Common mistake Word order: Wrong position of adverb, e.g. 'Always I am happy. (I am always happy.)'

Word order: Wrong position of adverb

One of the common mistakes in English grammar is the incorrect placement of adverbs. Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide more information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action is performed.

1. Adverb before the subject pronoun

When using an adverb at the beginning of a sentence, it should not be followed directly by a subject pronoun. For example:

Incorrect: Always I am happy.
Correct: I am always happy.

2. Adverb after the verb

Most of the time, adverbs should be placed after the verb they are modifying. For example:

Incorrect: I sleep usually late.
Correct: I usually sleep late.

3. Adverb placement in a sentence

The placement of the adverb within a sentence depends on the specific adverb and what it modifies. Here are a few examples:

Incorrect: I always drink coffee instead of tea.
Correct: I drink coffee instead of tea always.

Incorrect: I often go to the park in the afternoon.
Correct: I go to the park often in the afternoon.

Incorrect: We are never late for meetings.
Correct: We never are late for meetings.

Remember, it's essential to use the correct word order for adverbs to ensure clear and accurate communication in English writing.

Linguix grammar checker can help you identify and correct word order mistakes.

Word order: Wrong position of adverb, e.g. 'Always I am happy. (I am always happy.)' mistake examples

Correct:
Always I am happy.
Correct:
Always I hid who I really was.
Correct:
Always, he was serious.
Correct:
Ever it was thus.
Correct:
I am always happy.
Correct:
Always wear your helmet.
Correct:
Always late, is he?
Correct:
Hardly.
Correct:
Never again would she want to live there.
Correct:
Never before have we had such a strong longing for peace.
Correct:
Never in my life have I heard or seen such a thing.
Correct:
Hardly a day passes when I don't think of you.
Correct:
Hardly anyone writes to me these days.
Correct:
Never too much of anything.
Correct:
Never say never
Correct:
Always and forever, I'm yours.
Correct:
Always save your best ideas to last.
Correct:
Always someone there to remind me.
Correct:
Always the centre of attention, she hated to be ignored.
Correct:
Always, no problem.
Correct:
Always worse, never better.
Correct:
Always when I can.
Correct:
"Am I avoiding you? Never!"
Correct:
Never in one place for long, I decided to leave the city tomorrow.
Correct:
Never, ever, do that again!
Correct:
Never actually tried that.
Correct:
Never once has this occurred in all the time I've been here.
Correct:
Hardly the meeting had begun when it was adjourned.
Correct:
Hardly B2C agents, in my opinion.
Correct:
Hardly anybody's busy today.
Correct:
Rarely, if ever, do these flowers bloom so early in the year.
Correct:
Rarely, small asteroids passing close to Earth may be visible to the naked eye for a short time.
Correct:
Ever since Portugal handed over sovereignty
Correct:
It was ever thus.
Correct:
EVER TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD.
Correct:
Ever really want someone to wake you up from a bad dream...
Correct:
Ever louder voices of protest drowned out his speech.
Correct:
Ever the organizer, Reggie separates his Skittles into groupings of the same flavor before he eats them.

Correct:
I am happy always.
Correct:
Whatever the majority want in terms of dinner is fine with me, though I prefer cheaper always.
Correct:
She prefers expensive meals never.
Correct:
I am always happy.
Correct:
The band emerged triumphant, as always.
Correct:
It's now or never.
Correct:
... but better late than never.
Correct:
No closing punctuation: He wanted to do it but it never happened
Correct:
It was an event that occurred only rarely.
Correct:
Never.
Correct:
I've seen it... rarely.
Correct:
We did that task relatively rarely.
Correct:
Do they do it frequently or rarely?
Correct:
THANK YOU ALWAYS.
Correct:
In Display summary place a bullet in Always.
Correct:
The Beautiful Moment – The Official Clive Barker Website for All Ages – For younger readers – features Abarat and The Thief of Always.
Correct:
In winter always.
Correct:
You'll be in my heart today and always.
Correct:
Almost always.
Correct:
I need to see you, and to see you again, and to see you always.
Correct:
You're the man of my life and I want to make you happy always.
Correct:
Cinderella took them up, and, as she embraced them, said that she forgave them with all her heart, and begged them to love her always.
Correct:
I hope your Guardian Angel watches over you always.
Correct:
I'll love you always.
Correct:
I'll support you today and always.
Correct:
Not hardly.
Correct:
No, but going as soon as I can save $5000, so never.
Correct:
Well, I never!
Correct:
If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never.
Correct:
Forwards always, backwards never.
Correct:
The Swabians at 40 years old, are clever, and all of the others become so never.
Correct:
Probably never.
Correct:
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
Correct:
Never, or at least very seldom.
Correct:
Victoria and Albert Museum Conservation Journal He still came to me from time to time when he desired a companion in his investigation, but these occasions grew more and more seldom.
Correct:
It's only three weeks since she came, and it seems as if she'd been here always.
Correct:
For certain, the Angels you are receiving will guide your way now and always.
Correct:
It's not spooky because he promised, I'll be with you always.
Correct:
I am with you always.
Correct:
I was just bugging like always.

