What is an adverb of place?

It is a word that tells you where something is or where an action happens, without taking a noun after it. Here, there, upstairs, abroad, home, nearby, and somewhere are typical. She lives abroad and Put the box downstairs both use one. If a noun follows, you have switched to a preposition of place.

Where do adverbs of place go in the sentence?

After the verb, or after the object if there is one: She waited outside. Put the box downstairs. Do not place the adverb between the verb and its object; when manner, place, and time all appear, the usual order is manner, then place, then time (She packed carefully downstairs last night).

How is an adverb of place different from a preposition of place?

An adverb of place is complete alone (Wait outside), while a preposition of place needs a noun (Wait outside the shed). Some words do both jobs: inside, up, and in are adverbs when nothing follows, and prepositions when a noun follows. The preposition-of-place page covers in, on, at, under, and between.

Do you say go home or go to home?

Go home, come home, arrive home, get home. Home is an adverb in these patterns, so to is not added. She's at home is different: at home describes a state, not movement toward home. The same adverb pattern gives live abroad and work overseas, not live in abroad.

English grammar · Beginner

Adverb of Place: Here, There, Upstairs, and Somewhere

Written by Eleanor Whitfield, Lead English Curriculum Editor · Reviewed September 2026

An adverb of place tells you where something is or where an action happens: here, there, upstairs, downstairs, abroad, away, nearby, inside, outside, home, somewhere, nowhere, everywhere. It does not take a noun after it. That is what separates it from a preposition of place, which always has a noun (on the shelf, in the loft).

The spare blankets are upstairs, and I left the torch somewhere.

upstairs and somewhere tell you where, and both follow the verb

What it is

An adverb of place answers the question where. It can name a location (here, there, upstairs, abroad), a direction of rest or stay (inside, outside, nearby, away), or an indefinite place (somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere). It usually sits after the verb, or after the object if there is one: She lives abroad. Put the box downstairs. It is a complete answer on its own, with no noun attached.

The tools are downstairs. I looked everywhere. (Downstairs and everywhere tell you where, and nothing follows them.)

How to spot it

Ask where about the verb. If the answer is a single word or a short phrase with no noun after it (here, upstairs, abroad, next door, over there), it is an adverb of place. If a noun follows (on the bench, in the shed, under the table), you have a preposition of place plus its object.

Come here. (here: a place near the speaker)
They moved abroad last spring. (abroad: in another country)
I left my gloves somewhere. (somewhere: an indefinite place)
Wait outside. (outside: no noun follows)

Some words work as both. Inside is an adverb in Stay inside and a preposition in inside the shed. If a noun follows, treat it as a preposition.

Adverbs of Place Quick Reference

Common adverbs of place and where they go

Group	Examples	Usual position
Near or far	here, there, nearby, away	after the verb or object: Come here. Keep them nearby.
Inside a building	upstairs, downstairs, indoors, outdoors, inside, outside	after the verb: She's upstairs.
Countries and home	abroad, overseas, home	after the verb: They live abroad. We went home.
Indefinite place	somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere	after the verb or object: I looked everywhere.
Direction as rest	up, down, in, out, back, forward	after the verb: He stayed in. Come back.

Common Adverbs of Place Examples in English

Place adverbs grouped by the kind of where they add, which also predicts how they sit in the sentence:

Here, There, and Nearby

Leave the crate here.: here after the object
The spare key is there, on the hook.: there after is
A bakery opened nearby.: nearby after the verb
Keep the dog away from the kiln.: away after the object

Here is near the speaker, there is further away. Nearby and away add distance without naming a noun.

Upstairs, Abroad, and Home

The spare blankets are upstairs.: upstairs after are
We stored the jars downstairs.: downstairs after the object
Her brother works abroad.: abroad after the verb
They went home after the shift.: home, no to, after went

Go home, stay home, arrive home: English does not add to before home in these patterns. Go to home is the error to avoid.

Somewhere and Everywhere

I must have put the torch somewhere.: somewhere: a place I cannot name
You can sit anywhere.: anywhere: no restriction
The kittens were nowhere in the shed.: nowhere: not in any place
We searched everywhere for the fuse.: everywhere after the verb

Somewhere is typical in affirmative sentences, anywhere in questions and negatives: Did you look anywhere else? I couldn't find it anywhere.

After the Verb or Object

She waited outside.: no object, adverb after the verb
Put the box downstairs.: adverb after the object, not between verb and object
Bring the chairs in.: in after the object

Do not split a verb from its object: Put downstairs the box is the wrong order. Manner, place, then time is the usual sequence when more than one adverb appears.

