The positions of adverbs

Adverbs of manners go after the verb:

• He walks very slowly.

• He slowly walks very

• I speak five languages fluently.

• I speak fluently five languages.

Adverbs of manners usually go in mid position with passive verbs:

• The driver was seriously injured in the accident.

• The driver was injured seriously in the accident.

• The man was arrested suddenly by the police.

• The man was suddenly arrested by the police.

Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb:

• I hardly ever have time for breakfast.

• I would never have thought you were 40.

• I would have never thought you were 40.

• I have hardly ever time for breakfast.

Adverbs of frequency go after the verb to be:

• Liam always is late for work.

• They are often lazy at the weekend.

• Liam is always late for work.

• They often are lazy at the weekend.

Adverbs of time and place normally go at the end of the sentence:

• I’m flying to Edinburgh tomorrow.

• It rained all day yesterday.

• It rained yesterday all day.

• I’m tomorrow flying to Edinburgh.

Place adverbs normally go before time adverbs:

• I haven't seen him anywhere there yesterday.

• I haven't seen him there anywhere yesterday.

• My parents will be here in half an hour.

• My parents will be in half an hour here.

Adverbs of degree: "nearly" and "almost" are used before the verb:

• I have nearly finished.

• I have finished nearly.

• They almost missed the train.

• They missed the train almost.

Adverbs of degree: "extremely, incredibly" are used with adjectives and adverbs and go before them.

• she found it difficult extremely to get a job

• she found it extremely difficult to get a job

• We are tired incredibly.

• We are incredibly tired.

Adverbs of degree: "a lot" and "much" go after the verb:

• She doesn't earn very much.

• She doesn't very much earn.

• My husband works a lot.

• My husband a lot works.

"A little" / "a bit (of)" can be used with adjectives or adverbs:

• I am a bit tired.

• We rested a little after the flight.

• I find that a little bit hard to believe.

• I have a bit of a fever.