Incorrect:
I sometimes am happy.

Correct:
I am sometimes happy.
Incorrect:
Appearances often are deceiving.

Correct:
Appearances are often deceiving.
Incorrect:
George rarely was visited by his family.

Correct:
George was rarely visited by his family.
Incorrect:
The radius of curvature usually is taken as positive.

Correct:
The radius of curvature is usually taken as positive.
Incorrect:
My rule always was to do the business of the day in the day.

Correct:
My rule was always to do the business of the day in the day.
Incorrect:
This substance, the "alabaster" of the Ancient Egyptians and Bible, often is termed Oriental alabaster, since the early examples came from the Far East.

Correct:
This substance, the "alabaster" of the Ancient Egyptians and Bible, is often termed Oriental alabaster, since the early examples came from the Far East.
Correct:
I am sometimes happy.
Correct:
Although they can sometimes be found.
Correct:
How often are feeling lonely?
Correct:
They always are.
Correct:
I'd never be able to afford to buy a house on Park Street.
Correct:
Never be afraid of monsters!
Correct:
Only rarely is the reader drawn directly into the ...
Correct:
Tom's advice often isn't very good.
Correct:
He'd never been responsible for this mess.
Correct:
Although I'd often been responsible for our office parties, I decided not to arrange one this year.
Correct:
Since she'd not often been to Paris, she didn't know it very well.
Correct:
Hardly was the door shut when Mrs. Challenger darted out from the dining-room.
Correct:
Never were finer women or more accomplished men seen in any Court.
Correct:
Never been but heard it's beautiful.
Correct:
Never being discouraged is the secret to my success.
Correct:
Always being honest is no easy thing.
Correct:
Sometimes being overcautious in planning could upset the apple cart.
Correct:
Haru's always been like that; he's very kind at heart.
Correct:
Dear children, always be honest!
Correct:
Compaq's just always been there, providing software and actual computers to help the nonprofit arts organizations.
Correct:
Undoubtedly, always being there to help was a contributory factor to her exhaustion.
Correct:
My situation's rarely been very comfortable.
Correct:
Nevertheless, sometimes being a failure cannot be avoided.
Correct:
Instead of the meetings always being held in London, they would rotate across the membership.
Correct:
What a kind and thoughtful man you always are, Vince.
Correct:
"I always am, aren't I?"
Correct:
The present will not always be the future.

Incorrect:
I am here and I sometimes am happy.

Correct:
I am here and I am sometimes happy.
Incorrect:
The times I saw her always are in my mind.

Correct:
The times I saw her are always in my mind.
Incorrect:
... because they seldom were on time.

Correct:
... because they were seldom on time.
Incorrect:
It always is the same problem with you.

Correct:
It is always the same problem with you.
Correct:
When it's valid (as it usually is), there's no problem.
Correct:
They always are.
Correct:
It often wasn't worth the Army's time to dispute this claim.
Correct:
Hasn't it always been this way?
Correct:
"Why have I never been told?" she asked.
Correct:
When you do this yourself always be careful.
Correct:
Let's always be friends.
Correct:
Let's usually are expensive in London.
Correct:
I'm not as tired as I usually am by this time of day.
Correct:
As busy as they always are they are a pleasure to deal with.
Correct:
But, that's the way it always is over here.
Correct:
I am taking a couple of friends from work, so it should be a good time (it always is).
Correct:
"I had," said he, "come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data."
Correct:
It involves the creation of objects where the practical considerations of use are essential—in a way that they usually are not in a painting, for example.
Correct:
Other researchers have added to the model, resulting in it often being referred to as the "Boston-Neoclassical Model".
Correct:
I found her rarely being truly honest with me.
Correct:
May you always be happy!

Incorrect:
They have been seen often together.

Correct:
They have often been seen together.
Incorrect:
One name that has been mentioned often is retired Congressman Tom Ewing.

Correct:
One name that has often been mentioned is retired Congressman Tom Ewing.
Correct:
They have often been seen together.
Correct:
We hope this method is being called often enough to cancel daemon processes smoothly
Correct:
Tom has been told never to do that.
Correct:
The children had been told always to say 'please'.
Correct:
The children will be reminded always to brush their teeth before they go to bed.

Incorrect:
They often have been seen together.

Correct:
They have often been seen together.
Incorrect:
... must receive permission from the copyright holder to use this work, and often will be asked to pay for the use of copyrighted material.

Correct:
... must receive permission from the copyright holder to use this work, and will often be asked to pay for the use of copyrighted material.
Correct:
They have often been seen together.
Correct:
Those women should never have been hired.
Correct:
These rules have been and always will be observed.

Correct:
The human being is often regarded as
Correct:
They have often been seen together.
Incorrect:
They have been often seen together.

Correct:
They have often been seen together.

Incorrect:
I will love always you.

Correct:
I will always love you.
Incorrect:
I go often to bed before midnight.

Correct:
I often go to bed before midnight.
Incorrect:
... is called the Boltzmann factor and appears often in the study of physics and chemistry.

Correct:
... is called the Boltzmann factor and often appears in the study of physics and chemistry.
Incorrect:
AmE appears sometimes to use the BrE form.

