KINDS OF ADVERBS

ADVERBS OF PLACE

Adverbs of place tell us where something happens.
They are usually placed after the main verb or after the object:

Example:

after the main verb:

• I looked everywhere
• John looked away, up, down, around...
• I'm going home, out, back
• Come in

  after the object:

• They built a house nearby
• She took the child outside

'Here' and 'there'

With verbs of movement, here means towards or with the speaker:

• Come here (= towards me)
• It's in here (= come with me to see it)

There means away from, or not with the speaker:

• Put it there (= away from me)
• It's in there (= go by yourself to see it)

Here and there are combined with prepositions to make many common adverbial phrases:

down here, down there;
over here, over there;
under here, under there;
up here, up there

Here and there are placed at the beginning of the sentence in exclamations or when emphasis is needed.

They are followed by the verb if the subject is a noun:

• Here comes the bus. (followed by the verb)

Or by a pronoun if this is the subject (it, she, he etc.):

• Here it is! (followed by the pronoun)
• There she goes! (followed by the pronoun)

NOTE: most common adverbs of place also function as prepositions.

Examples:

about, across, along, around, behind, by, down, in, off, on, over, round, through, under, up.

Go to Prepositions or Phrasal Verbs

Other adverbs of place: ending in '-wards', expressing movement in a particular direction:

backwards forwards downwards upwards inwards outwards

northwards southwards eastwards westwards homewards onwards

Example:

• Cats don't usually walk backwards.
• The ship sailed westwards.

BE CAREFUL! 'Towards' is a preposition, not an adverb, so it is always followed by a noun or a pronoun:

• He walked towards the car.
• She ran towards me.

expressing both movement and location:

ahead, abroad, overseas, uphill, downhill, sideways, indoors, outdoors

Example:

• The child went indoors.
• He lived and worked abroad.