Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Mid position and auxiliary/modal verbs

325a

Mid position normally means between subject and lexical verb or between an

auxiliary/modal verb and a lexical verb. 

If there is more than one auxiliary verb or a combination of modal and

auxiliary verbs, then the adjunct normally comes after the first auxiliary verb (aux1)

or after the modal verb:

aux1 adjunct

aux2

main verb

We | ’ve | 

always | been | striving | to improve the service.

modal

adjunct

aux

main verb

He | should | 

really | have | resigned.

However, for adjuncts of degree and for other adjuncts which modify the lexical

verb rather than the whole clause, mid position is immediately before the lexical

verb, following all modal and auxiliary verbs:

We 

have been 

totally rejected

and we didn’t expect that.

[the parliament of the Isle of Man, a region of the UK, debated a maritime

disaster near the island in its Parliament, the Tynwald]

The parliament, known as the Tynwald, held a meeting at which unanimous

approval was given for the operation to return the bodies of the crew to their

families ‘so that funerals can be held and so that the pain of their losses 

may

be, 

in some degree, eased

’.

Save the Children 

has been 

actively supporting

farmers cultivating fields along

the Shabelle River Belet Weyne district since 1992. 

Instead of coming after the first auxiliary or after a modal verb, mid-position

adjuncts can be placed before for extra emphasis:

I 

honestly don’t know. 

(compare neutral (or unmarked) position after the first modal or auxiliary verb:

I don’t honestly know.)

I 

probably could have said if I’d wanted to see it. 

In speech, pre-auxiliary/pre-modal position is particularly the case when the

auxiliary/modal is stressed:

I 

never have worked out which is which.

They know that they 

definitely are going to work.

I 

really will have to try harder next time.