Positions of adverbs

Positions of adverbs

​3 main positions

​Front:

​

​Adverb + Subject

​

​Example: Finally he could stand the noise longer

​Mid:

​

​Subject +Adverb + Verb

​

​- immediately after be as the main verb

​- or after the first auxilitary

​Example:

​- He usually plays tennis.

​- They would usually...

​End:

​

​- Immediately after the verb

​- or later in the clause

​

​Example:

​- They played quietly all-day

​- He tried to leave quietly

Multiple Choice

Which sentence/sentences below has/have an adverb at the front position

• Sometimes I feel like going home

• I feel like going home sometimes

• I feel like sometimes going home

• I sometimes feel like going home

Multiple Select

Which sentence/sentences below has/have an adverb at the mid position

• Usually she is here by 10

• She would usually be here by 10

• She is usually here by 10

• She is here by 10 usually

Multiple Select

Which sentence/sentences below has/have an adverb at the end position

• He quietly sat in the corner

• He sat quietly in the back of t corner

• Quietly he sat in the corner

• He sat in the corner quietly

​End position

• Usually is placed after an ​object rather than immediately after the verb:

- We considered the problem briefly

​

​

• ​Or when the object is very long:

​We considered briefly the long-term solution to the problem

Multiple Select

Choose the correct sentences with end-position

• I signed carefully the paper

• Carefully I signed the paper

• I signed the paper carefully

• I signed carefully the long-term contract between me and my roommate

Dont

​X Put an adverb between the main verb and a following -ing form or to-infinite

Not: He began quickly running

​

​Correct:

​- He began running quickly

​- He quickly began running

Multiple Choice

Choose the incorrect sentence

• She tried quietly to leave

• She tried to leave quietly

• She quietly tried to leave

Multiple Choice

Choose the incorrect sentence

• He kept running magically

• He magically kept running

• He kept magically running

​Meaning of a sentence

​- The meaning of a sentence can be changed by the position of the adverb:

• I recall telling him clearly that he had won (= I told him clearly; 'clearly' modifies 'telling him')

• ​ I clearly recall telling him that he had won (= I clearly recall it; 'clearly' modifies 'recall')

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct meaning of: "I vaguely remember going home"

• I barely can remember what happened last night (modifies 'remember')

• I remember last night was vague (modifies 'going home')

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct meaning of: 'I recall having an experience at that park terribly'

• I can't recall well (modifies 'recall')

• The experience was terrible (modifies 'an experience')

​More than one adverbial in the end position

Written in the order of: adverbial of manner + place + time:

• ​She was thrown violently forward. (manner + place)

• ​We arrived here on Saturday (place + time)

​

​For special emphasis, an adverbial can be moved to the end

• ​They left at 3 with a great deal of noise (time + manner)

​

​Comes before a prepositional phrase when having the same function:

• She went downstairs to the cellar (place + place)

​Definite and indefinite

Adverbials of place, ​definite frequency, and definite time

​=> End position

• ​They live upstairs (not: They upstairs live)

​

​Adverbs of indefinite time

​=> Mid position

​

In journalism, adverbs of time usually in the mid position, where we would normally put in the end position:

• ​The government yesterday announced an increase in education spending

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer

• I went downstairs

• I downstairs went

• downstairs I went

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer

• She daily works

• Daily she works

• She works daily

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer

• He always annoys me

• Always he annoys me

• He annoys me always

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer

• I usually go home at 6

• I go home usually at 6

• I go home at 6 usually

Quiz time​

​

Multiple Choice

 

Choose the sentence with the correct position of the adverb.

• Juan is talkative a bit.

• Juan is a bit talkative.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct sentence

• Considered carefully Maria her decision .

• Maria carefully_ considered her decision.

• Maria considered carefully_ her decision.

• Maria considered her carefully_ decision.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct sentence

• I often 've considered changing my lifestyle.

• I've considered often changing my lifestyle.

• I've considered changing often my lifestyle.

• I've often considered changing my lifestyle.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence with the correct position of the adverb.

• Andrea was amazingly talented.

• Andrea was talented amazingly.

Multiple Choice

She is at home. (rarely)

• She is rarely at home.

• Rarely she is at home.

• She is at home rarely.

• She rarely is at home.

Multiple Select

He opened the door. (quietly)

• He quietly opened the door.

• Quietly he opened the door.

• The door he quietly opened.

• He opened the door quietly.

Multiple Choice

Can I sit down? (here)

• Here can I sit down?

• Can I here sit down?

• Can I sit down here?

• Can here I sit down

Multiple Choice

The students listened (attentively)

• Attentively the students listened.

• The students listened attentively.

• The attentively students listened.