Adverbs of Place

Besides knowing when an action happens, we also need to know where it happens. To answer the question Where, we use Adverbs of Place.

What are Adverbs of Place?

Adverbs of Place are adverbs that provide information about where an action happens, what direction it moves toward, or the distance of an object.

Unlike prepositions like in, on, at which must always be followed by a noun (e.g., in the room), Adverbs of Place can stand alone without needing a noun after them.

Some commonly used Adverbs of Place:

  • Specific Locations: here, there, everywhere, nowhere.
  • Direction: up, down, left, right, north, backwards.
  • Relative Position: inside, outside, near, far, nearby, abroad.

Position in a Sentence

Just like adverbs of time, Adverbs of Place are most often placed at the end of the sentence or after the main verb (and object, if there is one).

  • Please wait here. (After the verb).
  • I left my keys there. (After the object my keys).
  • They are playing outside.
  • He traveled abroad.

Golden Rule: Just like adverbs of manner, NEVER place an adverb of place between a verb and its direct object.

  • Correct: I found the book here.
  • Incorrect: I found here the book.

Here and There at the Beginning of a Sentence

In some special cases (especially in literary writing or to provide dramatic emphasis), the words here and there can be placed at the beginning of a sentence.

If this happens, and the subject of the sentence is a noun not a pronoun like he / she / it, the sentence structure is inverted (Verb first, then Subject).

  • Here comes the bus. (The bus is coming - bus is a noun).
  • There goes my train.

However, if the subject is a pronoun, the word order remains normal (Subject first, then Verb).

  • Here it comes.
  • There she goes.

The Order: Manner, Place, Time (M-P-T Rule)

Now, this is a very important rule! What if you have an Adverb of Manner, Place, and Time all in one sentence?

Which order should you follow at the end of the sentence? The standard rule is the M-P-T formula:

  1. Manner (How?)
  2. Place (Where?)
  3. Time (When?)

Sentence example:

  • She sang beautifully (Manner) at the concert (Place) last night (Time).

Not: She sang last night at the concert beautifully.

Exception: If the verb is a verb of movement (like go, come, arrive, leave), the position changes to P-M-T (Place comes first because the destination of movement is more important).

  • He went to London (Place) by plane (Manner) yesterday (Time).

Conclusion: Adverbs of Place indicate location or direction without needing to be followed by a noun. Place them at the end of the sentence, and remember the M-P-T rule if you are combining several adverbs!