The article examines the word order phenomenon in Maithili simple sentences. The article proposes a set of categorical rules to generate the underlying structures of Maithili simple sentences, assuming that the role-oriented change in the underlying structures which involve leftward movement can be handled by postulating the rules of focusing and topicalization in the transformational component of grammar. The article observes that the change in the underlying structures may not always be role-oriented. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-01-30)