Adverbs of place tell us where someone or something is, where an action happens, or in which direction something moves. Some also express distance. Common examples include here, there, inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs, nearby, away, abroad, and everywhere.
The restoration team is working upstairs.
The visitors were asked to wait outside.
Adverbs of place are one of the main types of adverbs. Although they often answer the question where?, not every expression that gives location information is an adverb.
Common Adverbs of Place and Their Uses
Some place adverbs describe a location, while others indicate movement or distance.
| Adverb | Example |
|---|---|
| Here | Please leave the signed forms here. |
| There | The replacement equipment is stored there. |
| Inside | The passengers remained inside during the storm. |
| Outside | The security team is waiting outside. |
| Upstairs | The historical documents are kept upstairs. |
| Downstairs | The reception desk is downstairs. |
| Nearby | A temporary medical centre has opened nearby. |
| Away | The frightened animal ran away. |
| Abroad | Her company recently expanded abroad. |
| Everywhere | After the repairs, there was dust everywhere. |
Adverbs of Place vs Prepositions of Place
A word can express location without necessarily being an adverb. Some place words also function as prepositions or adjectives.
Consider how inside works in these sentences.
| Sentence | Function of inside |
|---|---|
| The technician stayed inside. | Adverb expressing location |
| The technician stayed inside the workshop. | Preposition introducing the workshop |
| The inside pocket was damaged. | Adjective modifying pocket |
Inside describes a location when used alone, introduces a noun phrase when functioning as a preposition, and can describe a noun when functioning as an adjective. Its grammatical role depends on how it is used.
Near vs Nearby
Near and nearby both express a short distance, but they are not interchangeable in every sentence.
Compare:
The pharmacy is near the railway station.
The pharmacy is nearby.
Near is a preposition introducing the railway station. Nearby is an adverb that tells us the pharmacy is close without naming the reference location.
Nearby can also function as an adjective before a noun.
A nearby pharmacy stays open until midnight.
The difference becomes clearer when the reference location is named.
Incorrect: The pharmacy is nearby the railway station.
Correct: The pharmacy is near the railway station.
Correct: The pharmacy is nearby.
Adverb of Place vs Place Adverbial
An adverb of place is a single word, such as downstairs. A place adverbial can be a single word or a longer expression that provides location information.
Compare:
The inspection team is downstairs.
The inspection team is in the basement.
Downstairs is an adverb functioning as a place adverbial. In the basement is a prepositional phrase performing the same place-related function.
For more on these structures, see prepositions of place and prepositional phrases.
Where Do Adverbs of Place Go in a Sentence?
Adverbs of place commonly appear after the verb or its object. They can also appear at the beginning of a sentence when the location deserves more attention.
After the Verb
Place adverbs often follow verbs that do not have a direct object.
Several employees work overseas.
The rescue workers gathered outside.
They also appear naturally after be.
The emergency supplies are downstairs.
The nearest public telephone is nearby.
After the Object
If a verb has a direct object, the place adverb usually follows it.
The librarian moved the damaged books upstairs.
The courier left the replacement parts there.
Placing the adverb between the verb and its object is generally unnatural in sentences of this kind.
Correct: The librarian moved the damaged books upstairs.
Incorrect: The librarian moved upstairs the damaged books.
Phrasal verbs can follow different word-order patterns because their particles form part of the verb construction.
At the Beginning of a Sentence
Sometimes, the location is the first thing we want the reader to picture.
Outside, several journalists were waiting for the announcement.
Upstairs, the conservation team was examining the original paintings.
This arrangement works particularly well in descriptions and narratives, where the setting helps establish what follows.
When Place and Time Appear Together
Place commonly comes before time when both expressions appear at the end of a clause.
The research team will meet here tomorrow.
You can also move the time expression to the beginning.
Tomorrow, the research team will meet here.
Both sentences are natural. The opening position simply gives the time expression more prominence.
For more about time expressions, see adverbs of time.
Here and There: Meaning and Word Order
Here generally refers to the speaker’s location or a place close to the speaker.
Bring the signed delivery receipt here, please.
There points to another location, often one farther away or already understood in the conversation.
Put the spare batteries there, beside the control panel.
Physical distance is not always the deciding factor. There can also refer to a place that someone has already mentioned or indicated.
