This study investigates how Saudi female EFL learners acquire English adverb placement, examining common errors and learning stages. The research focuses on sentence-medial adverbs, where Saudi learners often struggle with placement, particularly with frequency adverbs like "always" and "often." Using a sample of university students, the study analyzes written and oral tasks to assess learners' understanding and usage of adverbs in English sentences.
Findings show that learners frequently place adverbs incorrectly, influenced by the typical sentence structures of Arabic, where adverb placement differs significantly from English. Errors were more common in complex sentences and with adverbs that modify verbs, indicating an intermediate acquisition stage. The study suggests that explicit instruction and targeted practice in adverb placement could improve accuracy for Saudi learners, emphasizing the importance of addressing L1 interference in language acquisition. The research contributes to the understanding of syntactic challenges in EFL learning, recommending more focused teaching strategies to support correct adverb placement in English.