In English, adverbs can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a clause, and the position changes what the adverb modifies. End position often sounds neutral and describes how, when, or where something happens. Beginning position often sets context for the whole clause and can add emphasis. Choosing position is mostly about clarity: place the adverb closest to what it modifies.

Front-position adverbs come before the subject and typically modify the whole clause. This position is common with linking adverbs and viewpoint adverbs, and it is used to organize discourse, contrast ideas, or highlight time and frequency. Use commas mainly with longer introductory adverbials or when the pause is natural in speech.

Rule	Example
Use front position to set time, place, or condition for the whole sentence.	Yesterday, I met her at the station.
Use front position for linking adverbs to connect ideas.	However, we decided to continue.
Use front position to emphasize frequency or limitation.	Usually, he takes the bus.
A comma is common after long or contrastive front adverbials.	In the middle of the night, the phone rang.

Mid position usually means the adverb sits inside the verb phrase, often after the subject and before the main verb. This position is especially common for adverbs of frequency, degree, and certainty because it keeps the adverb close to the verb without interrupting the end of the sentence. Mid position has special rules with auxiliary verbs, the verb be, and negative structures.

When a clause has an auxiliary verb, most mid-position adverbs go after the first auxiliary and before the main verb. With the verb be as a main verb, the adverb usually comes after be. With two auxiliaries, the adverb typically follows the first auxiliary, because that is where English places many sentence-level modifiers.

Rule	Example
With be as a main verb, place the adverb after be.	She is always on time.
With one auxiliary, place the adverb after the auxiliary.	They have already left.
With two auxiliaries, place the adverb after the first auxiliary.	He has never been invited.
With do support, place the adverb after do and before the base verb.	I do not usually eat meat.

End position is very common and often sounds the most natural with adverbs of manner, place, and time. It works well when the adverb is new information or when the sentence already has complex verb phrases. When multiple end-position adverbials appear together, English prefers a typical ordering to keep the sentence easy to process.

When manner, place, and time adverbials all occur at the end, a common order is manner first, then place, then time. This order is a strong tendency rather than an absolute rule, and writers sometimes change it for emphasis or rhythm. Keeping this default order helps your sentences sound natural in neutral contexts.

Rule	Example
Default end order is manner, then place, then time.	She spoke quietly in the library yesterday.
Put place before time when both are present.	We met at the café this morning.
Time can move to the front for emphasis or contrast.	This morning, we met at the café.

Adverb placement can change focus by changing what the adverb is understood to modify. Moving an adverb earlier often makes it apply to the whole action or to the speaker’s stance, while moving it later can make it sound more like a simple description of the event. For ambiguous sentences, reposition the adverb closer to the intended target to avoid misreading.

Rule	Example
Place the adverb next to the word or phrase you want to modify.	She only lent him ten dollars.
Moving only changes meaning by changing the focus.	Only she lent him ten dollars.
Sentence adverbs often sound best early or in mid position.	Honestly, I forgot.

Adverbs interact with negation and restrictive words like only, just, and even, so placement matters for meaning. In neutral sentences, not comes after the first auxiliary, and other mid-position adverbs typically follow the same area but must not create confusion. If a limiting adverb could attach to multiple parts of the clause, move it directly before the intended element.

Rule	Example
Place not after the first auxiliary, before the main verb.	She has not finished.
Put limiting adverbs directly before what they limit for clarity.	She invited just her coworkers.
With never, rarely, hardly, mid position is common in statements.	I have never seen it.

In questions, the auxiliary moves before the subject, and mid-position adverbs typically stay after the subject or after the auxiliary depending on the structure. The safest guideline is to keep frequency and certainty adverbs in the same mid-position zone they would occupy in a statement, without splitting tight verb constructions unnecessarily. For clarity, avoid placing an adverb between to and the verb in most cases.

Rule	Example
In yes no questions, frequency adverbs often come after the subject.	Do you often travel for work?
With be, the adverb usually follows the subject and be.	Are you still here?
In short questions, end position can sound natural too.	Did you go already?

Different adverb types prefer different positions. Frequency and certainty adverbs usually take mid position, while manner and place often prefer end position. Sentence adverbs that express attitude or evaluation often go in front or mid position. Knowing the adverb type helps you choose a default position that sounds natural.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
always, usually, often	frequency, how often	She usually arrives early.
already, still, yet	time status relative to an expectation	They have already started.
probably, definitely, maybe	certainty or probability	He will probably call later.
quickly, carefully, well	manner, how something happens	She answered quickly.
here, outside, upstairs	place, where something happens	Leave your shoes outside.
fortunately, honestly, frankly	speaker attitude toward the clause	Frankly, I disagree.