Adverbs of time, place and manner – notes

Definite adverbs of time usually go at the end of a sentence.

  • I met Tom in London the day before yesterday.

Indefinite or frequency adverbs of time usually go before the main verb

  • They’re usually open until late at night.

Soon, late and early usually go after the main part of a sentence.

  • All the Manchester fans arrived late, well after the match had begun.
  • Their relatives are coming to stay soon.

Sometimes they are modified with one or more time phrases

  • Driving’s often less stressful early in the morning.
  • She handed in her essay three days late this week.

Adverbs of place and manner usually go after the main verb

  • They’re all meeting here.
  • They all answered politely.

They are often used before the main verb if there is a following phrase or clause.

  • She calmly phoned the police and reported the accident.

Manner adverbs are also used before adjectives.

  • Employees at the firm are well paid.

Adverbs with adjectives (a andb) and adverbs (c) can be modifiers – intensifiers or diminishers

  • a We’re all extremely happy to hear your news.
  • b She’s fairly satisfied with the result (= quite, not very)
  • c They’ve worked very well and really quickly.

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