Adverbs of Certainty

Adverbs of certainty express how certain or sure we feel about an action or event.
Adverbs of certainty 1

Usage

Common adverbs of certainty:

  • certainly 
  • definitely
  • probably
  • undoubtedly
  • surely

1. Adverbs of certainty go before the main verb but after the verb ‘to be’:

  • He definitely left the house this morning.
  • He is probably in the park.

2. With other auxiliary verb, these adverbs go between the auxiliary and the main verb:

  • He has certainly forgotten the meeting.
  • He will probably remember tomorrow.

3. Sometimes these adverbs can be placed at the beginning of the sentence:

  • Undoubtedly, Winston Churchill was a great politician.

BE CAREFUL! with surely. When it is placed at the beginning of the sentence, it means the speaker thinks something is true, but is looking for confirmation:

  • Surely you’ve got a bicycle?

See also ADVERBS OF ATTITUDE