Adverbs – Adverbs of Place (Where?) – 23 Common Grammar Topics in the Cambridge Starters Exam

An adverb is a word that modifies or gives more information about a verb, an adjective, or even another adverb. It tells us more about how, when, where, or to what extent something happens. For example, adverbs of manner describe how an action is done (e.g., “quickly”), while adverbs of time tell when (e.g., “now”). Adverbs of place show where something happens (e.g., “here”), and adverbs of degree indicate intensity or extent (e.g., “very”). They provide extra detail to a sentence, making the meaning clearer and more specific. Most adverbs of manner are formed by adding “-ly” to adjectives.

Let’s break down the key types of adverbs to make it clear: Adverbs of Manner (How?); Adverbs of Time (When?); Adverbs of Place (Where?); Adverbs of Degree (To what extent?)

In this article, we will discover about Adverbs of Place (Where?).
Adverbs of place tell us where an action happens or the location of someone or something, they answer the question “Where? These adverbs typically follow the main verb or the object in a sentence. Common examples include: Here; There; Inside; Outside; Up and Down. Adverbs of place also describe movement like back, away, or around, helping to specify direction or position more clearly in a sentence.

1. Position: They usually come after the verb or after the object if there is one.

Examples:
🌳 The children played happily outside in the garden, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful weather all afternoon.
🔑 He looked carefully everywhere in the room but couldn’t find the missing keys he had dropped earlier in the day.
⛲ We will meet our friends there at the park entrance, right next to the big fountain by 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
🐱 The cat quickly ran inside when it started raining heavily, seeking shelter from the cold and wet outside.
📚 The students sat here near the front of the class, eagerly waiting for the teacher to begin the lesson.
🛏️ She climbed upstairs to her room, hoping to find her notebook on the desk where she left it last night.
📚 I found my favorite book under the bed while cleaning the room yesterday.
👜 She placed her shopping bags on the kitchen counter after returning from the store.
🚗 They left their jackets in the car because it was too warm outside.
🐱 The cat hid its toys behind the sofa, making them difficult to find.
🚲 He parked his bicycle next to the tree near the entrance of the park.
📺 We installed the new TV on the wall to save space in the living room.

2. Common/Simple Adverbs of Place:

Here; There; Everywhere; Somewhere; Nowhere; Anywhere; Inside; Outside; Upstairs; Downstairs; Ahead; Behind; Above; Below; Nearby; Far; Over; Under; In front; Next to; Around; Away; Forward; Backward; Across

☑️ Here: Refers to the current place or location.
Examples:
🔍 Here is where I left my notebook; I can’t believe it’s been sitting right in front of me the whole time.
📦 We are unpacking the boxes here in the living room, so we can easily arrange everything by category before moving it.
👨‍🏫 The teacher asked us to gather here, near the board, so that we can see the diagram clearly before starting the exercise.
📸 Let’s take a group picture here by the lake, where the scenery is beautiful and everyone can fit in the frame.
🚗 I parked my car here, close to the entrance, so we don’t have to walk far to get inside the building.
🎶 The band will perform here, on this stage, later tonight, and I’ve already reserved front-row seats for us to enjoy the show.

☑️ There: Refers to a different place, not the current location.
Examples:
🌳 There is a beautiful park near the river where we love to have picnics on weekends.
🎒 I left my backpack there yesterday, and I hope it’s still by the bench when I return.
📚 There used to be an old library on that corner, but they replaced it with a café.
🌲 Can you please check over there by the trees to see if we dropped the keys?
🏛️ There is a museum across the street that displays fascinating ancient artifacts and history.
🏢 I didn’t see him at the office today; maybe he went there to finish the project.

☑️ Everywhere: Refers to all places.
Examples:
🔍 We searched everywhere for the missing cat, but it seemed to have completely vanished without a trace.
🏃‍♂️ The children ran everywhere in the park, laughing and playing with joy under the bright, sunny sky.
🔑 I looked everywhere in my room for my keys, but they were hiding in my jacket pocket all along.
📸 Tourists were everywhere in the city, taking pictures of famous landmarks and enjoying the local culture.
✈️ She traveled everywhere across the country, visiting museums, meeting new people, and trying local foods.
🌪️ After the storm, debris was scattered everywhere, covering the streets and making cleanup a challenging task.

☑️ Outside: Refers to a place outside a building or enclosed space.
Examples:
🌳 The children played outside in the garden while their parents prepared a barbecue inside the house for lunch.
🚪 She waited outside the office, hoping for good news after her job interview with the company’s hiring manager.
🐕 The dog barked loudly outside the gate, trying to get the attention of its owner who was inside the house.
🚗 They parked their car outside the restaurant because the parking lot was full, then walked inside for their reservation.
🏃‍♂️ He went for a run outside in the early morning, enjoying the fresh air and quiet streets before anyone else woke up.
📦 The delivery person left the package outside the door since no one was home to receive it in person.

☑️ Inside: Refers to a place within a building or enclosed space.
Examples:
🌟 1. The cat was hiding inside the closet, quietly waiting for someone to open the door and let it out.
🏠 2. We spent the afternoon playing board games inside the living room because it was raining outside.
🎒 3. I found my phone inside my backpack, buried under books and papers I had forgotten about.
🎬 4. The movie theater was completely dark inside, except for the light coming from the projector screen.
📦 5. He placed all the tools inside the toolbox after finishing the repair work in the garage.
🛏️ 6. She keeps all her favorite toys neatly organized inside a big wooden chest in her bedroom.

☑️ Upstairs / Downstairs: Refers to the different levels of a building.
Examples:
🏠 My sister is reading a book upstairs, but I prefer staying in the living room on the first floor.
🏡 After cleaning downstairs, I went to check if the windows in the basement were properly closed.
🛏️ The bathroom upstairs is much bigger than the one on the ground floor near the kitchen.
🍽️ She found her lost earrings downstairs near the stairs after searching for them for hours.
🪜 I heard a strange noise upstairs and decided to go check the attic for any signs of trouble.
🎮 The kids were playing downstairs, while their parents were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen.

3. Prepositions phrase: Some adverbs of place are prepositional phrase.

On the table; Under the tree; In the park; At the door; By the lake; Next to the house; In front of the building; Behind the sofa; Between the books; Near the river; Above the clouds; Below the bridge; Inside the room; Outside the shop; At the end of the street; At the top of the hill; Under the bed; In the corner of the room; On the right side of the road; Opposite the bank

Examples:
🔑 The keys are on the kitchen table, next to the vase, where I always leave them after coming home.
🚗 The car is parked under the big oak tree, close to the entrance of the park, waiting for us to return.
🌳 We had a picnic in the park, by the lake, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful view of the mountains.
🏠 They live in a small house at the end of the street, near the river, far away from the city’s noise.
📚 I found my book on the shelf, between the two large dictionaries, exactly where I had left it last week.
🐱 The cat is hiding behind the sofa, under the blanket, trying to stay warm during the cold winter afternoon.