Use the word down as a preposition in a sentence

See down: «5. preposition — If you go or look down something such as a road or river, you go or look along it. If you are down a road or river, you are somewhere along it.» and «6. adverb — If you are travelling to a particular place, you can say that you are going down to that place, especially if you are going towards the south or to a lower level of land.»

May 16, 2017 at 18:13

Phrasal Verbs consist of a verb plus a particle:
verb + adverb or verb + preposition or verb + adverb + preposition.
The meaning of this combination is mostly very different from the verb and the adverb or preposition alone.
There are no rules that might explain how phrasal verbs are formed correctly — all you can do is look them up in a dictionary and study their meanings.
In fact many phrasal verbs are metaphorical, and if you understand the metaphors they use, it will be easier to understand and remember their meanings.
Phrasal verbs are mainly used in spoken English and informal texts.
Many phrasal verbs are transitive, meaning that they take an object. Other phrasal verbs can stand alone (intransitive verbs).
Some phrasal verbs are separable (the verb and the preposition can be separated, putting the object in the middle), while others are inseparable (the object must come at the end because the verb and the preposition must stay together).
Separable verb:
Correct: Put on your coat.
Correct: Put your coat on.
Inseparable verb:
Correct: Get on a bus.
Incorrect: Get a bus on.

Phrasal verbs with DOWN, their meanings and examples

DOWN is a preposition opposite of UP.

The first and the most obvious usage of the preposition DOWN is MOVEMENT DOWN or ALONG:
It is used in situations such as:
Moving in or towards a low or lower position, from a higher one
Moving from above and onto a surface
Moving in place or into position

Can be used as an alternative to the «TO» in «go to», «went to». I went down the pub with my mates.
Bend down — Lower the top half of your body. She bent down to pick up the suitcase.
Blow down — When the wind forces something to fall. The tornado blew down many buildings.
Chop down — Fell or cut down a tree. Don’t chop down this tree!
Come down — Come to a lower point from a higher one/travel. When you’re next in London, come down and see us.
Fall down — Fall on the ground/Have a weak point. I slipped on the ice and fell down.
Go down — Go to a lower point from a higher one. Is this lift going down?
Get down — Lower your head and body. Incoming fire! Get down!
Kneel down — Put one or both knees on the ground. She knelt in front of the fire to warm herself.
Knock down — Demolish/Hit and injure someone. Sue was knocked do wn just yards from her home.
Lie down – Place the body in a flat, horizontal position/recline. Why don’t you lie down on the sofa for a while?
Move down — Cause someone or something to move farther down or along. Move down all these chairs. We need more space.
Peg down — Fasten something to the ground. After he had finished pegging the tent down, he built a fire.
Pop down (to) — Travel somewhere to visit. I’ll try to pop down tomorrow evening after dinner.
Put down — Stop holding/Put someone or something onto a surface/Kill an animal because it is old or ill. This box is really heavy — can we put it down on the floor for a minute?
Sit down — Help someone to sit/Be seated/sit on something/take a seat. Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.
Stand down — Withdraw or resign/End a state of readiness or alert/ Leave a witness stand. The judge allowed the witness to stand down.
Step down — Come down from something /Leave a job or position so that someone can take over. Please step down from the platform.
Run down — Hit a pedestrian with a vehicle. She got run down outside school.
Tear down – Demolish. They plan to tear the old building down and build a new one there.

