35.    Adverbs of manner

A.    Adverbs of manner come after the verb:

She danced beautifully

or after the object when there is one:

He gave her the money reluctantly.      

They speak English well.

Do not put an adverb between verb and object.

B.     When we have verb + preposition + object, the adverb can be either before the preposition or after the object:

He looked at me suspiciously or He looked suspiciously at me.

But if the object contains a number of words we put the adverb before the preposition:

He looked suspiciously at everyone who got off the plane.

C.     Similarly with verb + object sentences the length of the object affects the position of the adverb.  If the object is short, we have verb + object + adverb, as shown in B above. But if the object is long we usually put the adverb before the verb:

She carefully picked up all the bits of broken glass.

He angrily denied that he had stolen the documents.

They secretly decided to leave the town.

D.     Note that if an adverb is placed after a clause or a phrase, it is normally considered to modify the verb in that clause/phrase. If, therefore, we move secretly to the end of the last example above, we change the meaning:

They secretly decided . . . (The decision was secret.)

They decided to leave the town secretly. (The departure was to be secret.)

E.     Adverbs concerned with character and intelligence, foolishly, generously, kindly, stupidly etc., when placed before a verb, indicate that the action was foolish/kind/generous etc.:

I foolishly forgot my passport.      

He generously paid for us all.

He kindly waited for me.      

Would you kindly wait?

Note that we could also express such ideas by:

It was foolish of me to forget.

It was kind of him to wait.

Would you be kind enough to wait?

The adverb can come after the verb or after verb + object, but the meaning then changes:

He spoke kindly = His voice and words were kind is not the same as It was kind of him to speak to us.

He paid us generously = He paid more than the usual rate is not the same as It was generous of him to pay us. Note the difference between:

He answered the questions foolishly (His answers were foolish) and

He foolishly answered the questions. (Answering was foolish./It was

foolish of him to answer at all.)

F.    badly and well can be used as adverbs of manner or degree. As adverbs of manner they come after an active verb, after the object or before the past participle in a passive verb:

He behaved badly.          He read well.

He paid her badly.          She speaks French well.

She was badly paid.        The trip was well organized.

badly as an adverb of degree usually comes after the object or before the verb or past participle:

The door needs a coat of paint badly/The door badly needs a coat

of paint.

He was badly injured in the last match.

well (degree) and well (manner) have the same position rules:

I'd like the steak well done.

He knows the town well.

Shake the bottle well.

The children were well wrapped up.

The meaning of well may depend on its position. Note the difference between:

You know well that I can't drive (There can be no doubt in your

mind about this) and

You know that I can't drive well. (I'm not a good driver.)

well can be placed after may/might and could to emphasize the probability of an action:

He may well refuse = It is quite likely that he will refuse. (For may/might as well, see 288.)

G .    somehow, anyhow

somehow (= in some way or other) can be placed in the front position or after a verb without object or after the object:

Somehow they managed.      

They managed somehow.

They raised the money somehow.