[Grammar] Two questions relating to the position of adverbs

[Maluues]

Hey there.

I have got two questions relating to the position of adverbs.

Lets use:
Charley plays football.

Would I say:

Charly plays football very often. I would use this one.

or

Charley very often plays football

or Charley plays very often football.

The second question:

Again it is Charley.

Carley plays fooball very good

or Charley plays football very well. I would use this one.

Could you explain why I have to use these positions?

Cheers

edit: The topic should be called: Two questions relating to the position of adverbs.

[Soup]

Charley very often plays football.
Charley often plays football.
Charley plays football (very) often.
Charley plays very often football.

Charley plays fooball very good. <e.g., USA colloquial>
Charley plays football very well. <Standard English>

See here English Grammar - Adverbs - Position in a Sentence - Word Power

[David L.]

Wow. Soup - I think that site is a bit of an overwhelming mishmash for a beginner.

Here's another site with more units, and exercises:
http://www.eslau.ca/lesson/unit66.php

Unit 66: POSITION OF ADVERBS
Some adverbs can go at the beginning of the sentence:

(Sometimes we go swimming) and in the middle (We sometimes go swimming) and at the end (We go swimming sometimes).

But many adverbs cannot go in all of these positions.

1
If an adverb describes an adjective or another adverb, it goes before it:
nearly correct
always late
very carefully

BUT the adverb enough (Unit 67) goes after it:
correct enough
early enough
carefully enough

2
The adverbs early, late, a little, a lot, well and yet go at the end of the basic sentence (Unit 7):
We arrived early.
I like cheese a lot.
NOT : like a lot cheese

3
If the basic sentence is subject and verb only (Unit 62), adverbs showing 'how' (Unit 80) go at the end:
He works hard.
She ate slowly.
NOT : slowly ate

4
The adverbs almost, also, hardly, just, nearly, never and still go in the middle of the sentence:

before the lexical verb (Unit 3)
We nearly missed the train.

but after the first auxiliary
I have never missed it.
I am still learning.
and after the verb be
I am also a teacher.

NOTICE: Except for the verb be, adverbs cannot go between the verb and another part of the basic sentence (NOT : we go sometimes swimming).

5
The rules for the position of adverbs are difficult. If you are not sure where to put an adverb, put it at the end of the basic sentence (most adverbs can go here).

NOTICE: Different adverb positions sometimes give different meanings to sentences (Unit 67).

[Philly]

Originally Posted by Soup

Charley very often plays football.

What's wrong with that sentence, Soup?
It's true that 'very often' would be much more commonly found at the end of the sentence. However, 'very often' can also be used in mid-sentence.

[David L.]

Charley plays fooball very good

or
Charley plays football very well.

Such sentences are found only in grammar books, not actually proceeding out of the mouths of ordinary mortals.

Charlie is good/really good at football.

or maybe

Charlie plays football really well.

[Soup]

Originally Posted by Philly

It's true that 'very often' would be much more commonly found at the end of the sentence. However, 'very often' can also be used in mid-sentence.

True, but with a slighty different emphasis, which is why 'long adverbs' are not as common mid-sentence. For example, In Charley very often plays football, the adverb very often by position directly modifies the verb plays, placing pimary focus on the action plays, rather than on the event plays football, whereas in Charley plays football very often by position modifies the event plays football.

Marked form
Ex: Charley very often plays football.
=> Emphasis on plays

Unmarked form
Ex: Charley plays football very often.
=> Emphasis on plays football

Consider,

The dog [quickly [ate [the food]].
The dog [ate the food [quickly]].

Back to our example 'very often', with 'long adverbs' the tendency is to place 'weightier' information at the end of the clause, to make it easier for the listener/reader to process the information. (See also a discussion about frequency adverbs and word order).

[the concierge]

this should not be a confusing question

often is an adverb which can be used directly before the verb

1. Charley very often plays football correct


or you can put it after the verb but it must be also after the subject

2. Charly plays football very often. correct


never put it between verb and object

3. Charley plays very often football. incorrect.




The second question:


Carley plays fooball very good incorrect

because you are talking about how Charlie plays football


you are describing how he does something - use an adverb not an adjective - use well not good.

Charley plays football very well. correct


to describe a noun use an adjective

he's a good player

the ball is round

they have a weak defence

to describe a verb ( or how someone does something) use an adverb

he plays well

their defence played badly
the supporters shouted loudly