REDUCE (in or towards a lower level, a smaller amount, or a simpler state)
Bargain down/Beat down — Persuade someone to drop the price of something they’re selling. If the price is too expensive, try to bargain it down.
Boil down — Simplify, reduce to the essentials. The manager just wanted to know what the report boiled down to meaning for the company.
Bring down — Make something cheaper/Reduce the rate, level, or amount of something. Our principal responsibility is to bring down the level of unemployment.
Calm down — Stop being angry or emotionally excited. Please try to calm yourself down!
Cool down — Get cooler/Become calm. Just try to cool down and think rationally.
Cut down — Consume less/Reduce a vertical thing to ground level by cutting. The doctor told him to cut down on his drinking.
Die down — Become much less noisy, powerful, or active. The wind died down during the night.
Draw down — Reduce levels/Get funding. Some firms have dealt with the problem by drawing down their cash reserves.
Dumb down — Make something simpler and easier to understand in a way that reduces its quality. The researchers dumbed down the report before releasing it to the public.
Go down — Decrease, get smaller/Sink/Be received by people, in terms of their reaction/Happen, take place. No one expects house prices to go down in the near future.
Grind down — Reduce or destroy someone’s enthusiasm. Ground down by years of abuse, she did not have the confidence to leave him.
Mark down — Give a student a lower grade for a particular reason/Reduce the price of something. They’ve marked down the shoes to £20 for this week only.
Narrow down — Remove less important options to make it easier to choose. We can narrow the choice down to black or white.
Play down — Try to make something seem less important. The Military spokesman tried to play down the seriousness of the disaster.
Scale down — Make something smaller than originally planned. Reduced funding forced us to scale the project down.
Slow down — Reduce speed/Become less active. The doctor has told him to slow down or he’ll have a heart attack.
Run down — Lose energy or power. The decision was taken to let the steel industry run down.
Simmer down — Become calmer; make less noise/Become less excited, noisy or angry. When tempers simmer down, we should be able to get an agreement.
Turn down — Reduce volume, temperature. Can you turn the music down a bit?
Water down — Make something weaker and less effective. The new laws watered down the power of the president.
Wear down — Make something weaker. They were worn down by the stress of feeding five children.

DEPRESS/UPSET/ILL (unhappy; unable to feel excited or energetic about anything)
Be down — Be depressed/Be reduced or less. He’s been down since his partner left him.
Be down on — Have negative feelings toward someone. It’s not fair of the boss to be so down on a new employee.
Be down with — Be ill. Kate is down with some bug and is off work today.
Break down — Stop working/End negotiations unsuccessfully/Start crying. When we gave her the bad news, she broke down and cried.
Come down with — Fall ill. I think I’m coming down with flu.
Get down — Make someone depressed, unhappy, exhausted. Doing the same thing every day can get you down.
Go down with — Fall ill/Find acceptance. She went down with a high fever.
Let down — Disappoint, fail to keep an arrangement/Make clothes longer. I was a bit late but I couldn’t let them down completely.
Look down on — Have a low opinion of. A lot of people look down on homeless people.
Pull down — Demolish/Make someone depressed. This fight with his parents is really pulling him down.

COMPLETE/RESTRICT/REJECT
Back down — Retract or withdraw your position or proposal in an argument. We will not back down on the decision to strike.
Burn down — Burn completely. The entire house burnt down in 20 minutes.
Clamp down on -Take strong action to stop or limit a harmful or unwanted activity. The government is clamping down on teenage drinking.
Close down — Close a shop, branch or business permanently. The health department closed the restaurant down.
Go down — Stop working, especially computers. The battery should prevent the computer system from going down in the event of a power cut.
Hold down — Stop someone or something from moving. Four people held him down.
Nail down — Succeed in getting, achieve/Understand fully/Secure something down by nailing it. I’ll nail down these floorboards.
Pin down — Get a fixed idea, opinion, etc, from someone/Discover exact details about something. She pinned down the cause of the accident.
Pipe down — Stop talking or making unnecessary noise. Will you please pipe down, you two? I’m trying to read!
Power down — Cut the electricity supply to a computer or electronic device. The crew powered down the right-hand engine of the aircraft.
Rub down – Sand, dry or clean something with a cloth. Rub the wood down with fine sandpaper till it is smooth.
Settle down — Start living a fixed and routine life. Are you ever going to settle down and get married?
Shut down — Close a business, shop, etc./Turn a computer off. The company plans to shut down four factories and cut 10,000 jobs.
Smash down — Demolish or break something down. The police had to smash down the door.
Sponge down — Clean something with a sponge. Give it a sponge with a damp cloth — that will remove the blood stains.
Tie down — Secure something to prevent it moving/Remove or restrict freedom. Tie down anything that might blow away in the storm.
Track down — Find after a long search. I finally managed to track him down in Manchester.
Turn down — Reject an offer, invitation. How could you turn down such a fantastic job?
Wave down — Make a hand signal to stop a vehicle. If a car comes along, wave it down.
Wind down — Slowly close a business or organisation/Relax. The factory will wind down production before closing next year.