How Adverbs of Place Work

Four placement and meaning rules, including the line that separates them from prepositions of place.

Sit After the Verb, or After the Object

The default slot is the end of the verb phrase. If the verb has no object, the adverb follows the verb: She lives abroad. If it has an object, the adverb follows the object: Put the box downstairs. Putting the adverb between the verb and the object (Put downstairs the box) is the error this rule prevents. Front position is possible for emphasis with here and there: Here comes the bus.

Stack the plates inside.

inside follows the object plates

Verb, then object, then place.

No Noun After an Adverb of Place

An adverb of place is complete by itself. Upstairs, abroad, here, and somewhere do not take an object. A preposition of place does: up the stairs, in another country, on the shelf. If you add a noun, you have usually switched to a preposition, sometimes with the same spelling (inside the shed, in the loft).

Wait outside. Wait outside the shed.

adverb with no noun, then the same word as a preposition

Noun after it? Then it is a preposition.

Home Does Not Take To

With go, come, arrive, get, and stay, English uses home as an adverb: go home, come home, stay home. To home is wrong in these patterns. At home is different: it describes a state (She's at home) rather than movement toward home. Abroad and overseas work like home: they live abroad, not they live in abroad.

We went home. She's at home this evening.

home after go, at home for the state

Go home, not go to home.

Somewhere in Affirmatives, Anywhere in Questions

The some/any split that you know from nouns applies here. Somewhere and everywhere are the usual choice in affirmative sentences. Anywhere is the usual choice in questions and negatives: Did you look anywhere? I couldn't find it anywhere. Nowhere is already negative, so do not add another negative: I found it nowhere, not I didn't find it nowhere.

I left it somewhere. Did you look anywhere?

somewhere in a statement, anywhere in a question

Some- in statements, any- in questions and negatives.

Common Mistakes with Adverbs of Place

Incorrect: Put downstairs the box before you leave.

Correct: Put the box downstairs before you leave.

An adverb of place follows the object. It does not sit between the verb and the object. Put downstairs the box splits put from the box.

Incorrect: They went to home after the shift.

Correct: They went home after the shift.

Home is an adverb after go, come, arrive, and get, so to is not used. At home is a different pattern, for being there rather than moving there.

Incorrect: I didn't leave the torch nowhere.

Correct: I didn't leave the torch anywhere. / I left the torch nowhere.

Nowhere is already negative. A second negative (didn't ... nowhere) is not standard English. Choose one: anywhere with a negative verb, or nowhere with an affirmative verb.

Incorrect: She lives in abroad since March.

Correct: She has lived abroad since March.

Abroad does not take in. It is an adverb, not a noun, so there is no preposition in front of it. The time phrase since March also wants a perfect tense, but the article error is the in.

Quick Check: Adverbs of Place

Add an adverb of place, or choose the right form, for each gap.

1. The spare blankets are ___. (upper floor)

Answer: upstairs

adverb after are, no noun

2. Put the crate ___. (this place, near me)

Answer: here

after the object

3. They went ___ after the shift. (home)

Answer: home

no to

4. I must have left the torch ___. (an unknown place)

Answer: somewhere

affirmative: some-

5. Did you look ___ else? (an unknown place, question)

Answer: anywhere

question: any-

Adverbs of Place FAQs

What is an adverb of place?: It is a word that tells you where something is or where an action happens, without taking a noun after it. Here, there, upstairs, abroad, home, nearby, and somewhere are typical. She lives abroad and Put the box downstairs both use one. If a noun follows, you have switched to a preposition of place.
Where do adverbs of place go in the sentence?: After the verb, or after the object if there is one: She waited outside. Put the box downstairs. Do not place the adverb between the verb and its object; when manner, place, and time all appear, the usual order is manner, then place, then time (She packed carefully downstairs last night).
How is an adverb of place different from a preposition of place?: An adverb of place is complete alone (Wait outside), while a preposition of place needs a noun (Wait outside the shed). Some words do both jobs: inside, up, and in are adverbs when nothing follows, and prepositions when a noun follows. The preposition-of-place page covers in, on, at, under, and between.
Do you say go home or go to home?: Go home, come home, arrive home, get home. Home is an adverb in these patterns, so to is not added. She's at home is different: at home describes a state, not movement toward home. The same adverb pattern gives live abroad and work overseas, not live in abroad.
When do I use somewhere and when anywhere?: Somewhere is the usual choice in affirmative sentences (I left it somewhere), and anywhere is the usual choice in questions and negatives (Did you look anywhere, or I couldn't find it anywhere). Nowhere already means not in any place, so do not combine it with another negative.