副詞是用來修飾動詞、形容詞，以及其他的副詞本身，因此副詞的位置會大大影響一句話的意思。或許您已經看過一些例句，告訴您正確安排only這類副詞所在位置的重要性，常見的例句有：
- Only I drive red cars; no one else drives them.
- I only drive red cars; I do not park them.
- I drive only red cars; I do not drive green cars.
- I drive red-only cars; I do not drive multicolored cars.
- I drive red cars only; I do not drive red motorcycles.
多數的作者都能在文句中將only放在正確的位置上，而這大概是因為文法書中太常以這個字作範例的關係，大家就自然比較熟悉。然而，在華樂思的編修眾多案例中，不時會看到其他的副詞被錯置的情形，其中最常見的就是predominantly、mainly、mostly三個字。讓我們來看看下面這個例句：
Eukaryote-specific rRNA is predominantly located on the surface of the ribosome.
這裡誤用predominantly來修飾located這個動詞，而實際上應該是要用它來修飾on the surface of the ribosome這個副詞片語才對，正確應為：「Eukaryote-specific rRNA is located predominantly on the surface of the ribosome.」
依我的經驗，這種類型的錯誤大多都是誤將副詞放在動詞之前，而非之後。以下幾個例句中也都是如此。
原句：
Under neutral conditions, the O-acyl isopeptides were predominantly converted to the corresponding monomeric amyloid β peptides.
編修後：
Under neutral conditions, the O-acyl isopeptides were converted predominantly to the corresponding monomeric amyloid β peptides.
原句：
Cystathionine β-synthase catalyzes the formation of H2S, which predominantly exists as SH– at physiological pH.
編修後：
Cystathionine β-synthase catalyzes the formation of H2S, which exists predominantly as SH– at physiological pH.
原句：
Most other anthropogenic emissions, such as emissions related to fossil fuel combustion, mainly occur in urban areas.
編修後：
Most other anthropogenic emissions, such as emissions related to fossil fuel combustion, occur mainly in urban areas.
原句：
Humans are mainly exposed to PAHs by three routes: digestion, inhalation and dermal contact.
編修後：
Humans are exposed to PAHs mainly by three routes: digestion, inhalation and dermal contact.
Humans are exposed to PAHs by three main routes: digestion, inhalation and dermal contact.
原句：
The inhibitory activity of the plant extract was mostly due to coumarin.
編修後：
The inhibitory activity of the plant extract was due mostly to coumarin.
原句：
The evolution of H2O at 85–100 °C was mostly due to vaporization, whereas H2O evolution at 300–350 °C was mostly due to intramolecular H2O elimination.
編修後：
The evolution of H2O at 85–100 °C was due mostly to vaporization, whereas H2O evolution at 300–350 °C was due mostly to intramolecular H2O elimination.
以上是幾個比較好懂、能明確看出副詞位置正確與否的例子。但是，「副詞位置」這種細微的錯誤是很有可能讓讀者與審閱者感到茫然，而且還會很容易讓文章的重點擺在糾正文法上的錯誤，導致看不見文章的意涵與研究意義。
所以，建議多花幾分鐘用文字處理器的搜尋功能來確認您是否將這副詞都放在正確的位置了。
參考來源：
Coghill, Anne M., and Lorrin R. Garson. The ACS Style Guide: Effective Communication of Scientific Information, 3rd ed. (Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2006), p. 45.
Cook, Claire Kehrwald, Line by Line: How to Improve Your Own Writing (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985), pp. 22–29.
Einsohn, Amy, The Copyeditor’s Handbook (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000), p. 360.
Garner, Bryan, Garner’s Modern American Usage, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), p. 592.
Stevens, Matthew, Subtleties of Scientific Style (Thornleigh, Australia: ScienceScape Editing, 2007), p. 47.