CRITICISE/SHOW DISRESPECT
Come down on/upon — Criticise heavily. They’re coming down heavily on people for not paying their licence fees.
Put down — Criticise someone, especially when other people are present, in a way that makes them feel stupid. He’s always trying to put me down.
Run down — Criticise, disparage. You’re always running me down!
Stare down — Look at someone until they cannot look at you. He was angry but I stared him down and he left without saying much.
Talk down — Try to make something sound less important. He began his lecture by talking down the initiatives of a rival company.
Talk down to — Talk in a way to show your superiority, not communicate. I wish politicians wouldn’t talk down to us as if we were idiots.

EAT or DRINK, say that something is inside your stomach
Get down — Manage to swallow food or drink. He is having soup for dinner because can’t get solid food down yet.
Keep down — Keep food in stomach/Not vomit. He’s getting weak because he can’t keep anything down.
Slip down — Be enjoyable to drink or eat. The cold beer slipped down a treat after the walk.
Toss down — Drink quickly. I tossed a couple of drinks down before they arrived.
Wash down — Drink in order to swallow something solid. Supper was fresh salmon and vegetables, washed down with a bottle of white wine.
 

WRITE SOMETHING QUICKLY and without taking much care
Jot down — Make a quick note. I carry a notebook so that I can jot down any ideas.
Note down — Write something short like a phone number for future reference. I noted down his phone number.
Put down for — Make a record of what someone wants or has committed to. I’ve put you down for three tickets each.
Stick down — Write something quickly or without thinking about it/Join surfaces with glue. Just stick your details down on a piece of paper and I’ll get back to you.
Take down — Make notes or write down in full/Remove. The police officers were taking down the names of witnesses.
Write down — Make notes. I’ll write it down now so I won’t forget.

And finally, some useful phrasal verbs about RAIN:
Bucket down — Rain heavily. It’s absolutely bucketing down.
Lash down – to rain in large amounts and with a lot of force. It’s been lashing down for an hour.
Pour down — Rain hard. The rain poured down in torrents.
Rain down on — Fall in large numbers. The hail rained down on us—some of it quite large.

Prepositions of direction are prepositions that help us express in which direction an object is moving or action is taking place.

Take a look at the list of the most popular prepositions of direction:

• on
• onto
• in
• into
• off
• out
• out of
• up and down
• Across
• Through
• Over
• via
• to
• from
• Towards
• For
• at
• Round
• past
• along

These two prepositions help us express that the action is directed inward, into another object or space.

Put it in where you found it!

The thought’s been put into my head.

Over

The preposition Over indicates a direction over (above, through) an obstacle or space.

The girl scrambled over the wall.

Crumble the cheese over the salad.

He played the beam of his torch over the wall of the cave.

From

From is another very popular preposition in English. The preposition from denotes a direction from some point or some place. The preposition from denotes the opposite direction when compared with the preposition to.

Fish always stink from the head down.
They aim to redistribute income from the rich to the poor.

With the preposition from, we can point to the source of action. This way we can indicate where the action comes from.

The bread is hot from the oven.

I thank you from my heart.

Towards

Towards has a meaning similar to the preposition to. Towards also denotes the direction to some goal or some object.

The land inclines towards the shore.

The pass gets quite narrow towards the east.

He took her arm and steered her towards the door.

As we drove towards the desert, the vegetation became sparse.

Prepositios of direction On / Onto

We use the prepositions on and onto to indicate that an action is taking place in the direction of the surface of another object or space.

I jumped on the tube.

He jumped onto the table.

Prepositions of direction Off and Out / Out of

Off and out (out of) have the opposite meaning than the prepositions in/into.

These two prepositions help us express that action is directed from within of another object or space.

We use off to indicate movement from the surface of another object.

We use out (out of) to indicate movement from another object.

It is best to see the meaning of these prepositions of direction with examples:

Let me take that off you.

I want him out of Tuscany fast.

