Position of time, place and manner expressions

Kurz erklärt

In French, expressions of manner usually come after the verb or after its object: Il parle lentement; Elle fait son travail avec soin. Expressions of place and time also commonly follow the verb and its object. A time expression can be moved to the beginning when it sets the scene or receives emphasis.

Bildung

verb + (object) + manner/place + time; or time + subject + verb …

Verwendung

• Put a short manner adverb such as vite or lentement after the verb.
• Put a longer manner expression after the verb or its object.
• Use place before time in a common neutral sequence: à Paris demain.
• Move a time expression to the beginning to establish when something happens.

Beispiele

• Paul conduit prudemment. — Paul drives carefully.
• Nous déjeunons au café à midi. — We have lunch at the café at noon.
• Demain, elle travaille à la maison. — Tomorrow, she is working at home.
• Ils préparent le dîner avec soin. — They prepare dinner carefully.

Typischer Fehler

❌ Elle avec soin prépare le dîner.

✅ Elle prépare le dîner avec soin.

Do not place a manner expression between the subject and the verb. In this neutral sentence, it follows the verb and its object.

Merke

Manner usually stays close to the verb or follows its object. Time is especially flexible and often comes first to set the scene.