I do not know if you can understand me!!
***** NOT A TEACHER
*****
Hello, Willingtolearn:
Yes, I thnk that I understand your question.
Sadly [adverb], I cannot give you the answers that you are looking for.
Adverb placement is a very [adverb] difficult subject. Too [adverb] difficult for me.
For example, one expert
* says there is a slight difference in meaning between "He slowly swam" and "He swam slowly." Unfortunately [adverb], he did not [adverb] explain that difference. And I have not [adverb] yet [adverb] been able to find one.
Here is what two experts
** say: "Many adverbs can occupy different positions in a sentence. When you have a choice, first of all place the adverb so that it makes the meaning clear." They give these examples:
1. "She answered the questions that the students asked
patiently." (It refers to how the students asked.)
2. "She
patiently answered the questions that the students asked." (It refers to how she answered.)
They also remind us that native speakers often choose a particular position for "rhythm and emphasis." Their examples: "Tom had
never liked pizza." / "Tom
never had liked pizza."
A third expert
*** says that there is "a strong tendency to put the adverb immediately before the the principal verb": "He has been
slowly making headway" instead of the position recommended by many books: "He has
slowly been making headway."
And, of course, you have read that the adverb "only" should precede the word emphasized: "I like
only ice cream, not cookies." Many native speakers, however, find this rhythm more agreeable to the ear: "I
only like ice cream, not cookies."
I suggest that you follow the moderator's suggestion: Post a sentence with an adverb. Then a member will comment on the position of the adverb.
James
* Ben Yogoda,
When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It (2007).
** Wilma and David Ebbitt,
Perrin's Index to English (1997 edition).
*** Paul Roberts,
Understanding Grammar (1954).