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CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF WORD ORDER PATTERNS OF SIMPLE
SENTENCES STRUCTURE IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK LANGUAGES
Ubaydullayeva Oqila Nodirbek kizi
Termiz State University,
1st year master's degree in the department of linguistics, English.
Jumakulova Shakhnoza
Termiz State University, PhD.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14720133
Abstract. This article explores a contrastive analysis of the word order patterns in simple
sentence structures of English and Uzbek, two linguistically distinct languages from the Indo-
European and Turkic families, respectively. The study highlights key differences and similarities
in sentence construction, focusing on the basic word order (SVO in English and SOV in Uzbek),
verb placement, negation, adjective-noun ordering, and the formation of questions.
Key words: Word order, subject, verb, object, adjective, adverb, noun, sentence structure,
question words, simple sentence.
КОНТРАСТИВНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ МОДЕЛЕЙ ПОРЯДКА СЛОВ В СТРУКТУРЕ
ПРОСТЫХ ПРЕДЛОЖЕНИЙ В АНГЛИЙСКОМ И УЗБЕКСКОМ ЯЗЫКАХ
Аннотация. В этой статье исследуется контрастивный анализ моделей порядка
слов в структурах простых предложений английского и узбекского языков, двух
лингвистически отличных языков из индоевропейской и тюркской семей соответственно.
Исследование подчеркивает ключевые различия и сходства в построении
предложений, уделяя особое внимание основному порядку слов (SVO в английском языке и
SOV в узбекском), размещению глагола, отрицанию, порядку прилагательного-
существительного и формированию вопросов.
Ключевые слова: порядок слов, подлежащее, глагол, дополнение, прилагательное,
наречие, существительное, структура предложения, вопросительные слова, простое
предложение.
Word order refers to the arrangement of words within a sentence, and the order in which
the subject, verb, object, and other components appear in a sentence plays a significant role in
determining the grammaticality and meaning of a sentence. Word order is an essential feature of
syntax in both English and Uzbek, although these two languages follow different syntactic rules
due to their respective language families. English is a Germanic language, and Uzbek is a Turkic
language, and their syntactic structures, especially concerning word order, reflect these
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differences. This contrastive analysis focuses on the word order patterns in simple sentence
structures, highlighting key differences and similarities between English and Uzbek.
Basic Word Order (SVO vs. SOV)
One of the most fundamental differences between English and Uzbek is the basic word
order.
English: The predominant word order in simple declarative sentences in English is
Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)
. This means that the subject of the sentence is followed by the verb,
and the object (if any) follows the verb. The SVO structure is a fixed rule in English grammar, and
any deviation from this order often results in an ungrammatical or significantly altered sentence.
Example: "John (S) reads (V) books (O)."
Uzbek: In contrast, the basic word order in Uzbek is
Subject-Object-Verb (SOV)
,
meaning that the verb comes at the end of the sentence. While the subject comes first, the object
precedes the verb. This word order is highly preferred in Uzbek simple sentences, and any
alteration of this structure often leads to confusion or loss of meaning. Example: "Jon (S) kitob
(O) o'qiydi (V)." (John reads a book.)
This difference in word order fundamentally shapes how sentences are constructed and
interpreted in each language. For English speakers, constructing an SOV sentence would be
grammatically incorrect, while for Uzbek speakers, the SVO structure would sound odd.
Role of the Verb in Sentence Structure
English: In English, the verb plays a central role in the sentence and is positioned between
the subject and the object. The verb must agree with the subject in terms of tense, person, and
number, but the tense, aspect, and auxiliary verbs usually come before the main verb in certain
constructions (e.g., progressive tense, perfect aspect). In a simple declarative sentence, however,
the verb follows the subject and precedes the object. Example: "She (S) speaks (V) English (O)."
Uzbek: Similar to English, the verb is crucial in Uzbek sentence structure, but the position
of the verb at the end of the sentence means that the subject and object appear first. The verb also
agrees with the subject in terms of person and number, but the tense, aspect, and modality are
indicated through suffixes attached directly to the verb. The verb forms a part of an agglutinative
system, where multiple affixes can be added to a verb to express nuanced meanings such as
negation, mood, tense, or aspect. Example: "U (S) kitobni (O) o'qiydi (V)." (She reads the book.)
