position of adverb

Question

Could you check whether the position of adverbs in the following sentences are okay? Thank you.

1. I have been there often. (I have often been there)
2. Nearly the murder was caught by police. (The murder was nearly caught by police)

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

lucas21c1. I have been there often.

Good.

lucas21c2. Nearly the murder was caught by police.

No. "Nearly" must go directly before "caught."

The murderer was nearly caught by the police.

Lucas21c · Answer

How about "Often I have been there"?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

lucas21cHow about "Often I have been there"?

It's found in poetry, with subject-verb inversion.
There are many examples of both positions in this poem.

"Oft" is a long-used poetic version of "often."

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/1579281/1/I-Have-Gazed-At-Stars-Too-Fondly

They say the night is dangerous
And full of imminent peril
Of spirits who are malicious
And creatures who are feral

And who am I to contest it?
Who am I to disagree?
Foul things have oft taken place
Under dark's decree

Yet I have gazed at stars too fondly
To be fearful of the night
And watched too oft the falling leaves
Drift leisurely past my sight

And too often has the east wind blown
Upon my grassy hill
Too many times have sparrows flown
Past my tree and hedge and rill

And oft upon a summer's eve
Have I heard the willow's call
Too often have I answered back
With scarce a noise at all

I have touched the earth too lightly
With bare feet in the dark
And have listened too intently
To the chirping meadowlark

And how can I be fearful
When I see squirrels skitter home
And owls ready their sleep-mussed feathers
To begin their midnight roam

Too intently have I ridden storms
Nestled in a dogwood tree
And caught too many swallows of rain
From thunder's crack to flee

Too boldly did I brush the wolf
As I ran through the forest and glade
To fear her moaning, mourning cry
Or shiver with the moon at her tirade

Over-zealously have I dipped my feet
In streaming pool and crystal brook
To fear the rushing river's flow
Or fearfully around me look

Too oft I have waited for sunrise
To fear darkness's length
Too oft have I dreamt in the blowing grass
To worry over west wind's strength

Too oft has the moon waxed or waned
For me to be wary without it in sight
And I have gazed at stars too fondly
To be fearful of the night

position of adverb

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