grammar - "Put the down." versus "Put down the ."

1. "Put the box down."


2. "Put down the box."

Which sentence is grammatically correct? If they are both correct, which one is used more and by whom (while you're at it, correct me on usage of 'whom' and single quotation marks if I used them wrong).

If it helps to answer this question, we usually say "put it down" as opposed to "put down it", and in fact, the latter expression is not even grammatically correct in the slightest bit whereas both (1) and (2) seem equally viable from the perspective of an ESL speaker (that would be me) although by convention, I usually say (1) even though I think I've heard stern mothers in American movies use (2) when shouting at their child (although maybe they say "Put down that box!" instead).

Answer

The sentences are both correct, but the order puts the emphasis on different things. "Put the box down" has an implicit emphasis on the box, whereas "Put down the box" has an emphasis on the action of putting the box down.