1. In a Latin sentence the most emphatic place is the _first_; next in
importance is the _last_; the weakest point is the _middle_. Generally
the _subject_ is the most important word, and is placed _first_;
usually the _verb_ is the next in importance, and is placed _last_.
The other words of the sentence stand between these two in the order
of their importance. Hence the normal order of words--that is, where
no unusual emphasis is expressed--is as follows:

_subject_--_modifiers of the subject_--_indirect object_--
_direct object_--_adverb_--_verb_

Changes from the normal order are frequent, and are due to the desire
for throwing emphasis upon some word or phrase. _Notice the order of
the Latin words when you are translating, and imitate it when you are
turning English into Latin._

2. Possessive pronouns and modifying genitives normally stand after
their nouns. When placed before their nouns they are emphatic, as

«fīlia mea», _my daughter_;
«mea fīlia», _«my» daughter_;
«casa Galbae», _Galba’s cottage_;
«Galbae casa», _«Galba’s» cottage_.

Notice the variety of emphasis produced by writing the following
sentence in different ways:

«Fīlia mea agricolīs cēnam parat» (normal order)
«Mea fīlia agricolīs parat cēnam» («mea» and «cēnam» emphatic)
«Agricolīs fīlia mea cēnam parat» («agricolīs» emphatic)