Position of adverb of place

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

John: Where did you eat dinner yesterday?
Mary: ____________________________
(A ) I ate dinner at school yesterday.
(B ) Yesterday I ate dinner at school.
(C ) I ate dinner yesterday at school.
Which of the above choices is correct?

3 Likes
2

A and B will work while C wonā€™t.

1 Like
3

I think you could get away with ā€˜Cā€™ if you put stress on ā€˜at schoolā€™.

4 Likes
4

Let me say that aloud -

4 Likes
5

I beg to differ with you, Alan.

The usual practice is to place the time adverbial either in the beginning or at the end of a sentence. Stress is easily discerned in spoken contexts. Here we do not know which word is stressed or is to be stressed. Itā€™s the choice of the speaker. If it is to be shown in writing, the writer may change it into a cleft sentence or highlight the word to be emphasized.

So, I agree with Torsten in toto.

4 Likes
6

Hi Lawrence,

I can appreciate your point about word order in that sentence. But bear in mind that I did say that you could get away with the version I suggested and also the answer mirrors the word order in the question - Where did you eat dinner yesterday? Answer - I ate dinner yesterday at school.

4 Likes
7

As regards adverbs, there is no hard and fast rule (except, of course, the manner-place-time or time-manner-place order usually followed). An adverb can be placed anywhere in the sentence, so to say. It depends on the user of the language. I can suppose what you suggest to be acceptable in a spoken situation ā€¦ something like this: Where did you eat dinner yesterday? I ate dinner yesterday, at school.

(PS. On re-reading the post, I see that the nature of the given choices confirms what you say is true for there cannot be two acceptable answer choices for a question, in which case the question will become defective. Nonetheless, the question, Iā€™d say, is not suitable for an academic test.)

3 Likes
8

The school orchestra will practice every Friday for two hours from 3:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. in the school auditorium. (Naomi Waterman)
In the above sentence, the time adverbial is neither in the beginning nor at the end of a sentence.

4 Likes
9

In grammar we teach what is known as the MPT rule. MPT means Manner, Place and Time. When these adverbials are to be used in a sentence, we generally follow the MPT sequence with the option of placing the Time adverb either in the front or at the rear of a sentence as in:

  • She sang melodiously at the banquet hall yesterday.
  • Yesterday she sang melodiously at the banquet hall.

However, if the writer or speaker wants to stress any of these adverbials, they may position it according to their need. Then the pattern gets upset, which is inevitable. The sentence you quoted could be one of this type, which reflects the contextual choice of the writer.
However, if we are asked to recast the sentence in the normal way, it will read thus: The school orchestra will practise in the school auditorium for two hours from 3:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. every Friday.

(We cannot be prescriptive of grammar; there is no hard and fast rule either!)

2 Likes
10

Which part does the author stress in the quoted sentence?

2 Likes
11

Why didnā€™t you write ā€œat the beginning or at the end of a sentenceā€?

3 Likes
12

Iā€™d say " every Friday for two hours from 3:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M ." But the author is the best judge!

4 Likes
13

Itā€™s a slip here, Sitifan. You are right.

It should be ā€˜at the beginning of a sentenceā€™ (as it is specific) since ā€˜in the beginningā€™ refers to a general and wider position.

4 Likes