Why is it written "walked dog"? - briefly
The phrase "walked dog" is used instead of "dog walked" because English grammar typically places helping verbs (like "has," "had," or "will") before the main verb in a sentence. In this case, "walked" serves as both the past tense form of the verb and the helping verb indicating that the action was completed in the past.
Why is it written "walked dog"? - in detail
The phrase "walked dog" is a classic example of a sentence fragment rather than a complete sentence. To understand why this construction is used, we must delve into the nuances of English grammar and usage.
In many languages, including English, a complete sentence typically consists of two main components: a subject and a predicate (or verb). The subject is the entity performing the action, while the predicate describes what that entity is doing. In the phrase "walked dog," neither element is fully expressed.
The word "dog" serves as the object of the action "walked," but without a clear subject, the sentence remains incomplete. To form a grammatically correct sentence, we need to specify who or what is performing the action of walking the dog. For example, "I walked the dog" or "She walked the dog." These sentences provide both the subject ("I" or "She") and the object ("dog").
In some contexts, the subject may be implied rather than explicitly stated. This is often seen in imperative sentences, where the subject "you" is understood but not written out. For instance, "Walk the dog" implies that the person being addressed should walk the dog. However, even in these cases, the sentence structure assumes a certain level of understanding between the speaker and the listener.
It's also worth noting that the phrase "walked dog" could be part of a larger, complex sentence where the subject is mentioned earlier or can be inferred from the surrounding text. For example, "Every morning, the neighbor walked his dog." Here, the complete thought includes both the action ("walked") and the subject ("the neighbor").
In summary, the phrase "walked dog" is written this way because it is an incomplete sentence fragment that lacks a clear subject. To form a grammatically correct sentence, we need to specify who or what is performing the action of walking the dog.