You need to block him out of your mind.

We use off with public transport. We use out of with cars.

Driver said two of them got off the bus.

Come on, get her out of the car.

Prepositions of direction Up and Down

Up is a preposition of direction that describes an upward direction.
Down has the opposite meaning. The preposition down indicates a downward direction.

We went up and down in the elevator.

I think wisdom always goes up.

Sun goes down in 63 minutes, boss.

Across

We use the preposition across to express direction through some space. Often from one end of this space to the other end.

I followed you across an ocean and across a continent.

The hotel’s private beach is just across the promenade.

Values ​​connect us across our cultures and religions.

Through

We use the preposition through to indicate a direction through some place, space, or obstacle.

That kid could sleep through the apocalypse.

A missile would burn its way through the crust.

I saw her through the kitchen window.

Via

Now let’s look at the preposition of direction Via. This preposition is used less frequently than other prepositions of direction. Personally, though, I really like using the preposition Via. I like how it looks and sounds.

Via can indicate a direction through some kind of obstacle or space.

You can access our homepage via the Internet.

We exited into a back alley via the fire door.

The mills of Lancashire were supplied via the canal network.

To

By far the preposition of direction to is one of the most popular prepositions in the English language. We hear and use the preposition to every day. The preposition to is one of the first prepositions that English learners begin to use.

The preposition to indicates movement to some point, some place, or goal.

The boys go to school in groups.

How many times have you been to France?

For

We can use the preposition for as a preposition of direction in a construction:

verb + for

For example:

They left for Spain early this morning.

We should have enough money left for the occasional trip.

We’d better go for a doctor.

Let’s go for a walk in the park.

At

We use At as a preposition of direction in construction:

Verb + AT

For example:

The president arrived at California in a helicopter yesterday.

Round

The preposition of direction Round means a direction in a circle, around an object or place.

His ambition is to sail round the world.

The Earth rotates round the sun.

Past

The preposition past denotes that the movement of an object is near another object or place.

We drove slowly past the gutted buildings.

A small bird fluttered past the window.

The express train whizzed past the station.

Along

The preposition along denotes a direction along (lengthways) some space.

Fold the paper along the dotted line.

The big car purred along the road.

His soldiers were arrayed along the river bank.

The old man bumble along the road.

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• #1

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index finished the session at 61 points, down 0.08 per cent from the previous day.

Source: «Shares slide as trading tumbles», Viet Nam News.

What part of speech the word «down» is, a preposition or an adjective? I am not sure. To me, both seem correct.
My teacher said that it is an adjective and a short form of this:
On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index finished the session at 61 points, which was down 0.08 per cent from the previous day.

• #2

I’m with your teacher, Baab.

What argument were you putting forward to explain how it could be a preposition here?

• #3

the HNX-Index finished the session at 61 points, down 0.08 per cent from the previous day. = the HNX-Index finished the session at 61 points, which was down by 0.08 per cent from the previous day. Therefore down is an adjective.

• #5

I agree with ETB, it’s a preposition (or particle) (as in to go down = to fall).
The traditional grammar books would probably describe it as an adverb (of location in terms of position up or down).

The adjectival definition would fit in The computer is down (=temporarily out of action). This would be a postpositive form of an adjective, i.e. we don’t talk about a down computer.There is really no definitive answer to this question. Nor does it matter what name you give to down — the important thing is to know how to use it.

Last edited: Nov 14, 2013

• #6

Well, thanks all for helps. There are disagreements among native speakers here.
By the way, your explanations all make sense to me and I am a bit confused.

@Thomas:
To be honest, I don’t know how to explain it.

@PaulQ:
Thanks for the correction. I wonder if «by» is necessary in the original sentence.
On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index finished the session at 61 points, down by 0.08 per cent from the previous day.

@

Entangledbank:
I like your reasoning about adjective that should be able to modify it with adverbs. However, can we call «down» an adverb in said sentences?
1. It came down another 0.1%.
2. It moved down briefly then rose.

They look like adverbs to me.

P.S. Thanks E2efour for the answer. That solved my last question.

