The place of adverbs in English

Some adverbs are generally placed near the verb.

Their precise position depends on the structure of the verb.

The concerned adverbs

Note

● All / both /each  follow the same rules

● Learn how to use still and yet

When the verb is a single word, the adverb is before it.

She often writes lessons

Elle écrit souvent des leçons.

She probably wanted some information.

                                                 Elle désirait probablement quelques renseignements          

Always learn your lessons before doing your exercises

Apprenez toujours vos leçons avant de faire vos exercices

Exception

The adverb is placed after : am – are- is- was- were.

I am always happy

Je suis toujours content.

When the verb is formed with two words or more,

the adverb  is usually placed after the first auxiliary like in French.

The students have certainly been warned.

Les étudiants ont certainement été avertis.

Vincent and Sébastien are probably going to this pub.

Vincent et Sébastien vont probablement dans ce pub.

In the interrogative form the adverb is placed after the subject.

Do you often go to England?

Allez-vous souvent en Angleterre?

In the  negative form, the place of the adverb changes according to the meaning:

Probably and certainly are always placed before the auxiliary + n't.

                            He doesn't often work           => he probably doesn't work.

                          Il ne travaille pas souvent      =>Il ne travaille probablement pas.

Note

Remember the words order with not even (même pas)

Joan has not even confessed her error.

Joan n'a même pas avoué son erreur.

Particular cases

 The adverb may be placed before the auxiliary

to increase the idea expressed in the sentence.

                     I'm really working hard.             => I really am working hard.

                     Je travaille vraiment beaucoup => Qu'est-ce que je travaille !!!

The place of adverbs : perhaps and maybe

Perhaps and maybe are usually placed at the beginning of a sentence.

Maybe is above all used in a familiar style.

Perhaps her train is late

Son train est peut-être en retard.

Maybe Lucile is wrong.

Lucile a peut-être tort.

   The place of adverbs: very – much – well – a lot – at all-

We have just learnt that in English the verb is generally never split up from its direct object complement, that the adverb must be placed before or after the  verb. But  some adverbs in the following chapter have precise rules :

(Very) well – a lot – and generally – at all – are placed after the direct object complement. That is also the case for  – very much-

Laurent speaks English very well, but he doesn't know England at all.

Laurent parle très bien l'anglais, mais il ne connaît pas du tout l'Angleterre.

She criticises her husband a lot and she likes shouting against him very much.

Elle critique beaucoup son mari et elle aime beaucoup lui crier dessus.

Note

Very much may also be placed before the verb

I very much like anglaisfacile

J'aime beaucoup anglaisfacile.

It is compulsory when the complement is very long :

I very much like sleeping out on a warm summer night.

J'aime beaucoup dormir dehors par une chaude nuit d'été.

   The place of adverbs and complements at the end of a sentence.

The adverbs  or complements  which are at the end of a sentence

say most of the time how, where, when something happened.

The words order should be :

' how,'   where ' when '

Bridget sang very well at the club last night.

Bridget a très bien chanté hier soir au club

I'll go to the hospital tomorrow.

J'irai à l'hôpital demain

I must be in the operating theatre at seven.

Il faut que je sois au bloc opératoire à sept heures.

Thanks to lucile83

 for checking the lesson and creating the exercise .

 Exercise

Put the sentences in order.

Intermediate
English exercise "Adverbs in sentences (lesson + exercise)" created by bridg (19-03-2006) with The test builder
Click here to see the current stats of this English test

Click on the words to build sentences.

1. books. He reads often
2. probably to school. going children Those are
3. she go often swimming? Does
4. done exercises! not He even his has
5. all. doesn't She at Scotland know
6. worked well yesterday. school very They at
7. car broken has down. her Perhaps
8. well. speaks very German She
9. cat This loves lot. cat lot.§This a old her loves lady a her old lady
10. much in summer. very hours like They sailing for