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Toddkarhu Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Adverb before verb?

Today I read this sentence in a novel: "The tree branch gently taps against the glass". I might have put the gently second, like "The tree branch taps gently against the glass".

Is there a rule for this? how do I know which form to take when writing?

thank you in advance,

Todd
  

Top answer

English word order is quite flexible for adverbs. Either of the following is fine. The author chose the first one over the other perhaps because he liked the sound of it better.

— AlpheccaStars

  • English word order is quite flexible for adverbs.
  • Either of the following is fine.
  • The author chose the first one over the other perhaps because he liked the sound of it better.
  • It is a bit more faithful to iambic pentameter meter, thus more poetic.
  • The tree branch gently taps against the glass.
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2 Answers
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English word order is quite flexible for adverbs. Either of the following is fine. The author chose the first one over the other perhaps because he liked the sound of it better. It is a bit more faithful to iambic pentameter meter, thus more poetic.

The tree branch gently taps against the glass.

The tree branch taps gently against the glass.
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toddkarhuIs there a rule for this?
There are a number of rules concerning the position of frequency adverbs and many disyllabic adverbs such as gently are often placed in the same position even though they have nothing to do with time or frequency. You can read more about the rules

CB
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