Last edited: Nov 14, 2013

• #7

When prepositions have no following object, they were traditionally called adverbs. They are, however, prepositions in both ‘he fell down’ and ‘he fell down the stairs’. Eventually ordinary grammar books will get round to getting the terminology right.

• #8

I’ve enjoyed your answers here, Entangled, but I have a mild objection.

I think we can say that the Exchange has been very down all week, just as a person can be quite, quite, down as well as the observed of all observers.

Do you not even grant that down in the medical/psychological sense is adjectival?

• #9

Certainly an adjective when a person is feeling very/really down, as the adverb test shows. But I don’t think stock exchange quotations get blue/depressed/down, so that sense is different.

This list of prepositions will help you understand what a preposition is. But let’s start by having you learn the preposition song. Singing this song is an easy way to help you memorize some of the prepositions. I’ll sing it for you in the video below.

This list contains one-word, two-word, and three-word prepositions. Sometimes, words act together to form one preposition.

WARNING: Keep in mind that the words on this list have the potential to be prepositions. Many of these words can also function as adverbs and other fun things. How can you tell the difference? I’ll teach you all the secrets below this list.

A aboard, about, above, according to, across, after, against, ahead of, along, amid, amidst, among, around, as, as far as, as of, aside from, at, athwart, atop

B barring, because of, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, but (when it means except), by, by means of

C circa, concerning

D despite, down, due to, during

E except, except for, excluding

F far from, following, for, from

I
in, in accordance with, in addition to, in case of, in front of, in
lieu of, in place of, in spite of, including, inside, instead of, into

L like

M minus

N near, next to, notwithstanding

O of, off, on, on account of, on behalf of, on top of, onto, opposite, out, out of, outside, over

P past, plus, prior to

R regarding, regardless of

S save, since

T than, through, throughout, till, to, toward, towards

U under, underneath, unlike, until, up, upon

V versus, via

W with, with regard to, within, without

If you’d like to see even more prepositions, check out Wikipedia’s list of English prepositions page.

The Mean Thing About This List
(The Secret About Prepositions)

Many times, words on this list of prepositions don’t act as prepositions. 

That’s not very nice, is it? You probably feel a bit like you were tricked. I’m sorry about that. I would change the rules of language if I could so that it would be easier for you to figure all of this out.

Of course, I can’t do that, but I can help you use that powerful brain of yours to tell when a word is a preposition and when it’s not a preposition. Are you ready? Good. 

Here is the one thing that you need to remember: prepositions are ALWAYS in prepositional phrases.

Look at these examples of prepositional phrases with the eye of a detective. What do you notice about them?

All three of those prepositional phrases begin with a preposition (to, up, around) and end with a noun (park, tree, block), and that sums up what a prepositional phrase is.

Prepositional phrases begin with a preposition (to, up, around) and end with a noun or pronoun called the object of the preposition (park, tree, block).

But why? Why do prepositions need to be in prepositional phrases?

The answer comes to us when we look at the definition of a preposition.

In order for a preposition to do its job (to show the relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word in a sentence), it needs to be followed by that noun or pronoun.

I sense that you may be furrowing your brow in a state of confusion right now, so it’s the perfect time for us to look at some sentence diagrams, which will make all of this visual.

Sentence diagrams are pictures of sentences that show us how the words are grammatically related. 

In the diagram, the preposition to, which is on a slanted line, is connecting the noun park with the verb walked. It almost looks like a little bridge, doesn’t it? You can think of a preposition as a noun bridge if that helps. 

to the park = prepositional phrase

to = preposition

park = noun (object of the preposition)

Prepositional phrases are always diagrammed like that. The preposition goes on a slanted line between the object of the preposition (the noun or pronoun at the end of a prepositional phrase) and a word in the rest of the sentence.

Why? Because the preposition is telling us how that special noun called the object of the preposition relates to the rest of the sentence. It acts as a little noun bridge. 

Psst! You can learn more about how to diagram prepositions and prepositional phrases here if you’d like. 

Preposition or Adverb?

Did you know that words on the preposition list are often used as adverbs rather than prepositions? It’s true! I’m going to use that fact to see if you’ve been paying attention. Are you ready for a tiny quiz? Great! In which sentence is down a preposition? 