Correct:
AmE sometimes appears to use the BrE form.
Incorrect:
Chances come rarely in any case.

Correct:
Chances rarely come in any case.
Incorrect:
in their capacity as market superintendents, they served sometimes as judges in mercantile affairs.

Correct:
in their capacity as market superintendents, they sometimes served as judges in mercantile affairs.
Incorrect:
The desire, or the need, did not come upon him often, and it came usually when he was feeling ill or depressed.

Correct:
The desire, or the need, did not come upon him often, and it usually came when he was feeling ill or depressed.
Incorrect:
Mr. Bush campaigned often here last year.

Correct:
Mr. Bush often campaigned here last year.
Incorrect:
Tom and Mary complain often that they never get to be together without the children.

Correct:
Tom and Mary often complain that they never get to be together without the children.
Incorrect:
Do your sisters dream sometimes about the future?

Correct:
Do your sisters sometimes dream about the future?
Incorrect:
Do you think often about the future?

Correct:
Do you often think about the future?
Incorrect:
Those people spoke hardly during the meeting.

Correct:
Those people hardly spoke during the meeting.
Incorrect:
I don't go always to the market on a Thursday.

Correct:
I don't always go to the market on a Thursday.
Correct:
I will always love you.
Correct:
Didn't you promise never to tell a lie?
Correct:
Mary decided never to see him any more.
Correct:
He taught the Athenians to desire always to defeat their enemies
Correct:
I had an old wire bird feeder that I used to fill often with a square slab of suet.
Correct:
He knows hardly anything about it.
Correct:
These come up often in the context of chat messages.
Correct:
He has to sleep often or else.
Correct:
To eat often before bed is unhealthy.
Correct:
The shock of impact of a shell against armour often prematurely detonated Lyddite in advance of fuze function ...
Correct:
The featured titles change every week, so check back often for fresh savings...
Correct:
It's not cool sometimes to translate it literally.
Correct:
I would be glad to meet you for lunch/dinner sometimes during the next few weeks.
Correct:
I used to jerk off often when I was a teenager.
Correct:
The size of a litter averages three to five kittens, with the first litter usually smaller than subsequent litters.
Correct:
In its own often clumsy looking way Enron's culture does allocate capital and people fairly effectively.
Correct:
He enjoys wine sometimes, but mostly he drinks whisky.
Correct:
The existence and nature of animal consciousness can never rigorously be known.
Correct:
Its rates aren't the cheapest, and they aren't even always less than the incumbent.
Correct:
I don't send these things out often, so please forgive the intrusion.
Correct:
Fadil and Dania made love like never before.
Correct:
Save and save often.......
Correct:
You never look angry, even though I know sometimes you are.
Correct:
He who reads often and walks often, sees much and knows much.
Correct:
I would be indignant (whenever people spoke hardly of me).
Correct:
It doesn't happen often enough these days.
Correct:
The disambiguation error does not occur rarely enough for us to ignore it.
Correct:
It gets real crowded sometimes, which causes them to close the gates.
Correct:
... in which God agrees never again to destroy the Earth.
Correct:
Those who made the Third Reich's military plans and organized its war economy appear rarely, if ever, to have employed the term blitzkrieg in official documents.
Correct:
I swore I would be one of those people who said never and really meant it.
Correct:
What users want often can vary considerably from what they are being offered by today's suppliers.
Correct:
This unit did research on BW, conducted often fatal human experiments on prisoners, and produced biological weapons for combat use.
Correct:
Under Stalin the Politburo did not meet often as a collective unit, but was still an important body – many of Stalin's closet protégés were members.
Correct:
Fighter pilots have year-round flights, but gunship pilots do not fly often due to the yet unfulfilled modernization of the Mi-24 gunships.
Correct:
If something comes from FERC (which should not happen often), you would just forward it to me.
Correct:
This game has a hunger mechanic: if you don't eat often, your character will die.
Correct:
Pickpockets often work in groups.
Correct:
As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth."
Correct:
The salutary image of an older person instructing the young evokes always in Kurosawa's films high moments of pathos.

Incorrect:
I always will love you.

Correct:
I will always love you.
Incorrect:
I never will trouble you again.

Correct:
I will never trouble you again.
Correct:
They usually have long hind limbs.
Correct:
... Patricia always had treats available at the back door...
Correct:
When I was a child, I always had water with my meals.
Correct:
She always had trouble with adverbs.
Correct:
The phrase “always had trouble”, is perfect English, and I always have trouble with LT...
Correct:
It has been removed from the server and should never be run there.
Correct:
Sami always had sleep paralysis as a kid.
Correct:
I'm in a dialogue with Paul and others on this issue but as always would appreciate your thoughts.

Linguix Browser extension

Fix your writing
on millions of websites

Get Started For Free Watch how it works

Related mistakes from category Style

transitive verb 'occasion' is very formal to be able to + 'passive voice' 'also' at the end of the sentence Style: 'possible' after 'possibility' Readability: Three nouns in a row Word order: 'Hopefully' starting a sentence Number starting a sentence Sentence starting with 'And' or 'But' irregardless (regardless) an invite (invitation)