English.

Français	Anglais
Nous mangeons au restaurant parfois.	We eat in a restaurant sometimes.
Parfois, nous mangeons au restaurant.	Sometimes we eat in a restaurant.

Adverbs of intensity precede the verb in French.

Français	Anglais
Il a trop mangé.	He has eaten too much.

Les pronoms / Pronouns

Unlike in French, pronouns are placed after the verb in English.

Français	Anglais
Il en a acheté.	He has bought some.

Unlike in English, double pronouns are usually placed in front of the verb in French.

Français	Anglais
Il le lui a donné.	He gave it to him.

The structures are equivalent in both languages when pronouns are used with prepositions.

Français	Anglais
Il l’acheté pour elle.	He has bought it for her.

Indirect speech

Both in English and French, the word order in indirect (reported) question is the same as in a declarative statement.

Français	Anglais
Est-ce que tu sais où il est ?	Do you know where he is?

Both languages apply the time shift rule (concordance des temps).

Français	Anglais
Il vient ce soir.	He is coming tonight.
Elle m’a dit qu’il venait ce soir-là.	She told me he was coming that night.

Exercises

Word orderROPOT in IS MU