A. The cat ran down the tree.

B. The tree fell down.

I’ll give you a hint and show you the sentence diagrams of those sentences. (In which diagram is down a bridge between a noun and the rest of the sentence? That’s the diagram with the preposition!)

Are you ready for the answer?

In sentence A, down is a preposition. It’s in the prepositional phrase down the tree. 

In sentence B, the word down isn’t in a phrase, so it’s not a preposition. (In this sentence, down is an adverb telling us where the tree fell.)

If you wanted to, you could change sentence B so that down was a preposition instead of an adverb. Can you think of how you would do that?

HINT: Add at least a noun (and probably an adjective as well) after down so that you create a prepositional phrase.

The tree fell down. (adverb)

The tree fell down the hill. (preposition)

Here are two other examples of words from this list functioning as adverbs and as prepositions. I’ll bet that you can see the difference now, right?

My sister just walked past. (adverb)

My sister just walked past us. (preposition)

Carefully crawl inside. (adverb)

Carefully crawl inside the tent. (preposition)

The moral of the story is that in order for a word to be a preposition, it must be in a prepositional phrase.

Preposition or Phrasal Verb? 

As you saw above, words on this list of prepositions are only potential prepositions. We need to look at how each word-in-question is functioning within a sentence in order to say what part of speech it actually is. 

I’m sure you remember that the words on this list are only prepositions when they are in prepositional phrases.

In our last example above (The tree fell down.), you saw how words from the list of prepositions could also function as adverbs.

Another common function of words on this list is for them to be a part of something called phrasal verbs. (I’ll underline the phrasal verbs below.) Notice that the words out, up, and off are not prepositions in these sentences.

I work out every Saturday.

He dressed up for the concert.

I was so tired that I nodded off during the class.

Phrasal verbs are two-word or three-word phrases that function as the verb in the sentence. They are made up of a verb (word, dressed, nodded) and a word from the preposition list (out, up, off), and they form a meaning that’s different from the meaning that the words have all by themselves. 

When words like out, up, and off are in phrasal verbs, they have a special name. They’re called particles. 

Let’s look at a sentence diagram with a phrasal verb. That way, you can see that particles (words from the preposition list that are functioning in phrasal verbs) are not prepositions.

Look at the sentence diagram and notice that the word in isn’t on a little noun bridge. If in were a preposition, it would be diagrammed on a noun bridge like the word to in the diagram below.  

Preposition or Conjunction?

I have a feeling that you already know where I’m going with this. Some words on this list can also function as conjunctions. Let’s look at an example. 

A. I’m looking for bananas. (preposition)

B. He felt energized, for he had just won the competition. (conjunction)

In sentence A, for is in the prepositional phrase for bananas.

In sentence B, for is connecting the two clauses he felt energized and he had just won the competition.

Summary

Sometimes it helps to have a summary of everything you’ve learned. For your learning pleasure, here are the main points we covered on this page.

• Singing some of the prepositions to the tune of «Yankee Doodle» can help you memorize a handful of words from the preposition list. 
• Words on the preposition list are not always used as prepositions.
• They are only prepositions when they are in prepositional phrases (preposition + noun).
• Words from the preposition list often act as adverbs. They can also be in phrasal verbs or function as conjunctions. In these cases, they are not prepositions.

This is original content from https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/list-of-prepositions.html

What you will learn:

• What are adverbs of place?
• How do we use them?
• 46 adverbs of place: A-Z list with examples
• Adverbs of place: exercises

What are adverbs of place?

Adverbs of place give us information about where something happens. These include: above, down, everywhere, inside, forwards, out, uphill, etc. The various adverbs in this group give us the ability to explain the exact position (or movement) of an action. Most adverbs end in ‘-ly’, but adverbs of place do not.

1. Adverb or preposition?

Some adverbs of place also function as prepositions. For example, the adverb ‘down’ can be a preposition and an adverb. Its place in the sentence tells us if ‘down’ is functioning as a preposition or as an adverb. Remember that the adverb is placed after the verb and describes how it is done. Whereas the preposition is put before a noun and is not used to describe the verb. Compare these two example sentences:

Subject + main verb + adverb of place
e.g. She went inside.

