中英兩種語言的結(jié)構(gòu)有很大不同，詞序便是其中一種。例如英語單數(shù)人稱代名詞(singular personal pronouns)的秩序是：You and I; he and I; you, he and I.You常常居前;I則殿后。復數(shù)人稱代詞(plural personal pronouns)的位置是：We and you; you and they; we, you and they.We常常在最前;they在最后。

后面這詞序和中文的一樣，但前面那種排列，卻和中文的不同： “我和你;我和他;我，你，他”。我常在前;他常在后。

簡簡單單的人稱代詞的秩序，就有這么大的差別，其他更復雜的結(jié)構(gòu)之間的差異，可想而知了。

現(xiàn)在試再舉些其他詞序的差異，以饗讀者。 ① 要分清敵我→We must distinguish between ourselves and the enemy. ② 男女老少→men and women, young and old ③ 發(fā)展鋼鐵工業(yè)→develop the iron and steel industry

此外，中英文并列的詞語有輕重之分。中文往往把重的詞放在前，把分量較輕的擺在后;英語則恰恰相反：輕者在前，重者在后。例如： ④ 無地和少地的農(nóng)民→Those peasants who have little or no land…… ⑤ 救死扶傷→Heal the wounded and rescue the dying. (扶也可譯為“support”或“assist”) ⑥ 使人民經(jīng)濟有所增長，有所補充→We must help the people to supplement and expand their economy.

上述中英詞序的差異，稍微不察，便會出錯，在各別使用中文式英語時，難免感到句式不自然，不舒暢;因此要多多留意。

其實，不談兩種不同語言的詞序，就英語來說，詞序(word order)也是運用上的錯誤之一，只是不比其他幾種常見錯誤普遍罷了。

⒈頻率副詞(adverbs of frequency)，如：

⑦a. Jim always is happy.

b. Jim is always happy.

⒉倒裝句(inverted constructions)，如：

⑧a. Only by working hard you can become useful to the country.

b. Only by working hard can you become useful to the country.

⑨a. Seldom I have seen such an irrational person.

b. Seldom have I seen such an irrational person.

⑩a. Under no circumstances we will help those not wishing to help themselves.

b. Under no circumstances will we help those not wishing to help themselves.

⒊可分開的片語動詞賓語(objects of separable phrasal verbs)，如：

11a. - Take off your hat, please!

Take off it now !

b. - O.K. Let me take it off straight away.

⑦a-11a的詞序都錯;⑦b-11b的才對。