Position of adverbs

A. There are three positions for adverbs:

mid-position (before the verb, or part of the verb)

He suddenlydrove off. We have never been to Australia.

end-position (at the end of a clause)

He drove off suddenly. Andrew arrived late.

initial position(at the beginning of a clause)

Suddenly he drove off. Yesterday I had a bad headache.

Not all adverbs can go in all three of these positions. Only certain kinds of
adverbs can go in initial position. Most kinds of adverbs can go in both mid-
position and end-position, but there are some that can only go in one or the
other. ‘Adverb phrases’ (groups of words that function as adverbs) cannot
usually go in mid-position. Compare:

I recently ordered some seeds for the garden.

I ordered some seeds for the garden a couple days ago.

B. Adverbs of place generally come at the end of the clause

She’s sitting outside. I looked for it everywhere.

She sent him away.

Here, there, and (in literary style) other ‘directional’ adverbs can also go in
initial position.

Here comes your bus. There goes Mrs Patterson. Down came the rain.

C. Adverbs of definite time (which say exactly when something happens) can
be put at the beginning or end of a clause.

I met her yesterday. Tomorrow we’re leaving for Belgium.

D. Adverbs of definite frequency (which say exactly how often something
happens) are normally put at the end of a clause.

Milk is delivered daily. We have meetings monthly.

E. Adverbs of indefinite time and frequency can go in mid-position.

I’ve recently become interested in gardening.

We often play tennis on Sundays.

F. Adverbs of manner (that say how something is done) can go in mid- or end-
position.

1. Adverbs of manner come after verb:

She danced beautifully

or after the object when there is one:

He gave her the money reluctantly. They speak English well.

Do not put an adverb between a verb and an object. But if the object is long
we usually put the adverb before the verb:

She carefully picked up all the bits of broken glass.

He angrily denied that he had stolen the documents.

They secretly decided to leave the town.

2. Note that if an adverb is placed after a clause or a phrase, it is normally
considered to modify the verb in that clause/phrase. If, therefore, we
move secretly to the end of the last example above, we change the meaning:

They secretly decided.... (The decision was secret.)

They decided to leave the town secretly.

(The departure was to be secret.)

3. When we have verb+preposition+object, the adverb can be either before the
preposition or after the object:

He looked at me suspiciously or He looked suspiciously at me.

But if the object contains a number of words we put the adverb before the
preposition:

He looked suspiciously at everyone who got off the plane.

G. Order of adverbs and adverb phrases of manner, place and time when they
occur in the same sentence.

1. Expressions of manner (how) usually precede expressions of place
(where) and adverbs of time (when) come last of all:

I went there at once. (place before time)

Come to my office at four o’clock. (place before time)

But away, back, down, forward, home, in, off, on, out, roundand up
usually precede adverbs of manner:

He walked away sadly. She looked back anxiously.

They went home quietly. They rode on confidently.

hereand theredo the same except with adverbs hard, well, badly:

He stood there silently but They work harder here.

2. Time expressions can follow expressions of manner and place:

I worked hard yesterday. (manner before time)

She sang perfectly in the town hall last night.

(manner before place before time)

He lived there happily for a year.

But they can also be in front position:

Every day he queued patiently at the bus stop.

3. Adverb phrases of place can refer to direction (like backwards) or position
(like in London). Adverbs of direction usually come before adverbs of
position.

I went to school in York.

Who’s the man walking around in the garden?

When there are two adverbs of position, the larger place is mentioned last:

I studied in a drama school in Madrid.

H. Adverbs of degree (like absolutely, almost, completely, enough, extremely,
hardly, just, much, rather and so on) modify adjectives or adverbs. They are
placed before the adjective or adverb:

You are absolutely right. I’m almost ready.

But enough follows its adjective or adverb:

The box isn’t big enough. He didn’t work quickly enough.

The following adverbs of degree can also modify verbs: almost, barely,
enough, hardly, just, (a) little, much, nearly, quite, rather, reallyand
scarcely. All except much are then placed before the main verb, like ad-
verbs of frequency:

He almost/nearly fell. I’m just going.

Tom didn’t like it much but I really enjoyed it.

I. Only can also modify verbs. In theory it is placed next to the words to which
it applies, preceding verbs, adjectives and adverbs and preceding or following
nouns and pronouns. But in spoken English people usually put it before he
verb, obtaining the required meaning by stressing the word to which the only
applies:

He had only six apples. (not more than six)

or He only had ‘six apples.

He lent the car to me only. (not to anyone else)

or He only lent the car to ‘me.

J. just, like only, should precede the word it qualifies:

I’ll buy just one. I had just enough money.

It can also be placed immediately before the verb:

I’ll just buy one. I just had enough money.

But sometimes this change of order would change the meaning:

Just sign here means This is all you have to do.

Sign just here means Sign in this particular spot.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1084