News - Langue | Longbottom English

+41 76 393 91 84

Langue

Ordre des mots: adverbes avec le verbe

19th Feb 2019

Some adverbs (for example, always, also, probably) go with the verb in the middle of a sentence:

* Helen always drives to work.

* We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry.

* The concert will probably be cancelled.

Study these rules for the position of adverbs in the middle of a sentence. (They are only general rules, so there are exceptions.)

(1) If the verb is one word (drives/fell/cooked etc.), the adverb goes before the verb:

*Helen always (adverb) drives (verb) to work.

*I almost (adverb) fell (verb) as I was going down the stairs.

- I cleaned the house and also cooked the dinner. (not cooked also)

- Lucy hardly ever watches television and rarely reads newspapers.

- 'Shall I give you my address?' 'No, I already have it.'

Note that these adverbs (always/often/also etc.) go before have to....:

- Joe never phones me. I always have to phone him. (not I have always to phone)

(2) But adverbs go after am/is/was/were:

-We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry.

-Why are you always late? You're never on time.

-The traffic isn't usually as bad as it was this morning.

(3) If the verb is two or more words (for example, can remember/doesn't eat/will be cancelled), the adverb usually goes after the first verb (can/doesn't/will etc.):

*Clare can (verb 1) never (adverb) remember (verb 2) her name.

*Clare doesn't (verb 1) often (adverb) eat (verb 2) meat.

*The concert will (verb 1) probably (adverb) be (verb 2) cancelled.

-You have always been very kind to me.

-Jack can't cook. He can't even boil an egg.

-Do you still work for the same company?

-The house was only built a year ago and it's already falling down.

Note that probably goes before a negative (isn't/won't etc.) So we say:

-I probably won't see you or I will probably not see you. (not I won't probably)

We also use all and both in these positions:

-We all felt ill after the meal. (not we felt all ill)

-My parents are both teachers. (not my parents both are teachers)

-Sarah and Jane have both applied for the job.

-We are going out this evening.

Sometimes we use is/will/did etc. instead of repeating part of a sentence (see Unit 51). Note the position of always/never etc. in these sentences.

-He always says he won't be late, but he always is (=he is always late)

-I've never done it and I never will. (=I will never do it)

We normally put always/never etc. before the verb in sentences like these.

Lire Plus