ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS IN THE SENTENCE.
In English the sense often depends entirely on the order of the words, e.g., the sentence "John saw George" would mean something quite different if reversed—"George saw John." But in Esperanto, thanks to the accusative n, the endings a and e for participles, and the pronoun si, the order of words may be varied without altering the sense. "Georgon vidis Johano" means exactly the same as "Johano vidis Georgon."
But though the meaning can in most cases be understood whatever the order of the words, it is best to adopt the simplest arrangement, and to follow the natural course of thought, which is, first, that about which we think, then that which we think about it. English students may frame their sentences exactly as they would in their own language. In Esperanto, as in English, the arrangement is sometimes altered, either for emphasis, as Laŭdata estu Dio! Praised be God!; or to please the ear, as Oni min admiras, instead of Oni admiras min, People admire me.
Note.—Care must be taken in placing the word "ne." Its usual place is before the verb, when it negatives the whole sentence. Study the effect of placing ne in different positions in the sentence Mi deziras vidi Johanon kaj lian fraton, I wish to see John and his brother:—
(i.). Mi ne deziras vidi Johanon kaj lian fraton, I do not wish to see John and his brother.
(ii.). Mi deziras ne vidi Johanon kaj lian fraton, I wish not to see John and his brother, i.e., I wish to avoid seeing them.
(iii.). Mi deziras vidi ne Johanon, sed lian fraton, I wish to see not John, but his brother.
(iv.). Mi deziras vidi Johanon kaj ne lian fraton, I wish to see John and not his brother.
Ne tute means "not quite," while tute ne means "not at all."
Jam ne means "no longer." "Not yet" is ankoraŭ ne.