The place of adverbials

§ 117. When referring to a verb adverbials may be placed in:

1.Front position.

Again he was late.

2. Contact preposition.

He often said it. He occasionally sees them.

3. Interposition between the elements of a composite verbal part.

He has never seen her.

The latter position is occupied mainly by adverbs of indefinite time and degree: already, always, sometimes, often, hardly, still, just.

In case the predicate includes more than one auxiliary or a modal verb and an auxiliary, the adverbial is usually placed after the first one, although it may also occur after the second one.

This principle must constantly be borne in mind.

It must be constantly borne in mind.

Adverbials may sometimes separate the particle to from the infinitive. This construction is called the split infinitive.

I don’t expect you to thoroughly understand it.

4. Contact post-position.

They are never on time.

He demanded angrily to see the manager.

5. End position.

Are you married yet?

Tom works carefully, but slowly.

Positions 1, 4 and 5 are usually occupied by adverbials of place, time (definite time adverbs) and attendant circumstances.

He left the stage amid thunderous applause.

In the evening we came to the place again.

He returned from London.

When adverbials refer to adjectives, adverbs, nouns, numerals,orpronouns they are usually placed close to these words, generally preceding them.

He is quite a hero.

Mother was much upset about it.

Note:

The adverbial expressed by enough always follows the adjective it refers to.

Are you warm enough?

He is a decent enough fellow.

For adverbials allowing of different reference (to a verb,to anadjective, etc.) any change of position may result in a change of meaning. Compare the following sentences:

Nearly all died. (They died with few exceptions.)

All nearly died. (Everybody was on the verge of dying.)

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