Typically, Chinese word order is Subject + Location + Verb + Object.
However, this page indicates the location may follow the verb with certain exceptions. That is, there are location complements for 在 (zài).
Is there an exhaustive list of all verbs which are exceptions to the standard word order, and which cause the location to follow the verb?
For instance, would 跳舞 qualify as an exception? How about 游泳?
The page clearly stated: "These are verbs that imply movement or location. Technically, the structure is called a location complement"
The answer to your question is: "Any verb that imply movement or location can use '在' as a location complement
There are too many to count.
For example:
跳 (jump) - you can jump on somewhere. E.g "他的貓跳在我身上" (His cat jumps on to my body)
掉 (drop) - you can drop something on somewhere. E.g "我把鑰匙掉在街上" (I dropped my keys in the street)
放 (put) - you can put something on somewhere. E.g "約翰把書放在桌子上" (John put the book on the table)
丟失 (lost)- you can lost something on somewhere. E.g "我把鑰匙丟失在街上" (I lost my keys in the street)
放置 (place)- you can place something on somewhere. E.g "約翰把書放置在桌子上" (John places the book on the table)
For instance, would 跳舞 qualify as an exception? How about 游泳?
跳舞 and 游泳 do not qualified as exceptions. No location complement is needed for these two words. Dance or swim is not a single movement that apply to a location. You can't dance, swim, sing or talk yourself (or an object) to a location.
Edit:
Crashalot wrote:
why is jump on somewhere an exception, but dance is not? 跳舞 even uses 跳 as part of the word. in the same way you can jump on somewhere, you can dance on somewhere (e.g., dance on street, dance on grass)
Adding the location complement '在' after a verb, is to indicate the action is a movement that put the subject or object on a location, which mean the action is associated with a location.
跳舞 only describes the action of 'dance'. It is not a movement to put object on a location.(you know that because 跳舞 doesn't even take object)
On the other hand, verbs like '放置' (place) and 丟失 (lost) are movements that put object on a location-- when you 'place' something, there's always a location where you place it; When you 'lost' something, there is always a location where you lost it.
You can use 跳舞 on its own with no object, but you must use '放置' with object.
Verbs like 跳舞, 工作 and 游泳 do not take object, therefore cannot be an exception from the 'location before verb' rule.
If you want to add the information of where the verb takes place, you have to do it the regular way by adding a relative phrase. For example: " 他在大廳裡跳舞" (he dances in the hall) but not "他跳舞在大廳裡"; "他在銀行工作"(he works in a bank) but not "他工作在銀行"
