Sentence Builder
Drag or tap English phrase chunks into the right order. Tenses, conditionals, passive — your call.
About Sentence Builder
Sentence Builder is a free drag-and-drop English word order game made for ESL learners who struggle with sentence structure. Each round gives you five English sentences with the phrase chunks shuffled — your job is to arrange them in the right order. The drag interaction works on desktop; on mobile, you can tap chunks in order instead, so it stays fully playable on a phone in one hand. The game is organised by grammar topic.
Choose conditionals, reported speech, passive voice, questions, relative clauses or any of the other 20+ topics and the round serves only sentences from that topic. That focused drill is exactly the kind of structured practice that fixes the most common ESL mistake of all: putting the verb in the wrong slot. Every sentence is tagged with a CEFR level, and after you press Check, each chunk you got right turns green and any wrong slot turns red.
Tap any chunk to see a one-line explanation of why that order is correct — for example, "the time phrase normally comes after the object". Sentence Builder suits A2 to C1 learners, IELTS and Cambridge candidates who need word-order accuracy, and teachers who want a fast warm-up. Free to play, no sign-up; log in only to save XP and streak.
Why play Sentence Builder?
- ✓ Trains the #1 ESL weakness — English word order — through hands-on rearranging.
- ✓ Drag on desktop and tap on mobile means it works in any context.
- ✓ Topic selector covers conditionals, reported speech, passive and 20+ others.
- ✓ Per-chunk explanations teach the rule, not just the answer.
How to play
- Look at the shuffled chunks below the line.
- Drag — or tap, on mobile — the chunks into the correct order.
- Press Check. Green is right, red is wrong.
- Tap a chip to see why the order is what it is.
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Frequently asked questions
How does Sentence Builder work?
Each round shows five sentences whose phrase chunks have been shuffled. On desktop, drag chunks into the slots above the line. On mobile, tap chunks one at a time in the correct order — they slot in automatically. Press Check to see green (correct position) or red (wrong position) feedback for each chunk, then tap any chip to read the grammar rule.
Which grammar topics are available?
More than twenty topics including the four conditionals, reported speech, passive voice in all tenses, question formation, relative clauses (defining and non-defining), comparative and superlative structures, time clauses, gerunds and infinitives. Each topic is hand-curated with sentences tagged from A2 to C1 difficulty so coverage matches real ESL syllabuses.
Is Sentence Builder good for IELTS or Cambridge prep?
Yes. Word order is one of the highest-impact accuracy issues in IELTS Writing and Cambridge Use of English. Sentence Builder drills exactly that — placing time phrases, adverbs, object pronouns and conditional clauses in the right slot. The conditional and reported speech topic packs are particularly strong for FCE, CAE and IELTS candidates.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, fully. Drag-and-drop on desktop and tap-to-order on mobile mean you do not need to fight a tiny touch target on a phone. Every chunk meets the 44px touch standard, and the layout stacks cleanly in portrait without horizontal scroll. You can play one-handed during a commute without losing accuracy.
Are there explanations for each sentence?
Yes. After you check a sentence, tap any chunk chip to see a short explanation of why that piece goes where it does. The notes call out the grammar rule in plain English — for example, "in reported speech, the time phrase shifts back one step" — so you learn the pattern, not just the single sentence.