The correct order of the adverbs in English

In the following document we will analyze the correct word order in English.

The order of the words in English is very strict. However, adverbs have the possibility of varying their position in the sentence.

• Adverbs usually go after the verb when there is no complement. For example:

            He reads slowly.

• When there is a complement, the adverb goes after the complement. For example:

            He reads the newspaper slowly.

• You cannot put the adverb between the verb and its complement. It would be wrong to say ‘He reads slowly the newspaper.’

• If the complement is long, the adverb is usually placed before the verb, as long as the adverb is one word long. For example:

            Steve carefully does all the homework that his teachers give her each day.

• When we have a preposition before a complement of the verb, the adverb can go before the preposition or after the complement. For example:

            He looked carefully at her.

            He looked at her carefully.

• However, if the complement is long, the adverb is placed before the preposition. For example:

            She looked carefully at the picture on the wall.

• If there is a time or place expression in the sentence, it is usually placed behind the adverb (or sometimes after the complement, if it has one). Examples:

            Anne typed the letter slowly at the office yesterday.

            Anne typed the letter at the office slowly.

• Caution: Sometimes an adverb, for example, quietly, suddenly, slowly, gently, can be placed at the beginning of the sentence to give greater emphasis. For example:

            Gently she carried the bird to its nest.

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