Negation in Simple Sentences
English: In English, negation is formed by adding the auxiliary verb "not" or using negative
forms of verbs like "isn't," "don't," "can't," etc. Negation generally occurs between the subject and
the verb, or after the auxiliary verb if there is one. Example: "He does not (V) like (V) apples (O)."
Example: "She can't (V) speak (V) French (O)."
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Uzbek: In Uzbek, negation is expressed by attaching the negation particle "emas" or "yo'q"
after the verb or sometimes in conjunction with the verb in more complex verb forms. The negative
word is typically placed after the verb, reflecting the SOV structure. Example: "U (S) kitobni (O)
o'qimaydi (V)." (She does not read the book.)
Negation in Uzbek does not require auxiliary verbs, unlike English, where auxiliary verbs
are central to forming negative constructions.
Adjectives and Noun Placement
English: In English, adjectives usually precede the noun they modify. This fixed structure
means that adjectives are placed directly in front of the noun they describe, whether the adjective
is attributive or descriptive. Example: "The tall (adj) man (noun)."
Uzbek: In contrast, in Uzbek, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. This is a
direct result of the SOV structure, where the noun is placed first, and the adjective comes
afterward. Example: "Baland (adj) odam (noun)." (Tall man)
This contrast in adjective-noun placement is one of the notable differences in word order
between the two languages. It influences how modifiers (such as adjectives) are handled in both
languages.
Questions
English: In English, questions can be formed by inverting the subject and auxiliary verb or
by using question words at the beginning of the sentence (e.g., "who," "what," "where"). English
generally uses auxiliary verbs (do, be, have) to help form questions. Example (Yes/No Question):
"Is he reading the book?"
Example (Wh-Question): "What is she doing?"
Uzbek: In Uzbek, questions are typically formed by adding a question particle at the end
of the sentence, and no inversion of subject and verb is necessary. The basic word order of subject-
object-verb remains intact, with a question particle (such as "mi," "midi," or "dimi") attached to
the verb to indicate that the sentence is interrogative. Example (Yes/No Question): "U kitob
o'qiydimi?" (Is she reading the book?) Example (Wh-Question): "U nima o'qiydi?" (What is she
reading?)
In Uzbek, word order remains fixed, and questions are marked by particles rather than
through changes in word order or auxiliary inversion, as is the case in English.
Adverb Placement
English: In English, adverbs are relatively flexible, but they generally occur either after the
verb or at the beginning or end of the sentence. The placement of adverbs depends on the type of
adverb and the emphasis desired. Example: "She sings beautifully." Example: "Quickly, she left
the house."
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Uzbek: Adverbs typically appear before the verb in Uzbek, aligning with the subject-
object-verb structure. However, adverbs may occasionally appear at the beginning of a sentence
for emphasis. Example: "U tez o'qiydi" (She reads quickly.) Example: "Tez o'qiydi u" (Quickly,
she reads.)
While English offers more flexibility in adverb placement, Uzbek tends to follow a more
fixed structure, with adverbs preceding the verb.
In summary, while both English and Uzbek share some commonalities in sentence
construction, such as the subject-verb relationship and the use of object pronouns, their word order
patterns are fundamentally different. English uses a strict
SVO
order, while Uzbek prefers
SOV
word order, with the verb typically at the end of the sentence. These differences extend to the
positioning of adjectives, adverbs, negation, questions, and other sentence elements.
Understanding these differences is essential for learners of both languages, as word order
affects the grammatical structure, meaning, and interpretation of sentences. By examining these
syntactic contrasts, we gain valuable insights into the unique grammatical frameworks of English
and Uzbek.
REFERENCES
1.
Sulaymanova, N. D. (2015). Comparative investigation of locative adessive elements in the
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at the current stage of the intensive information turnover (pp. 12-13).
2.
Shodieva, G. N., & Dusmаtоv, H. H. (2022, July). Principles of division of word categories in
Uzbek language. In International conferences (Vol. 1, No. 11, pp. 38-43).
3.
Shaturaev, J. (2014). Comparative study on similarities and differences of teaching and
learning process in primary schools in Indonesia and Uzbekistan. Universitas Pendidikan
Indonesia.
4.
Dilso, X. (2021). Comparative analysis of allusions in two languages (Uzbek and English).
Academicia Globe: Inderscience Research, 2(6), 1-5.
5.
Usmonova, K. A. qizi. (2022). Comparative analysis of the word order in English and Uzbek
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