Syntax
(1) Position of words in a sentence : A sentence may contain any number of words, but a verb must necessarily be there i.e. a sentence must have two portions viz.
(i) the subject
(ii) the predicate
the predicate. being an intransitive verb does not take object, but transitive
transitive verb consists of three portions, e.g. :
(2) In the above sentence, the subject comes first, object second and the predicate last (In an English sentence the object must come after the predicate). But there are no definite rules about the order of the words in a Pali sentence.
(3) Addressing words are very often placed first, in a sentence e.g.
(i)
(ii) So also with
(iii) So also with
(4) Interrogation is expressed by using interrogative adverbs.
(a) Pronouns or particles at the beginning of a sentence :– When there is an interrogative word in a sentence, the addressing word, if there be any, takes the second or last place.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(b) Interrogation is also expressed by placing the verb first, in a sentence, followed very often by the particle