主谓宾【zhǔ-wèi-bīn】

A Chinese statement runs subject, then verb, then object, the same order as English.

What differs is everything else. English hangs extra information off the end of the sentence; Chinese stacks it in front of the verb. Time comes first, then place, then manner, and only then the verb.

Time and place go before the verb

A place works the same way. It attaches to 在 and sits in front of the verb, not after the object.

A question keeps the word order of the statement

English moves the verb to the front of a question. Chinese moves nothing. Add 吗 at the end, or drop a question word into the slot you are asking about.

什么 sits where the object sits, because the object is what the question is about. The order of the other words is untouched.

The topic can move to the front

A noun the sentence is about can be lifted out and placed before the subject. The rest of the sentence then comments on it.

This is not a passive and not an inversion – 这本书 is simply announced first, and 我看过 says something about it.