2.2.1.1. Specific position(s) for subject and object
The basic word order in LSC is subject-object-verb (SOV). In the example below the subject is placed at the beginning of the sentence followed by the object and the verb.
ix1 onion eat.
‘I eat onions.’
(based on Quer & Pfau 2010: 9)
However, the order of the elements inside the VP may vary depending on different factors. One common factor for this variation is the type of verb. In LSC, verbs of motion or location are more commonly placed before the locative argument. In the example below, the subject ix1 is immediately followed by the verb go, thus exhibiting a different pattern than the one in the example above.
jordi go girona.
‘Jordi goes to Girona.’
Other common deviations from the basic word order in LSC are caused by information structural reasons. For instance, topicalization is marked with a change in the constituent word order, namely fronting the topicalized constituent and raised eyebrows [PRAGMATICS 4.2]. In the example below, the object onion is fronted and articulated with raised eyebrows, followed by a slight pause before the subject and the verb.
re
onion, ix1 eat.
‘Onions, I eat.’
(based on Quer & Pfau 2010: 9)