San Jose City College

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  Error Analysis: Position of Adverbs in Sentences
These sentences, each with an adverbial word order error, were written by ESL writers. Click the book icon for questions and comments on each sentence. Notes
1. I very appreciate my cousin because thanks to him I got a job. The adverb very can never be placed before a verb even though this intensifier modifies the verb. To intensify a verb, use very much and place it at the end of the clause that contains the verb it modifies.

Try it: I appreciate my cousin .

Very much is an adverb of degree that always goes at the end of a clause.
2. My daughters don’t speak English very well, so that will be hard for them because they have to go soon in schools. Soon is an adverb of
     place      time      manner.

It is usually placed
     before the verb     at the end of the sentence.

Type it in its usual position and hit enter: My daughters have to go to school .

Note that the correct phrase is "go to school."
3. We used to play everyday basketball or football. Everyday is an adverb of
     frequency      time      degree

It should be placed
     in the middle of the sentence      at the end of the sentence

Type the adverb in its correct position and hit enter: We used to play basketball or football .
4. Most students even can have a part-time job to pay for their tuition and fees. Even is an adverb of degree or intensity. It strengthens the idea expressed in the sentence. Like adverbs of frequency, its position depends on the verb: before an action verb, after the verb be, after the first word in a verb phrase.

Type it into its correct position and hit enter: Most students can have a part-time job.
5. Once I got to the life in the U.S.A. I enjoyed every much giving company to my brother and taking over my mother’s place. The writer clearly means very much. The adverbial phrase should be moved
     to the beginning of the clause      to the end of the clause

In the first clause "to the life" is
     necessary      unnecessary

Use the adverbial phrase in its correct position:
Once I got to the United States, I enjoyed being with my brother and taking over my mother's place .
6. Schools should pay well their instructors. Well is an adverb of manner. The adverb belongs
     after the modal should      at the end of the sentence.

Write the adverb in its correct position and hit enter:
Shools should pay their instructors .
7. In Taiwan, a free community college only can hire teachers who are student-teachers or non-experienced teachers Only is a movable adverb. The emphasis is on the verb hire. The adverb should be placed
     before the verb hire      at the end of the sentence.

Write the adverb in its correct position:
Free community colleges can hire student teachers or teachers with little experience.

The correct adjective is inexperienced. However, student teachers are inexperienced. Those who have been teaching for one or two years are teachers with little experience. Word choice is important!
8. Now I will be always grateful to my cousin. Always is an adverb of
     manner      frequency

It should be placed
     after the auxiliary verb will      it is correctly placed

Note that while correct placement of frequency adverbs is after the verb be, in verb phrases the adverb is placed between the auxiliary and the verb.

Type it in the correct position and hit enter:
I will be grateful to my cousin.
9. If you have this clarity inside you, you always are going to gain something transcendent for your life. The verb phrase is are going to gain, which is a future form with gain as the main verb. Place the adverb of frequency after the verb be in the future auxiliary verb.

Type always in its correct position and hit enter.

You are going to gain something transcendent in your life.

Better usage will be "you will always gain" something transcendent. The future auxiliary will is more often used to show certainty or to make a prediction. The aux "be going to" is used for future plans.
10. I very much like learning from others. The adverb of degree must be moved to the end of the sentence. Type it in its correct position and hit enter.

I like learning from others .
11. When I started to learn English, I was very stressed because I wanted to learn very fast, and this situation didn’t let me sleep very well. For this reason, I was all the time angry and frustrated. "All the time" is an adverb of
     degree      time
Its correct position is
     the end of the sentence      the beginning or middle of the sentence

Type in the adverbial in its correct sentence position and hit enter.
I was angry and frustrated .
12. Because we were working in the low level of the river bed, we were driving in and out the trucks loaded with sand, until one of them stopped working. "In and out of the river bed" is an adverb of
     place      manner

Could the meaning of the sentence be expressed with just one of the dependent clauses?   yes     no

The adverbial "in and out of the river bed" should be placed
     after the word trucks     after the word sand.

Read the revised sentence and place the adverbial in its correct position.
We were driving trucks loaded with sand of the river bed when one of them stopped working.  Notes:
1. The subordinator when is used to introduce an incident that interrupts an activity in progress.
2. The reason clause is unnecessary.

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