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Adverbs: Where to place them? 1 - English lesson

How to place adverbs :  GENERAL CASES  

(In order not to make this lesson too long, the other cases will be studied in another lesson...)

I) A great number of adverbs are concerned:

A) The adverbs expressing  frequency: 

- often                                    - ending     - mostly, mainly 

- always                                     with - ly :  - usually                                                                    

- never                                                       - hardly, rarely/seldom 

- sometimes                                               - ever (positive meaning)

B) Other adverbs :

- also                                            - only 

- just                                             - even

- soon                                           - really, probably, certainly                                                                      

- still                                             - last                                                                     

- already                                      

All these adverbs ( plus 'all', ‘both' and ‘each') follow the same rules: 

II)  For the verbs in the affirmative form, where do we place the adverb?

1) When the verb is composed of one only word: the adverb is placed in front of the verb.

ex : She'll soon learn what to do in such a case...

ex : His students often call him for help...

ex : Always wash your hands before eating! 

2) Used with the verb to be, when it is in the present or the past, the adverb is placed after the verb.

ex : This student is always late ! I'm fed up with his behaviour! 

ex : The kids were really calmer than the teenagers! 

3) If the verb is composed of  two words or more (auxiliaries, sometimes a modal one - compound tenses), the adverb is placed after the first auxiliary.

ex : He should always have been careful crossing the street ! 

III) What to do with   interrogative and negative forms?

1) In the interrogative form, the adverb is placed after the subject :

ex : Do you always speak so aggressively? 

ex : Does she often go out  on weekdays? 

2) In the negative form, the place of the adverb depends on the meaning:

ex : I don't only like her, I admire her too! 

ex : I don't like her only, I like her sister too... 

ex : Not only do I like her, but I also admire her/ but I like her sister too. (formal style demanding an inversion of the subject.)

ex : Even the teacher was tired and willing to go.

ex : The teacher was even outraged when the kid replied in such away ...

ex:  The teacher even explained why it had to be that way...

Well ! You should be ready now ! Here's the test! Go for it !  

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1. When he asked us to come, Paul hardly knewhardly Paul knewPaul knew hardlyPaul hardly did knowI don't know what we were going to do.

2. Tell me the truth: have they already eatenhave they eaten alreadyalready have they eatenI don't know, or not ? If not, I'll cook for them!

3. The problem with babies is that often, they catchthey often catchI don't know colds and all the viruses around them…

4. It was so difficult, that a specialist couldn't even understandeven a specialist couldn't understanda specialist even couldn't understandI don't know the lecture. The explanations should have been clearer...

5. I will be alwayswill always be'll be here alwaysalways will beI don't know here for you. Don't worry ! You can rely on me!

6. If he had known what to visit, he never would have gonewould never have gonewould have gone neverwould have never goneI don't know to the library first!

7. We know only the truthWe know the truth onlyWE only know the truthI don't know Nobody else does! … Let’s keep the truth within that restricted number of people…

8. He is walking usuallyHe walks usuallyHe usually walksI don't know to his office instead of being driven by his chauffeur. It's much better for his health...

9. In the coming weeks, never she will playshe'll play nevershe'll never playshe'll never playingI don't know tennis, with you, or with anybody else! She has a broken wrist and can’t hold a racket.

10. Really ! He said it was the best film ever he had seenhe had seen everhe had ever seenhe ever had seenI don't know. Come and see it with me, please!

11. The students should have never cheatedshould have cheated nevershould never have cheatedI don't know during the exams! They're sure to be punished harshly…

12. Could you have really exchangedCould you really have exchangedCould you have exchanged reallyI don't know the present if I had given it back to you?