Avoid placing an adverb between a verb and its direct object - Sentence structure - Multilingual Writers and ESL Topics

Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021

Avoid placing an adverb between a verb and its direct object
Sentence structure
Multilingual Writers and ESL Topics

Adverbs modifying verbs can appear in various positions: at the beginning or end of a sentence, before or after a verb, or between a helping verb and its main verb.

Slowly, we drove along the rain-slick road.

✵ Martin handled the teapot very carefully.

✵ Mia always wins our tennis matches.

✵ Christina is rarely late for our lunch dates.

However, an adverb cannot appear between a verb and its direct object.

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