在中文里,词序非常重要;两个字的秩序不同，意思也不同。例如“东西”和“西东”，前者是“things”，后者是“everywhere” ——“各奔西东”。再如“女儿”和“儿女”，前者是“ daughter(s)”，后者是“children”。
英语的词序虽不像中文那样富有语义上的变化，但也很重要，绝对不容忽视。有时，一字一词方位的改变，全句的意思可能“牵一发动全身”，跟着受影响。
下面便是些好例子：
① Even the government officers admitted that some tax measures were unfair.
② The government officers admitted that even some tax measures were unfair.
第一句的意思是：每个人，包括政府官员，都承认有些税务措施不公平。第二句的意思是：政府官员承认，许多事情，连税务措施在内，都不公平。前者焦点在“人”;后者则在“事”。
③ The couple don’t have much money to spend on their foreign trip.
④ The couple don’t have to spend much money on their foreign trip.
第三句说“钱不够用”;第四句却说“不必多用钱”。“没有钱可花”和“有钱不必多花”，呈强烈对照，词序的影响，由此可见一斑!
⑤ The committee as a whole pointed out that the world economic situation had improved.
⑥ The committee pointed out that the world economic situation as a whole had improved.
第五句指的是“全部的委员”;第六句却影射“整体的经济局势”。同样一个片语，所指有所不同。
⑦ In vain did David try to prevent the job from being done.
⑧ David tried to prevent the job from being done in vain.
⑦里的“in vain”(无结果)指的是大卫的行动;⑧里的不是指人的行动，而是指“在进行中的工作”。
⑨ Approaching the shop, Helen noticed two strangers.
⑩ Helen noticed two strangers approaching the shop.
⑨里讲的是“海伦走向银行时，注意到两个陌生人”;⑩里指的是“两个陌生人走向银行时，引起海伦的注意”。
(11) I may visit a sometime lecturer of English language.
(12) I may visit a lecturer of English language sometime.
(11)里的“sometime”是形容词，意思是“以前的”;(12)里的“ sometime”是时间副词，意思是“某时候”。前者可以改成“former ”或“previous”;后者就要变为“at a certain time”了。
最后，请问下列二词，哪个是“防暴警察”?哪个是“警察暴动”?
A: RIOT POLICE
B: POLICE RIOT
