1. POSITION OF ADVERBS
AND ADVERBIAL PHRASES

2.
Adverbs can be a word or a phrase and they
can:
• Describe an action:
o He drank his wine slowly.
• Modify adjectives:
The film is really dramatic.
• Modify adverb
o He works very hard.

3. Adverbs of manner
• They usually after the verb or phrase:
o He walked slowly.
• With passives they usually go in mid-
position:
o The house was thoroughly cleaned.

4. Adverbs of frequency- indefinite
frequency
• They go before the main verb:
oI usually wake up at 6:40.
• But they go after the verb to be.
oHe is always late for work.

5. Adverbs of frequency- definite
frequency
• He goes to English lessons twice a
week.
• The magazine is published anually.

6. Focus adverbs: even, just, only
They change their position according
to what we want to emphazise, "the
focus":
• I'm just kidding.
• He only ate an apple.
• He ate an apple only.

7. Adverbs of time
• They go at the end of a sentence.
oSee you tomorrow!

8. Adverbs of degree
• Extremely, incredibly, very, etc,
are used with adjectives and
adverbs and go before them:
o He's extremely tall, isn't he?

9. Adverbs of degree
• Much and a lot are often used with
verbs and go after the verb or verb
phrase:
oHe doesn't go out a lot.

10. Adverbs of degree
• A little, a bit can be used with
adjectives or adverbs:
oHe's a bit messy.
oThe exam was a bit hard.

11. Comment adverbs
• They give the speaker's opinion
• They usually go at the beginning of
a sentence:
oObviously, clearly, luckily, ...

12. Other adverbs
They usually go in mid-position.
Just, even...