Using adverbs in narratives

Using adverbs in narratives

• ly/-ily
• time adverbials – ago, then, yet
• positioning adverbs in the correct place in a sentence – no fixed rules on word order!!!

BASIC GUIDELINES:

1. INITIAL POSITION (BEFORE THE SUBJECT)

• linking adverbs (... . However, ...)
• time adverbs – when contrasting with a previous time reference (... . The following day, ...)
• comment and opinion adverbs when emphasizing (Fortunately, ...)

1. MID POSITION (BETWEEN THE SUBJECT AND VERB OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER BE)

• adverbs of frequency (e. g. often, always, never)
• just, even
• adverbs of certainty and degree (e.g. probably, obviously, clearly, completely, quite, almost)
• it normally goes between the auxiliary verb and the main verb (He has just finished...)

1. END POSITION (AT THE END OF THE CLAUSE)

• adverbs of time and definite frequency (e. g. last week, every year)
• adverbs of manner that show how sth is done (e. g. well, slowly)
• adverbs of place (e.g. in the jungle, at the door)

SVO-MPT – They had lived happily in the same street for 50 years.