A place can come first to set the scene before a new person or thing appears.

The idea

With a fronted place or direction, a suitable verb of position or movement can precede a noun subject: On the hill stood a windmill. The verb agrees with that subject. This order is common in description and storytelling.

Examples

  • Here comes the baker.
  • On the hill stood a windmill.
  • Into the room walked a musician.
  • Beyond the gate lay a garden.
  • There goes the last tram.
  • Here she comes.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not add an auxiliary as in a question. With a pronoun, use normal subject–verb order: Here she comes.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct option. Across the field ___ a fox. (ran / did run)

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    ran

    ran puts the movement verb before the noun without question-style did.

  2. Choose the correct option. Here ___! (he comes / comes he)

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    he comes

    he comes keeps the pronoun before the verb.

  3. Choose the correct option. By the window ___ two chairs. (stood / stands)

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    stood

    stood agrees with the plural subject in the past; stands would not agree.

Use it today

Describe a place with an inverted noun subject, then announce someone using a pronoun.