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In which order should I put the adverbs of time? Should I put the more specific adverb before the less specific one or the other way around? What's the rule for ordering adverbs of time in a sentence?

I'm meeting her tomorrow in the evening. / I'm meeting her in the evening tomorrow?

I'm coming to see them tomorrow at 5. / I'm coming to see them at 5 tomorrow.

2 Answers 2

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In these time frame usages, you have some flexibility as to word order.

I'm meeting her tomorrow, in the evening.

I'm meeting her in the evening tomorrow.

I'm meeting her tomorrow evening.

^ All of these are correct and exactly identical in meaning. The last one is probably more common in use.

I'm coming to see them tomorrow at 5.

I'm coming to see them at 5 tomorrow.

Both of these are also fine, and meaning-identical.

So, it's up to you!

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"Tomorrow evening" is idiomatic. "Evening tomorrow" is not.

You could say "I'm meeting her in the evening, tomorrow", but it does rather sound like you're clarifying what you mean rather than qualifying.

When it comes to the time - either way around is fine and equally as common. "Tomorrow at 5" or "at 5 tomorrow" work just as well.

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  • Right, evening tomorrow is not idiomatic. But still, one might say: I'm meeting her in the evening, tomorrow. [as opposed to in the morning or afternoon].
    – Lambie
    Dec 16, 2019 at 17:24
  • It's not idiomatic but it's grammatical and fully intelligible. This construction is heard all the time in speech without a comma pause. In general prepositions of time are indifferent to order inter se in English. There's no reason to avoid use.
    – BadZen
    Dec 16, 2019 at 19:20

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