Position of Adverbs in English Sentences | Adverb Placement

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Adverb placement can be tricky—should the adverb come before the verb or after it? The truth is, adverbs are flexible and can appear in different parts of a sentence: at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. This guide will show you the main rules of adverb placement with clear examples, so you can use them naturally and correctly in your writing and speaking.

Position of Adverbs

Adverbs at the Beginning (Initial Position)

Conjunctive Adverbs

Adverbs placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause are often called conjunctive adverbs. They connect one idea to the next, showing contrast, result, sequence, or emphasis.

Common conjunctive adverbs:

• consequently
• however
• next
• still
• then

Examples:

• I did not care for her tone. However, I let it go.
• I began to dislike my course within months of signing up for it. Consequently, I never did well.
• That was the Medieval section of the museum; next, we have the Industrial Revolution.

Time Adverbs at the Beginning

Adverbs of time are very flexible and can often appear at the start.

Examples:

• Yesterday I was very busy, so I couldn’t meet you.
• Tomorrow I am leaving for Calcutta.
• Sometimes we feel as if we do not belong in this group.

Comment Adverbs (Sentence Adverbs)

Comment adverbs (also called sentence adverbs) often come at the beginning of a sentence and express the speaker’s attitude or opinion (e.g., frankly, fortunately, honestly, sadly).

Examples:

• Frankly, I don’t agree with you.
• Fortunately, no one was hurt.
• Honestly, I don’t remember his name.

Adverbs in the Middle

Focusing Adverbs

Focusing adverbs highlight part of a sentence. They often appear in the middle position. Common groups include:

• Adverbs of frequency (always, often, never, rarely, sometimes)
• Adverbs of certainty (probably, certainly, maybe, perhaps)

Examples:

• You are always late.
• I will probably be absent at the party.

Rule for Frequency Adverbs

• They usually go before the main verb (She often goes to the park.).
• They go after the verb “be” (She is always kind.).
• They go between auxiliaries and main verbs (She has never been late.).

Adverbs at the End

This is the most common position of adverbs in sentences.

Adverbs of manner

Adverbs of manner describe how something is done and are generally placed at the end of a sentence or clause. For example:

• He wrote the answers correctly.
• She spoke slowly and clearly.

Adverbs of place

Adverbs of place describe where an event occurs and are also positioned at the end of a sentence or clause. For example:

• Father is sleeping upstairs.
• We will be travelling north soon.

Adverbs of time

Adverbs of time can also appear at the end of a sentence or clause. For example:

• I leave tomorrow afternoon.
• They arrived late yesterday.

Worksheet: Position of Adverbs

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Sentence

Choose the sentence where the adverb placement is clearly correct.

1. a) She sings beautifully always.
   b) She always sings beautifully.

2. a) He speaks fluently English.
   b) He speaks English fluently.

3. a) They will go tomorrow to the park.
   b) They will go to the park tomorrow.

4. a) I often watch TV in the evening.
   b) I watch often TV in the evening.

5. a) She has finished already her homework.
   b) She has already finished her homework.

6. a) We soon will leave for the airport.
   b) We will leave for the airport soon.

7. a) The train already has left.
   b) The train has already left.

8. a) They every weekend play football.
   b) They play football every weekend.

9. a) She rarely is late for work.
   b) She is rarely late for work.

10. a) He goes after dinner jogging rarely.
    b) He rarely goes jogging after dinner.

Answers – Exercise 1

1. b) She always sings beautifully.
2. b) He speaks English fluently.
3. b) They will go to the park tomorrow.
4. a) I often watch TV in the evening.
5. b) She has already finished her homework.
6. b) We will leave for the airport soon.
7. b) The train has already left.
8. b) They play football every weekend.
9. b) She is rarely late for work.
10. b) He rarely goes jogging after dinner.

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks with the Adverb in the Correct Position

Put the adverb in brackets in the right place.

1. He is late. (always)

2. We go on holiday. (sometimes)

3. She speaks very clearly. (usually)

4. They have visited Paris. (never)

5. I saw him at the station. (yesterday)

6. She is tired in the mornings. (often)

7. He goes jogging after dinner. (rarely)

8. The teacher explained the problem. (carefully)

9. They are at home on Sundays. (usually)

10. We have met. (already)

Answers – Exercise 2

1. He is always late.
2. We sometimes go on holiday.
3. She usually speaks very clearly.
4. They have never visited Paris.
5. I saw him at the station yesterday.
6. She is often tired in the mornings.
7. He rarely goes jogging after dinner.
8. The teacher explained the problem carefully.
9. They are usually at home on Sundays.
10. We have already met.

Exercise 3: Rewrite the Sentence with the Adverb in the Correct Position

The adverb is in the wrong place. Rewrite the sentence correctly (do not change the tense).

1. She speaks English fluently always.

2. I at night go jogging usually.

3. We in the library were studying quietly.

4. He already finished his work.

5. They laugh loudly often.

6. She on Sundays goes shopping always.

7. He speaks clearly never in class.

8. The children in the garden are playing happily.

9. We have finished our homework just.

10. She goes often to the cinema.

Answers – Exercise 3

1. She always speaks English fluently.
2. I usually go jogging at night.
3. We were studying quietly in the library.
4. He finished his work already.
5. They often laugh loudly.
6. She always goes shopping on Sundays.
7. He never speaks clearly in class.
8. The children are playing happily in the garden.
9. We have just finished our homework.
10. She often goes to the cinema.