Common Mistake: Word Order and Adverb Placement

Adverb placement is a small detail that can make English sound noticeably off when it's wrong, even if every individual word is correct. This lesson covers five common word order mistakes. Frequency adverbs like always usually go before the main verb, so I always eat breakfast is correct, not always I eat breakfast. Adverbs of degree like very much typically go at the end, making I like this song very much correct instead of I like very much this song. Manner adverbs like fluently go after the verb or object, so she speaks English fluently is correct, not she speaks fluently English. Frequency adverbs again appear before the verb in he always drives carefully, not he drives carefully always. Finally, they often go to the gym is correct, not they go often to the gym. These patterns show that adverb position in English follows fairly consistent rules once you know where each type belongs.