Position of adjuncts

6.7 The position of adjuncts within clauses is flexible, allowing many changes of emphasis and focus.

Adjuncts are normally placed at the end of the clause after the verb group, or after an object or complement if there is one.

She packed carefully.

They would go on talking for hours.

I enjoyed the course immensely.

These employers were famous for their meanness.

6.8 You can emphasize the adjunct by placing it at the beginning of the clause, in front of the subject.

Gently Fanny leaned forward and wiped the old lady's tears away.

In his excitement Billy had forgotten the letter.

The adjunct is often separated by a comma from the rest of the clause.

After much discussion, they had decided to take the coin to the jeweller.

This position is often used in written stories to draw attention to the adjunct. For more information, see paragraph 10.93.

Note that adverbs of degree are rarely used at the beginning of a clause: see paragraph 6.45.

between subject and verb 6.9 Adjuncts can also be placed between the subject and the main verb. This focuses on the adjunct more than when it is at the end of the clause, but not as much as putting it at the beginning of the clause. However, this position is much more common with adverbs than with prepositional phrases.

I quickly became aware that she was looking at me.

We often swam in the surf.

He carefully wrapped each component in several layers of foam rubber.

They happily tolerated the existence of opinions contrary to their own.

Note that in verb groups containing auxiliaries, the adjunct is still placed in front of the main verb.

I had almost forgotten about the trip.

We will never have enough money to provide all the services that people want.

It would not in any case be for him.

Long adjuncts in this position are usually separated by commas from the rest of the clause.

Fred, in his own way, was a great actor.

Adjuncts of place rarely occur in this position. For more information about adjuncts of place, see the section beginning at paragraph 6.53.

6.10 Some adjuncts are often placed in front of the main verb:

most adverbs of indefinite frequency (see paragraph 5.114)

always constantly continually continuously

ever frequently hardly never

normally occasionally ever rarely

regularly repeatedly often sometimes

usually

some adverbs of indefinite time (see paragraph 5.41)

again already earlier

finally first just

last previously recently

since

some adverbs of degree (see paragraph 6.45), especially emphasizing adverbs (see paragraph 6.49)

absolutely almost altogether badly

completely deeply entirely fairly

greatly largely nearly perfectly

quite rather really somewhat

utterly virtually well

focusing adverbs, when modifying a verb: see paragraph 10.90.

even just

merely only

really simply

Note that some adjuncts have a different reference when placed in front of the main verb rather than at the end of the clause:

The Trade Unions have acted foolishly.

Baldwin had foolishly opened the door.

The first example means that the Unions acted in a foolish way. The second example means that opening the door was a foolish action, and not that the door was opened in a foolish way.

In some areas, like Islington in London, the drivers are paid generously.

Cram generously admitted afterwards that 'he's still faster than me'.

The first example tells us how well the drivers are paid, the second example indicates that Cram's admission was a generous action.

6.11 If the verb is a 'to'-infinitive, you usually put adjuncts after it, or after the object or complement if there is one.

He tried to leave quietly.

Thomas made an appointment to see him immediately.

Some people do put adverbs between the 'to' and the infinitive, but this use is not considered correct by some speakers of English.

'My wife told me to probably expect you,' he said.

Vauxhall are attempting to really break into the market.

6.12 If a clause has two adjuncts, and one is an adverb and the other is a prepositional phrase, you can usually place either of them first.

Miss Burns looked calmly at Marianne.

They were sitting happily in the car.

The women shouted at me savagely.

He got into the car quickly and drove off.

However, if the prepositional phrase is rather long, it is more common to place the adverb first, immediately after the verb.

He listened calmly to the report of his aides.

She would sit crosslegged in her red robes.

Similarly, if the verb group is followed by a long object, the adverb comes after the verb and before the object.

He could picture easily the consequences of being found by the owners.

She sang beautifully a school song the children had taught her when they were little.

6.13 In clauses with more than one adjunct, the meaning of the adjuncts can also affect their order. The usual order is adjunct of manner, then adjunct of place, then adjunct of time.

They knelt quietly in the shadow of the rock.

I tried to reach you at home several times.

He was imprisoned in Cairo in January 1945.

Parents may complain that their child eats badly at meals.

The youngsters repeat this in unison at the beginning of each session.

However, if a clause contains an adverb of manner and an adverb of direction such as 'down', 'out', or 'home', the adverb of direction is usually put in front of the adverb of manner.

Lomax drove home fast.

I reached down slowly.

6.14 Adjuncts of different types can be placed together, sometimes separated by a comma, but adjuncts of the same type, for example two adjuncts of manner, are usually linked by conjunctions such as 'and' and 'but', or structures such as 'rather than'. For more information about linking adjuncts with conjunctions, see paragraphs 8.176 and 8.180.

She sang clearly and beautifully.

They help to combat the problem at source, rather than superficially.

inversion after adjuncts 6.15 When clauses begin with an adjunct, the normal order of subject and verb group can sometimes be inverted. For example, after adjuncts of place the verb group usually comes before the subject. For more information about adjuncts of place, see the section beginning at paragraph 6.53.

Next to it stood a pile of paper cups.

Beyond them lay the fields.

This also happens when broad negative adverbs and some other negative words are placed at the beginning of the clause. For more information about these, see paragraphs 4.43 to 4.94.

Never in history had technology made such spectacular advances.

Seldom can there have been such a happy meeting.

Both these cases of inversion are particularly common in written stories. Inversion can occur after other adjuncts, but only in poetry or old-fashioned English. The following example is from a Christmas carol written in 1853:

Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel.