Position of Adverbs – Free Exercise

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Exercise

Is the adverb in the right or wrong location? (For wrong sentences, you can see the correction by clicking on the speech bubble after solving the exercises.)

  1. I saw him yesterday.Adverbs of time normally come at the end or the beginning of a sentence.
  2. The teacher speaks slowly.If there’s no direct object in the sentence, the adverb of manner comes after the verb.
  3. We go never swimming.Adverbs of frequency come directly before the verb.
    We never go swimming.
  4. You cannot go there.If there’s no direct object in the sentence, the adverb of place comes after the verb.
  5. They inside are waiting.If there’s no direct object in the sentence, the adverb of place comes after the verb.
    They are waiting inside.
  6. I didn’t then have time.Adverbs of time often come at the end of a sentence, especially then.
    I didn’t have time then.
  7. The children don’t come usually home from school before 5 pm.Adverbs of frequency come after the auxiliary verb and before the main verb.
    The children don’t usually come home from school before five pm.
  8. The dog quickly ran to the gate.Adverbs of manner can be placed in front of the verb if there is additional information that is more strongly emphasised than the adverb.
    Another possibility would be: The dog ran quickly to the gate. This sentence emphasises the adverb.
  9. We often think about you.Adverbs of frequency come directly before the verb.
  10. She drank hastily the water.Adverbs of manner are never placed between the verb and the object, but rather come after the direct object (if the adverb is being emphasised) or before the verb (if the adverb is not being emphasised).
    She drank the water hastily or She hastily drank the water.

Re-write the sentences, adding the adverb in the correct location.

  1. She is at home. (rarely)
    →  Adverbs of frequency usually come before the verb, but if the verb is a form of be, then the adverb comes after it.
  2. He opened the door. (quietly)
    →  Adverbs of manner usually come after the direct object. (In this case we are emphasising how the door was opened.)
    If, however, the object should be emphasised, then the adverb can be placed before the verb. (In this case we are emphasising what was quietly opened.)
  3. Can I sit down? (here)
    →  Adverbs of place come after the full verb. Here, the preposition is a part of the phrasal verb sit down
  4. The students listened. (attentively)
    →  If there’s no direct object in the sentence, the adverb of manner comes after the verb.
  5. We live in Glasgow. (now)
    →  Adverbs of time can be placed at the end or the beginning of a sentence.