Word order typology and language universals

7.3. 
Position of clitic pronouns 
Clitic pronouns typically occur affixed to the verb. In some languages, they are 
suffixed to the first word or first constituent of the clause and in others, they are affixed to 
some kind of grammatical particle. In a few languages, a pair of bound forms in a transitive 
clause combines to form a free form. (Mallinson and Blake, 1981: 168). 
If one considers where free pronouns occur in clauses, the position of bound pronouns 
makes sense. In written text or the artificial examples of grammar, pronouns rather than 
nouns is bound. Typical sentences of real speech consist of a verb and one or two pronouns 
and often not much else. Adverbial expressions are often separated from the verb and its 
pronouns. It is not surprising then to discover that the most common place to find bound 
pronouns is on the verb. One can also presume that the position of the bound pronouns 
reflects the earlier position of the free unstressed pronouns, though one cannot deduce the 
earlier position of stressed noun phrases. 
Real life sentences, besides containing a verb and one or two pronouns are likely to 
contain a patient noun phrase, an oblique noun phrase or an adverbial. Any of these could 
occur at the head of the clause if they are focused, and oblique phrases or adverbials 
indicating the setting for the clause are particularly likely to appear at the beginning of the 
clause. Of course if the language is verb final these words and phrases will not normally have 
the verb as an opponent seeking first place in the clause. 
Clitic pronouns are not the only constituents that show some affinity for the second 
position in the clause. Linking words naturally tend to come at or near the beginning of the 
clause. They tend to compete for the first position in the clause with clause with a topic or a 
focus, in some cases with an extra posed topic or focus. In English, the linking adverb 
‘however’ tends to come either at the beginn
ing of the clause often set off by an intonation 
break or following the first constituent, where it usually receives parenthetical intonation.

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26 
18. 
However, the women were not prepared for this. 
19. 
The women, however, were not prepared for this. 
Some linking words must occur at the head of the clause (and, but or in English), but others 
become obligatory “second position’ words.