Empower 9. Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases

 Empower p 138.  Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases. Important points to remember

1. Place the adverb in brackets in the mid position 

a. The government has been forced to change its mind.(occasionally)

 

 

 

KEY

a. The government has occasionally been forced to change its mind. (in mid position: after the first auxiliary verb)  

 

 

b. You can never predict what will happen.(definitely)

 

 

KEY

b. You can definitely never predict what will happen. (in mid position: after a modal verb) 

 

 

 

c. We mightn’t have met. (ever)

 

 

 

KEY

c. We mightn’t ever have met. (after the modal verb and before the auxiliary verb)

 

 

d. Do you think about living there? (ever)

 

 

KEY

d. Do you ever think about living there? (In questions, mid position is between the subject and the main verb:)

 

 

e. She’s late for everything. (always)

 

 

KEY

e. She’s always late for everything.(Adverbs usually come after the main verb be)

 

 

2. Put the adverbial phrases in brackets in the correct order

a. James played (on Saturday/ in the match/ brilliantly)

 

 

KEY

a. James played brilliantly in the match on Saturday

Order of adverbial phrases: manner+ place+ time

 

b. We didn't sleep (last night/ well/ on those airbeds)

 

 

KEY

b. We didn't sleep well on those airbeds last night.

 

3. Put the adverbs in brackets in the right position

a. I’ll see you soon. (probably)

 

 

KEY

a. I’ll probably see you soon. (Adverbs of certainty usually go after auxiliaries NOT I probably will )

 

 

b. She can’t hear you.(probably)

 

 

 

KEY

b. She probably can’t hear you.

Although adverbs of certainty usually go after auxiliaries, they go before
contracted negative auxiliaries: NOT She can’t probably …

 

 

 

c. He won't be re-elected (definitely)

 

 

KEY

c. He definitely won't be re-elected

Although adverbs of certainty usually go after auxiliaries, they go before
contracted negative auxiliaries.
 

4. Put the following evaluative and viewpoint adverbs in right position. 

a. I think the meeting is on Wednesday, not Thursday. (actually)

 

 

KEY

a. Actually, I think the meeting is on Wednesday, not Thursday. 

Adverbs indicating the attitude and point of view of the speaker or writer usually go at the beginning. These adverbs are called sentence adverbs because they refer to the whole sentence or utterance 

 

 

 b. We can’t tell you the result but we can give you an indication.(obviously)

 

 

 

KEY

 b. Obviously, we can’t tell you the result but we can give you an indication.

 

5. Put the words in brackets in the correct order

a. Here _________. (she/ is)

 

 

KEY

a. Here she is. 

If the subject is a pronoun (it/he/she/you etc.), it comes directly after the adverbs here and there. Not: Here is she.

 

 

b. There _________. ( it/ goes).

 

 

KEY

b. There it goes. 

Not: There goes it. 

 

 

 

c.  Here ___________. (the bus/ comes).

 

 

KEY

c. Here comes the bus.

If the subject is a noun, it comes directly after the verb:
Not: Here the bus comes.

7. Different meaning depending on position. Put the adverbs in brackets in the right position.

a.  Kate speaks Chinese. (strangely = surprisingly)

 

 

KEY

a. Strangely, Kate speaks Chinese. 

 

 

b.  Kate speaks Chinese (strangely = badly) 

KEY

b. Kate speaks Chinese strangely.

Some adverbs have different meanings in different positions: amazingly, strangely; naturally, clearly, fairly, reasonably …

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