状语可以由副词, 副词，介词短语，不定式和从句等来担任。状语一般放在被修饰的词之后或放在句尾。副词作状语时可放在被修饰的词前或句首。

　　We went to the countryside last year.　　I often read the news paper at night.　　状语在句子中的位置很灵活，常见情况为：通常在句子基本结构之后，强调时放在句首；

修饰形容词或副词时，通常位于被修饰的词之前；表示时间、地点、目的的状语一般位于句子两头，强调时放在句首，地点状语一般须在时间状语之前；

一些表示不确定时间（如：often）或程度（如：almost）的副词状语通常位于be动词、助动词、情态动词之后，动词之前。

　　有时状语在句中的某个位置会引起歧义，应注意，如：The boy calls the girl in the classroom.一般理解成‘男孩喊教室里的女孩‘（此时in the classroom为girl的定语），也可以理解为‘男孩在教室里喊女孩’（此时in the classroom为地点状语），最好写作‘In the classroom, the boy calls the girl.'　　副词（短语）作状语：　　The boy needs a pen very much（程度状语）　　The boy needs very much the pen bought by his mother.（宾语较长则状语前置）The boy really needs a pen.（程度状语）　　The boy needs a pen now./Now, the boy needs a pen./The boy, now, needs a pen./男孩现在需要一支钢笔。

（时间状语）　　介词短语作状语：　　In the classroom, the boy needs a pen.（地点状语）　　Before his mother, Tom is always a boy.（条件状语)　　On Sundays, there is no student in the classroom.（时间状语)　　分词（短语）作状语：　　He sits there, asking for a pen./ （表示伴随状态）　　Having to finish his homework, the boy needs a pen./（原因状语）　　Frightened, he sits there soundlessly./ （原因状语）　　不定式作状语：　　The boy needs a pen to do his homework.（目的状语）　　To make his dream come true, Tom becomes very interested in business./　　名词作状语：　　Come this way!/ （方向状语）　　状语从句：时间状语从句/地点状语从句/原因状语从句/结果状语从句/目的状语从句/比较状语从句/让步状语从句/条件状语从句