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### Description
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Most languages have a normal way of ordering the parts of a sentence. It is not the same in all languages. You (the translator) need to know what the normal word order is in your language.
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### The Main Parts of a Sentence
Most sentences have three basic important parts: subject, object, and verb. Subjects and objects are usually nouns (i.e., a person, place, thing, or idea) or pronouns. Verbs show action or a state of being.
#### Subject
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The subject is usually what the sentence is about. It usually performs some action or is being described.
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A subject may be **active** , meaning that it does something, such as sing, work, or teach.
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* < u > Peter</ u > sings the song well.
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A subject may have something done to it.
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* < u > Peter</ u > was fed good food.
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A subject can be described as being in a **state** , such as being happy, sad, or angry.
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* < u > He</ u > is tall.
* < u > The boy</ u > is happy.
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#### Object
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The **object** is often the thing that the subject does something to.
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* Peter hit < u > the ball</ u > .
* Peter read < u > a book</ u > .
* Peter sang < u > the song</ u > well.
* Peter ate < u > good food</ u > .
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#### Verb
The verb shows an action or a state of being.
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* Peter < u > sings</ u > the song well.
* Peter < u > is singing</ u > .
* Peter < u > is</ u > tall.
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#### Preferred Word Order
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All languages have a preferred word order. The examples below show the order of the subject, object, and verb in “Peter hit the ball” for some languages.
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In some languages, such as English, the normal word order is Subject-Verb-Object.
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* Peter hit the ball.
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In some languages the order is Subject-Object-Verb.
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* Peter the ball hit.
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In some languages the order is Verb-Subject-Object.
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* Hit Peter the ball.
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#### Changes in Word Order
Word order can change if the sentence:
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* is a question or command
* describes a state of being (He is happy. He is tall.)
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* expresses a condition, such as with the the word “if”
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* has a location
* has a time element
* is in a poem
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Word order can also change
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* if there is some kind of emphasis on a certain part of the sentence
* if the sentence is really about something other than the subject
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### Translation Principles
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* Know which word order is preferred in your language.
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* Use your language’
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* Translate the sentence so that the meaning is accurate and clear and so that it sounds natural.
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You may also want to watch the video at http://ufw.io/figs_order.
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