where should an adverbial prepositional phrase be placed to make the meaning clear

Question

as close to the verb as possible
as close to the noun as possible
between two commas
or at rh end of the sentence

Answer 1

To make the meaning clear, an adverbial prepositional phrase should generally be placed as close to the verb as possible. This placement helps clarify which action the adverbial phrase is modifying, thus avoiding ambiguity.

For example:

• "She quickly ran to the store." (The prepositional phrase "to the store" clarifies where she ran.)

Placing it too far from the verb can confuse the reader regarding what is being modified.

While there are situations where placing an adverbial phrase at the end of a sentence (or using commas) might be stylistically acceptable, keeping it close to the verb is typically best for clarity.