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The business was registered officially. or The business was officially registered.

Where to place the word 'officially'?

afrin sultana
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  • Both of those are correct, so you can say it either way. The second one sounds better, though. – Aura Dec 18 '16 at 07:49
  • Please try to use the search box, http://english.stackexchange.com/search?q=position+of+adverbs before you ask a question on ELU. There are many questions that can help you. Good luck. –  Dec 18 '16 at 08:03

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I agree: both are correct, but as the adverb complements the verb it seems that the second position (after the verb) sounds more natural. Think of many other examples where the adverb does go after the verb: "he sings badly", "she speaks loudly". Would you say "he badly sings" out of a mere poetic situation?

Montse M
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    An adverb is more likely to sound better when followed by a verb of past tense. For instance, "It was badly sung." sounds better than "It was sung badly." - though both are correct. – Aura Dec 18 '16 at 08:14
  • "Officially registered" is far more common that "registered officially". Btw, "officially" is a modifier here, not a complement. – BillJ Dec 18 '16 at 08:40
  • There used to be a gasoline company called Esso, and I remember being taught that the following sentences mean different things: Only Esso sells pure gas; Esso only sells pure gas; Esso sells only pure gas; Esso sells pure gas only. God only knows, our language doesn't always work this way, but generally it a good idea to put an adjective or adverb in front of the word it modifies. – Airymouse Dec 18 '16 at 15:08