Adverb placementįor the study, Jane only interviewed Japanese speakers. Pay attention to which word or phrase your adverbs are modifying in order to make your sentences as clear as possible. She arrived home covered in sweat and fell onto the sofa.ĭespite receiving widespread critical acclaim, box office sales of the film were poor.ĭespite receiving widespread critical acclaim, the film performed poorly at the box office.Īdverbs like only, just, almost, nearly, and especially can subtly change the meaning of a sentence depending on where they are placed, often resulting in ambiguity or confusion. She arrived home and fell onto the sofa covered in sweat.Ĭovered in sweat, shearrived home and fell onto the sofa. Most participants selected from the menu a lunch that was high in sugar. Most participants selected a lunch that was high in sugar from the menu. Most participants selected a lunch from the menu that was high in sugar. The waiter presented a steak that was medium rareto the guest. The waiter presented a medium-rare steak to the guest. The waiter presented a steak to the guest that was medium rare. A misplaced modifier can be easily fixed by positioning the modifier immediately before or immediately after the word or phrase that it is modifying.
