Positions of adverbs
There are 3 positions for adverbs in a sentence:
front position (at the beginning of a sentence)
end position (at the end of a sentence)
mid-position (in the middle of a sentence).
front position
| adverb | subject | (auxiliary 1) | (auxiliary 2) | main verb | (object) |
1. | Suddenly, | the man | | | saw | the house. |
2. | Surprisingly, | our bird | could | | speak | (French.) |
3. | Finally, | the speaker | | | ended | his presentation. |
Usually in front position: sentence adverbs (examples 1 and 2) and linking adverbs (example 3)
Many other types of adverbs can go in front position if they are emphasized!
end position
| subject | (auxiliary 1) | (auxiliary 2) | main verb | (object) | adverb |
1. | I | | | shouted | (at her) | angrily. |
2. | My sister | | | is sleeping | | in the garden |
3. | Mary | will | be | sleeping | | at ten o’clock |
4. | She | has | | called | him | twice. |
Usually in end position: adverbs of manner (example 1), place (example 2), definite time (example 3) and definite frequency (example 4).
Many other types of adverbs can go in end position if they are emphasized!
More than one adverb in end position
For more than one adverb in end position the rule is:
| | manner | place | time |
1. | Jason is flying | | to New York | at 8 o’clock on Saturday. |
2. | Gina behaved | strangely | at the party | last night. |
mid-position
For adverbs in mid position, there are three basic rules:
(A) The adverb goes between subject and verb.
| subject | | adverb | | main verb | object |
1. | We | | often | | go | to the disco. |
2. | The sun | | always | | rises | in the east. |
| subject | main verb | adverb | | | object |
1. | Mary | is | often | | | at home. |
2. | Chris | is | sometimes | | | nervous before tests. |
(C) If there is one auxiliary or more, the adverb comes after the first auxiliary.
| subject | auxiliary 1 | adverb | (auxiliary 2) | main verb | object |
1. | Mary | has | just | been | called | to the doctor. |
2. | People | will | always | | eat | chocolate. |
3. | Our parents | are | soon | going to | leave | the house. |
Usually in mid-position: short adverbs of indefinite time (examples C.1 and C.3), adverbs of indefinite frequency (all other examples).
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Adverbs of manner (Adverbien der Art und Weise) – they give you information about »HOW« something happened.
they don’t mention: Adverbs of
degree (Gradadverbien) –
»HOW MUCH« – They are sometimes put with the adverbs of manner as one subgroup (Teilgruppe) of those. You can learn more about different types of adverbs here:
Kinds of Adverbs
Adverbs of place (Adverbien des Orts) – »WHERE«
Adverbs of time (Adverbien der Zeit) – »WHEN«
Adverbs of frequency (Adverbien der Häufigkeit) – »HOW OFTEN«
Video