Subject + main verb + preposition + noun (object)
e.g. She went inside the house.

Adverbs of place that are also prepositions include: around, behind, down, in, off, on, over, etc. These fall under the category of locational prepositions.

2. Anywhere, somewhere, elsewhere, everywhere

These adverbs express locations that are not definite. Although they appear quite similar, their meanings are different. ‘Everywhere’ suggests that something is in all places. ‘Anywhere’ is used in negative sentences and questions instead of ‘everywhere’. ‘Elsewhere’ means in another place, and ‘somewhere’ suggests that an object is in an unknown place. Compare the examples below:

Adverb	Example	Meaning
Anywhere	I can’t find it anywhere.	Not in any place.
Somewhere	I know I put it somewhere.	In a place, but I don’t know where it is.
Elsewhere	I’ll have to look elsewhere.	In another place.
Everywhere	I’ve looked everywhere.	In all places.

 3. Indoors, outdoors, inside, outside

This group of adverbs allow us to describe the location of something in relation to a building. When we say something is ‘indoors’, we mean it is in the house, whereas we use ‘outdoors’ to describe something or someone that is not in the building.

The adverbs ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ function in a similar way. These adverbs can also suggest movement, e.g. “I’m going outside” means I’m moving from being in a building to being out of a building.

4. Adverbials of place

We use adverbials to talk about where something is. An adverbial of place is a phrase that functions in the same way as an adverb of place. It gives more information about the verb. Some examples are:

• Becky was sitting in the garden.
• She put the plate on the table.

Some common adverbs of place are used to form adverbial phrases. In these cases ‘there’ and ‘here’ become nouns. For example:

• Over there.
• Up here.

How do we use them?

1. Sentence position

We usually put adverbs of place at the end of a clause. They appear after the main verb.

Subject + main verb + adverb of place
e.g. The man walked backwards.

Note that the position of the adverb does not change in a negative sentence.

Subject + main verb + adverb of place
e.g. She didn’t walk away.

Adverbs of place can also occur after the object.

Subject + main verb + object + adverb of place
e.g. She didn’t find the book there.

An adverb of place cannot be put between a verb and its direct object. So we cannot say: She didn’t find there the book.

2. Modal verbs

With modal verbs, the adverb of place appears after the main verb or after the object:

Subject + modal + main verb + adverb of place
e.g. You mustn’t run away.

Subject + modal + main verb + object + adverb of place
e.g. You should put that book there.

3. Literary uses

Adverbs of place are used more flexibly in literary writing (stories) than in everyday English. This is to create drama and interest in the story.

In this type of writing, the adverb can appear at the start of the sentence:

Adverb of place + Subject + main verb

e.g. Inside, all was quiet.

e.g. Nearby, a dog barked loudly.

4. Word order with more than one adverb

In a sentence with adverbs of time and place, the adverb of place appears before the adverb of time:

• • I’m moving abroad soon.
  • I’m taking the dog out this morning.

Here’ and ‘there’
The adverbs ‘here’ and ‘there’ often appear at the start of a sentence.

Adverb of place + main verb + subject

• Here comes the train!
• There goes Tom.

About
    The ball rolled about on the floor.
At the party, there were lots of kids running about.

Above
    He put the book on the shelf above.
See the examples listed above.

Abroad (also Overseas)
    They have decided to move abroad.
Sue is planning to find a new job abroad.

Across
    The river is too wide! How are we going to get across?
Just swim across!

Ahead
    You run ahead and we’ll catch you up.
If you want to win the race, you need to stay ahead.

Along
   The brake was off so the car just rolled along.
Run along! It’s time for bed.

Anywhere (American English: Anyplace)
    I can’t find that book anywhere.
Come in! You can sit anywhere you like!

Use somewhere in positive sentences and anywhere in negative sentences. These two adverbs have different meanings. Anywhere is usually used in a negative sentence to suggest that an object cannot be found, e.g. I can’t find my keys anywhere!

Around, Round
    Will you children please stop running around?!
If you’re free later, you’re welcome to come round.

