Position of Adverbs

To put it across in simple terms, Adverbs add something to the verb. They basically provide information on how, where and when an action is performed

Examples:

I often visit my grandmother’s cemetery in New Town.

Sakshi dances very well.

I always start my morning with a cup of green tea.

In the above examples, we find instances of the Adverb appearing at the beginning, end and middle of the sentences.

Let us then cast a detailed look at the different kinds of Adverbs and the position they appear in a sentence structure.

Adverb of Manner

Position: They appear at the end of the sentence. However, they may, at times appear in the middle if the Adverb is not the most important part of the Clause or if the Object is very long.

Examples:

·         She walked slowly.

·         She slowly walked to her home and shut the door.

Adverb of Place and Time

Position: They appear at the end of a sentence in most cases. However, in formal writings or where the Adverb is to be specially emphasized, they may, at times appear at the beginning.

Examples (Adverb of Place):

·         We will be sitting at the table over there.

·         There, they sat and sorted out their differences over innumerable cups of coffee.

Examples (Adverb of Time):

·         I am driving to the farmhouse tomorrow.

·         Tomorrow, I am going to start my exercise routine.

Adverb of Duration

Position: They appear at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

·         I will not take long.

Adverb of Frequency

Position: They usually appear at the mid position. However, they may, at times appear in the beginning or at the end too. Adverbs of Frequency like always, ever and never do not usually appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Examples:

·         I usually go for walks in the morning.

·         I could never learn how to dance.

·         We do not find them in the market very often.

·         Sometimes, you would see him with an umbrella in hand.

·         She slowly walked to her home and shut the door.

Adverb of Degree

Position: Adverbs like ‘really’, ‘very’ appear in the mid position while adverbs like ‘a lot’ and ‘a bit’ appear towards the end.

Examples:

·         I really like the pink colour.

·         We go for pizza dinners a lot.

·         I would like to claim your attention just a bit.

Adverb of Focusing

Position: They appear at the middle of the sentence.

Example:

·         She simply walked out of the relationship.

Adverb of Certainty / Obligation

Position: They appear at the front of the sentence in some cases like ‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’ OR in mid position like ‘probably’, ‘possibly’, ‘certainly’ or in end position after a comma.

Examples:

·         Can I help you in some way, perhaps?

·         It will probably be a risky venture.

·         Maybe, Sheela can help you in some way?

Adverb of Viewpoint

Position: They usually appear at the beginning of the sentence, outside the clause. However, they may, at times appear in the middle in case of formal writings.

Examples:

·         Personally, I prefer tea.

·         This must, honestly speaking be the most bizarre thing I have heard in a long time.

Evaluative Adverbs

Position: They appear at the beginning of the sentence, outside the clause. However, they may, at times appear in the middle or at the end in case of informal writings.

Examples:

·         Unfortunately, I had forgotten my license at home.

·         We have stupidly messed up the entire project.

·         They missed the deadline, apparently.

English Grammar and Composition

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