Ch 39 · Lesson 18Spanish · Chapter 39 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
Where Spanish adverbs go: siempre he vivido
Manner after the verb ( ), time and place up front ( ), and never between and the participle: he . Plus the mistakes.
The short version
Never wedge an adverb into a compound tense
Why?Hide
English happily says he has always eaten. Spanish glues to its participle and will not let anything in between. So it is he or he , never he . The same goes for and : he , not he .
Where the adverb goes
Adverbs of manner and degree follow the verb; sits right before its adjective:
.- He/She speaks well..- He/She eats a lot.
The rule English speakers break: nothing goes between and the participle. English says "I have always lived here"; Spanish keeps he together and puts the adverb before or after the pair:
.- I have always lived here..- I'already finished.
You may meet the split in literary prose; do not copy it. Adverbs of time and place are mobile, and often open the sentence:
.- Yesterday he/she arrived late..- You can't smoke here.
To say as fast as possible or as well as possible, see lo antes posible and lo mejor posible.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| . | . | a verb takes |
| and never stack | |
| comparatives take | |
| He . | . | never split |
| no ha . | . | still takes the accent |
| . | . | the adverb never agrees |
Going further: Spanish adverbs at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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