Here Comes the Bus vs Here It Comes
When here or there introduces certain expressions announcing someone’s or something’s arrival or movement, the word order depends on the subject.
With a noun subject, the verb commonly comes before the subject.
Here comes the airport shuttle.
There goes the last ferry.
With a personal pronoun, the pronoun normally comes before the verb.
Here it comes.
There it goes.
Does There Always Indicate a Place?
No. There can also introduce a sentence about the existence or presence of something.
Compare:
There is another entrance at the rear of the building.
The entrance is there, beside the loading area.
In the first sentence, there introduces the existence of another entrance. It does not refer to a location.
In the second, there is an adverb of place pointing to a particular location.
Somewhere, Anywhere, Nowhere, and Everywhere
These words help us talk about places without always identifying an exact location.
Somewhere vs Anywhere
We use somewhere when we know or believe a place exists but do not identify it.
The original agreement must be somewhere in the archive.
Anywhere is more flexible. It commonly appears in questions and negative statements.
Have you seen the missing equipment anywhere?
We couldn’t find a working printer anywhere.
It can also mean that there is no restriction on the location.
You can leave your luggage anywhere along this shelf.
Nowhere and Everywhere
Nowhere means not in any place.
The missing passport was nowhere to be found.
Because nowhere already expresses negation, standard English does not normally need another negative word to convey the same simple meaning.
Everywhere refers to all places within the relevant area.
After the pipe burst, there was water everywhere.
The surrounding context tells us which area is being discussed.
Adverbs of Place That Express Direction
Place adverbs can also show movement. Ahead, back, up, down, away, and out tell us which way someone or something is going.
The survey team moved ahead to inspect the damaged section of the bridge.
The passengers stepped back as the barriers were removed.
The trapped workers climbed up toward the emergency exit.
Adverbs Ending in -ward and -wards
Some directional adverbs end in -ward or -wards.
Common pairs include:
- forward / forwards
- backward / backwards
- upward / upwards
- downward / downwards
The rescue vehicle moved forward through the narrow passage.
The camera tilted upwards to capture the top of the tower.
British English often favours forwards and backwards, while American English commonly uses forward and backward as adverbs. Both forms are widely understood.
When these words function as adjectives before nouns, the forms without -s are normally used.
The driver checked the forward controls before starting the vehicle.
Towards looks similar, but it normally functions as a preposition.
The vehicle moved towards the entrance.
Here, towards introduces the entrance rather than functioning as an adverb of place.
Go Home, Go Abroad, and Go Upstairs
Some place adverbs follow movement verbs without to.
The employees went home after the evening shift.
Several researchers moved abroad to continue their work.
The inspectors went upstairs to examine the roof access.
That is why go home is natural, while go to home is not the standard construction when home is being used as an adverb.
Correct: She went home after the conference.
Incorrect: She went to home after the conference.
When the destination is expressed by a noun phrase naming a place, to is often appropriate.
The delegation travelled to Canada for the negotiations.
Here, to Canada is a prepositional phrase expressing direction.
Adverbs of Place That Express Distance
Place adverbs can also tell us how close or distant something is.
Nearby suggests a short distance without necessarily identifying an exact location.
The conference organisers arranged accommodation nearby.
Far is common when asking about distance or saying that something is not close.
How far is the nearest specialist hospital?
The hospital isn’t far from the village.
When giving a particular distance, away is the natural choice.
The nearest charging station is five kilometres away.
We can also use far away when we want to describe a place as distant without giving a measurement.
The nearest charging station is far away.
Compare:
Incorrect: The hospital is five kilometres far.
Correct: The hospital is five kilometres away.
To identify the place from which the distance is measured, use away from.
The hospital is five kilometres away from the village.
When a Direction Word Is Part of a Phrasal Verb
Up can indicate direction, but it also appears in phrasal verbs with a different meaning.
Compare:
The technician looked up at the smoke detector.
Up tells us the direction of the technician’s gaze.
The technician looked up the equipment’s serial number.
Here, looked up means searched for information. Up is a particle in the phrasal verb, not an indication of physical direction.
When the object is a personal pronoun, it comes between the verb and the particle.
The technician looked it up.
For more about these combinations, see phrasal verbs.
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