grammar

Anonymousis it grammatical to say "I went to sleep yesterday late" rather than "I went to sleep late yesterday"?

No. 'late' modifies 'yesterday' so it should come before it, not after it.

CJ

I agree that ;late' must come before 'yesterday'.

Although it's possible that it was late yesterday when he went to bed, I would use that sentence only with the meaning of it being yesterday that he went to bed late.

fivejedjonAlthough it's possible that it was late yesterday when he went to bed, I would use that sentence only ioth the meaning of it being yesterday that he went to bde late.

OK. Then in the reading you would use, what is the principle by which we justify that 'late must come before 'yesterday'? Any ideas?

CJ

Only that going to bed late is more of a complete activity than going to bed yesterday. Yesterday modifies the whole activity: I went to bed late. It''s not so much late coming before yesterday as yesterday coming after what it modifies.

fivejedjonYesterday modifies the whole activity: I went to bed late.

Ah, right. Verb phrase adverbs come before sentential adverbs. Or, sentential adverbs cannot split up the verb phrase. (*Pete threw surely the ball too far. *Paul threw the ball yesterday too far.)

CJ