Adverbs of place
Our daughters live nearby but they're abroad at the moment.
Definition
Adverbs of place tell us about movement and location.
Construction
The word order can vary but these are the most usual:
| Construction | Examples |
|
After the main verb |
He went out. They're running away. I don't like walking uphill.
|
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After the object
|
Is it far? We put the rubbish outside. I can't find my keys anywhere.
|
Note that 'here' and 'there' can also be placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis. For example:
Here comes Liz. ['here' + verb + noun]
Here she comes. ['here' + pronoun + verb]
There goes my last €10!
There it goes!
Uses
We use them with verbs to answer the question, 'Where?'
| Use | Examples |
|
To indicate location |
The canteen is downstairs. We live here in the summer. I'm staying indoors today.
|
|
To indicate movement |
It's too cold to go out. I put it there but now I can't find it. Let's go through now.
|
Some adverbs can indicate both location and movement. For example:
He's out at the moment.
He went out five minutes ago.
Examples
Note that this is not a complete list.
| Adverb | Meaning | Examples |
|
here there |
Near To or at a distance
|
Come here. Put it there. |
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backward(s) upward(s) northwards
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In a specific direction
[Note that 'towards' is a preposition, not an adverb, and therefore requires a noun, e.g. He walked towards me.] |
It's easier to walk forwards than backwards. The crowd moved forwards. They were tired but continued upwards. The garden goes downwards. The chairs are in a circle so everyone faces inwards. This door opens outwards. Drive northwards for 50km, then turn left in the village and head southwards for 3 km. |
|
anywhere somewhere everywhere nowhere elsewhere
|
To or in a non-specific location |
Let's have dinner somewhere special tonight. I looked everywhere for Frances but couldn't find her anywhere. We have nowhere to put the new cabinet. The room was booked so we had to go elsewhere. |
|
away |
To or at a distance from somewhere |
The film was so scary, I had to look away! My husband's away this weekend. She walked/ran/drove away.
|
|
in out |
Can mean 'here' or 'not here' |
He's out at the moment - can I take a message? He'll be in this afternoon.
|
|
indoors outdoors |
Into or inside a building Into or in the open air |
It rained so we stayed indoors. The children went outdoors to play.
|
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upstairs downstairs |
To or on a higher floor To or on a lower floor |
Martin's office is upstairs. They walked downstairs.
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uphill downhill |
Towards the top of a hill Towards the bottom of a hill
|
Going uphill is hard work but I love cycling downhill. |
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ahead |
Further forward
|
Walk ahead until you reach the traffic lights. |
|
nearby |
Not far from a place |
Is there a good restaurant nearby?
|
|
abroad |
To or in another country |
He often travels abroad on business. |
|
north south east west
|
To or towards the north, south east, west |
This train goes north. The weather got warmer as we drove south. |
|
back |
In, into or towards a previous place or position
|
Can you bring back the file that you took? I'm just going to the post office - I'll be back soon. |
|
left right |
On or to the left/right |
At the roundabout, turn left and then bear right. Keep left as you walk down the escalator. |
'Here' and 'there'
We can use 'here' and 'there' with a preposition when we don't need to mention a specific place because it is obvious or we indicate the place with a gesture. For example:
The file is over there. [the speakers points to a place]
I put it under here. [under this desk, table, bed etc.]
Look up there - is it a plane? [the speaker indicates a part of the sky by a look or gesture]
Adjectives
Some adverbs of place can also be adjectives. For example:
We have a downstairs bathroom.
There are lots of places to visit in the nearby towns.
Prepositions
Some adverbs of place are also prepositions of place. The difference is that adverbs are used alone and prepositions require a noun. For example:
We can't smoke inside. [adverb]
We can't smoke inside the building. [preposition]
They looked up. [adverb]
They looked up the road. [preposition]
If you are not sure how to use them in a sentence, look at examples in a good dictionary.
See also prepositions of place.
