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