An adverb is a word that qualifies or modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb or even a whole sentence.
Examples:
| She left unwillingly. |
| He appeared to be very perky. |
| I seldom visit my dentist. |
| I may have acted too hastily. |
| Luckily, we had spare cash. |
Adverb Placement
It is important to learn the proper placement of adverbs. It is recommended to position the adverb as close as possible to the words they intend to modify. Not doing so can result in an awkward sentence.
Adverbs can be placed in three positions when used to modify a verb.
1. Place the adverb before the subject.
| Gently, Alicia laid her baby on the bed. |
| Carefully, Allan unwrapped his present. |
2. Place the adverb before the main verb.
| Alicia gently laid her baby on the bed. |
| Allan carefully unwrapped his present. |
3. Place the adverb after the direct object or verb complement.
| Alicia laid her baby on the bed gently. |
| Allan unwrapped his present carefully. |
Note: You can add many adverbs in any of these positions according to the context or style.
Placement of adverbs with the verb to be
Place the adverb right after the verb when the main verb of a sentence is the verb “to be“.
Examples:
| I am totally dependable. |
| She‘s never certain of her work. |
Placement of adverbs with auxiliaries and modals
Place the adverb after the first auxiliary or modal and before the main verb when the sentence contains an auxiliary or modal.
Examples:
| I‘ve never seen him so furious. |
| They can barely see their own child. |
| You shouldn’t ever have seen that. |
Placement of adverbs in questions
Place the adverb between the subject and the main verb in question forms.
Examples:
| Have they ever considered looking for a new partner? |
| Would she really appreciate it if I backed off? |
Adverbs and negatives
Place the adverb after the auxiliary/modal and before the main verb in negative sentences.
Examples:
| She can’t really fathom the idea of you calling off the wedding. |
| He doesn’t usually like to fly business class. |
| She won’t always let people into her inner circle. |
Where NOT to put an adverb
DO NOT put an adverb between a main verb and its direct object.
| Correct: | She opened the door suddenly. |
| Incorrect | She opened suddenly the door. |
DO NOT put an adverb between a verb and a gerund or infinitive with to.
| Correct: | The child started behaving naughtily when he entered secondary school. |
| Incorrect: | The child started naughtily behaving when he entered secondary school. |
| Correct: | He’d like to visit you sometimes. |
| Incorrect: | He’d like sometimes to visit you. |