Away
    Joe, it’s time to put all the toys away.
Do you remember the date she went away (on holiday)?

Back
   You ought to get back before its dark.
I think you should give it back.

Backwards
    Cats don’t usually walk backwards!
Can you say the alphabet backwards?

Behind
   Oh no! I think I left the map behind!
After class, the teacher told me to stay behind.

Below
   Please see the examples below.
I think she lives in the flat below.

By
   John waited, but the beautiful woman just walked by.
I just drove by to say “hello”.

Down
    Please, sit down.
I enjoyed watching the sun go down.

Downhill
    Business has really gone downhill recently.
The car sped downhill at 60mph.

Downstairs
    She heard the doorbell ring so she ran downstairs.
Be careful when you go downstairs.

East, West, North, South
    The man said he was travelling north.
We drove east via the A11.

Eastwards, Westwards, Northwards, Southwards
    We sailed northwards to the island.
We continued walking southwards towards the mountains. 

Adverbs of place ending in ‘ward’ or ‘wards’ suggest movement in a particular direction. This includes adverbs like eastwards and westwards, but also upwards, downwards, forwards and backwards. Note that ‘towards’ is always a preposition (never an adverb!) as it must be followed by a noun or pronoun – e.g. we cannot just say: She walked towards. We have to say: She walked towards me (object).

Elsewhere
    I thought I had put the money in the cupboard, but I must have left it elsewhere.
She hoped she would find a better job elsewhere.

Far
    Have you walked far?
She told the children not to go far from home.

Forward(s)
    Michael stepped forward when they asked for volunteers.
He ran forwards to catch the ball.

Here
    Where is Tony? Oh, here he comes!
I’m sure I left it here!

Homewards, Home
    They drove homewards through the forest.
We came home after the party.

In
    Sarah opened the front door and went in.
I’m staying in tonight.

Indoors
    Has Sally gone indoors? Yes, because it’s started raining.
David folded up the chair and took it indoors.

Inside
    It’s getting cold now. I think we should go inside.
He realised the door was locked, and that he’d left his keys inside!

Left, Right
   You need to turn left at the traffic lights.
Look right and you’ll see me in the blue coat!

Near
   Have we reached the top yet? No, but I think we must be near.
Keep your loved ones near.

Nearby
    Does your aunt live nearby?
They couldn’t afford a house here, but are renting nearby.

Nowhere
    I’ve tried to find the key, but there is nowhere else to look.
I tried to find him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Off
    He slammed the door and drove off!
Come on then children. Off we go!

In some of the examples here, the combination of verb + adverb creates what is called a “phrasal verb”. For example, put away, sit down or leave behind. Here, the adverb changes (or extends) the meaning of the verb.

On
    We walked on for 3 more hours in the rain.
The car stopped, but the van in front of it drove on.

Out
    Where are you going? Out!
He opened the window and looked out.                                                                            

Outside
    It was a lovely day, so they decided to have the party outside.
Please wait outside. The doctor will call you in shortly.

Outdoors
    Let’s have lunch outdoors today. It’s a really sunny day!
Pete used to work outdoors, but he’s got an office job now.

Over
    She turned over and went back to sleep.
She was looking out of the window when I walked over.

Sideways
    All the wood fell sideways off the lorry into the road!
The bed will only fit through the door sideways.

Somewhere
    I thought I put my phone on the table, but it must be somewhere else.
Shall we park the car somewhere on Queens Road?

There
    I have seen him there before.
    Do you think we will get there on time?

Through
    The museum ticket inspector wouldn’t let us go through.
    We’re in the living room. Just come through!

Under
   There were no other ships nearby when the Titanic went under.
   The bridge was too low for the lorry to drive under.

Up
    The sun was already up.
    Is Peter still in bed? No, he is already up.

Uphill
    My PT made be jog uphill for 5km!
    Water never flows uphill.

Upwards
    Everyone looked upwards to see what the noise was.
    The rocket travelled upwards at great speed.

Upstairs
    Quick! Run upstairs and find your purse.
    Where is Mum? I think she’s gone upstairs.
 

Adverbs of Place: Exercises

Judith P.
— ESL Tutor.

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