As a general rule, adverbs should be placed as near as possible to the words they modify. Otherwise, miscues may happen—for example:
Email and ask him to provide a quote immediately.
Which verb does immediately modify—email or provide? Depending on the answer, there are two ways to revise this sentence:
Email immediately [or Immediately email him] and ask him to provide a quote.
Email and ask him to immediately provide a quote.
Adverbs splitting verb phrases
Old-fashioned grammarians sometimes recommend against using split infinitives. For example, they might recommend saying, I don’t know if you presently are employed, instead of, I don’t know if you are presently employed, even though the latter sounds more natural to most native speakers of English.
But the prejudice against split infinitives and other verb phrases is unfounded. It may seem illogical to place an adverb between an auxiliary word and its verb, but it usually sounds better and is more common in both informal and formal speech and writing.
In these examples, the authors’ avoidance of split verb phrases leads to awkward constructions:
Once ashore, the teenagers quickly were loaded into ambulances and rushed to Schneck Medical Center . . . [The Republic]
Montgomery officials currently are sifting through development proposals for lower Dexter Avenue . . . [Montgomery Advertiser]
Man and man’s best friend soon can get together for a private meet and greet. [Youngstown Vindicator]
In each of these cases, the author could make the sentence sound more natural by switching the adverb and the auxiliary verb: . . . the teenagers were quickly loaded . . . ; . . . officials are currently sifting . . . ; . . . man’s best friend can soon get together . . . .
Adverbs modifying non-verbs
When an adverb modifies an adjective, adverb, preposition, or conjunction, it should immediately precede the word it modifies—for example:
The text was extremely purple.
We traveled far beyond the border.
Adverbs and intransitive verbs
An adverb modifying an intransitive verb should immediately follow its verb—for example:
The leaves fall slowly to the ground.
The birds chirped languidly.
We make exceptions with the adverbs always, generally, often, never, rarely, and seldom—for example:
The dog only rarely barks.
I seldom go running these days.
