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	🇨🇳 中文 Rule	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
Use front position to set time, place, or condition for the whole sentence.	🧩 使用前置位置来为整个句子设定时间、地点或条件。	Yesterday, I met her at the station.	🧩 昨天，我在车站遇到了她。
Use front position for linking adverbs to connect ideas.	🧩 使用前置位置将连接副词用于连接想法。	However, we decided to continue.	🧩 然而，我们决定继续。
Use front position to emphasize frequency or limitation.	🧩 使用前置位置强调频率或限制。	Usually, he takes the bus.	🧩 通常，他坐公交车。
A comma is common after long or contrastive front adverbials.	🧩 在较长或对比性的前置副词短语后常有逗号。	In the middle of the night, the phone rang.	🧩 半夜时，电话响了。

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	🇨🇳 中文 Rule	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
With be as a main verb, place the adverb after be.	🧩 以 be 作为主要动词时，将副词放在 be 之后。	She is always on time.	🧩 她总是准时。
With one auxiliary, place the adverb after the auxiliary.	🧩 有一个助动词时，把副词放在助动词之后。	They have already left.	🧩 他们已经离开了。
With two auxiliaries, place the adverb after the first auxiliary.	🧩 有两个助动词时，把副词放在第一个助动词之后。	He has never been invited.	🧩 他从未被邀请过。
With do support, place the adverb after do and before the base verb.	🧩 使用 do 支持时，把副词放在 do 之后、基本动词之前。	I do not usually eat meat.	🧩 我通常不吃肉。

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	🇨🇳 中文 Rule	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
Default end order is manner, then place, then time.	🧩 默认的结尾顺序是方式、然后地点、再时间。	She spoke quietly in the library yesterday.	🧩 她昨天在图书馆安静地说话。
Put place before time when both are present.	🧩 当两者都存在时，把地点放在时间之前。	We met at the café this morning.	🧩 今天早晨我们在咖啡馆见面。
Time can move to the front for emphasis or contrast.	🧩 为强调或对比，时间可以移到句前。	This morning, we met at the café.	🧩 今天早上，我们在咖啡馆见面。

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	🇨🇳 中文 Rule	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
Place the adverb next to the word or phrase you want to modify.	🧩 将副词放在你想修饰的词或短语旁边。	She only lent him ten dollars.	🧩 她只借给了他十美元。
Moving only changes meaning by changing the focus.	🧩 仅移动位置就通过改变焦点来改变含义。	Only she lent him ten dollars.	🧩 只有她借给了他十美元。
Sentence adverbs often sound best early or in mid position.	🧩 句子副词通常最好放在句首或中位位置。	Honestly, I forgot.	🧩 说实话，我忘了。

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	🇨🇳 中文 Rule	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
Place not after the first auxiliary, before the main verb.	🧩 将 not 放在第一个助动词之后、主谓动词之前。	She has not finished.	🧩 她还没有完成。
Put limiting adverbs directly before what they limit for clarity.	🧩 为清晰起见，将限制性副词直接放在它们所限制的对象之前。	She invited just her coworkers.	🧩 她只邀请了她的同事。
With never, rarely, hardly, mid position is common in statements.	🧩 使用 never、rarely、hardly 时，中位位置在陈述句中很常见。	I have never seen it.	🧩 我从未见过它。

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	🇨🇳 中文 Rule	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
In yes no questions, frequency adverbs often come after the subject.	🧩 在是非问句中，频率副词常在主语之后。	Do you often travel for work?	🧩 你经常出差吗？
With be, the adverb usually follows the subject and be.	🧩 当 be 作系动词时，副词通常跟在主语和 be 之后。	Are you still here?	🧩 你还在这里吗？
In short questions, end position can sound natural too.	🧩 在简短问句中，结尾位置也能听起来自然。	Did you go already?	🧩 你已经去过了吗？

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	🇨🇳 中文 Word/Phrase	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 Definition	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
always, usually, often	🧩 一直、通常、经常	frequency, how often	🧩 频率、发生频率	She usually arrives early.	🧩 她通常会提前到达。
already, still, yet	🧩 已经、仍然、尚未	time status relative to an expectation	🧩 相对于期望的时间状态	They have already started.	🧩 他们已经开始了。
probably, definitely, maybe	🧩 可能地、肯定地、也许	certainty or probability	🧩 certainty or probability	He will probably call later.	🧩 他可能稍后打电话。
quickly, carefully, well	🧩 快速地、仔细地、很好地	manner, how something happens	🧩 manner, how something happens	She answered quickly.	🧩 她回答得很快。
here, outside, upstairs	🧩 这里、外面、在楼上	place, where something happens	🧩 place, where something happens	Leave your shoes outside.	🧩 把鞋子放在外面。
fortunately, honestly, frankly	🧩 幸好、诚实地、坦率地	speaker attitude toward the clause	🧩 speaker attitude toward the clause	Frankly, I disagree.	🧩 坦率地说，我不同意。