在这次探讨中，我们所谈的状语就不限于单词，而是包括短语（尤其是介词短语）在内了。
总的说来，状语的顺序一般应遵照下列几个原则：
1. 最重要的也是概括性最强的一项原则，就是“由亲到疏”，即将与谓语动词的关系较密切的状语置于前，将与谓语动词的关系较疏远的状语置于后，在上次探讨中，一读者所举的Harry worked well here yesterday. 即是一例。再如：
(1)Come in here, please.
(2)She came up to me at the dining-room table.
(3)She got the Whiskey from it for him before he went off in the fog.（it=a cabinet）
(4)The moon rose with such majesty in the grave east.
(5)The tall man stretched his hand over the fire toward the plump woman, ...
2. “由短到长”亦是一个有用的原则，即较短的状语在前，较长的状语在后，实例如：
(6)I was studying earlier in the school library.
(7)He had first met her the preceding November, at the house of a lady who ...
3. 第三个原则是“由轻到重”，即是较不重要的状语在前，较为重要的状语在后。这条原则也很重要，实例如：
(8)He walked to the door quickly.
(9)Charles hesitated, then felt in his pocket.“I bear a letter to you from her.”
(10)I stared with black and yokel-like eyes at him.
(11)Talk over my suggestion with your wife and give me your answer tomorrow.
4. 最后一个原则是“由中心到外缘”，即是处于句子中心的状语在前，处于句子外缘的状语在后，甚至可移至句子开头。这条原则实际上是上述第一项原则的补充，实例如：
(12)He worked at home that day.（that day 可移至句首。时间状语往往位于地点状语之后，其原因多在此）
(13)He used to keep them in his garage in America.（in America 可移至句首）
(14)He cut the string with his penknife with great care.（with great care 可移至句首）
有些语法书说方式状语一般应在地点状语之前。如指用作状语的单词而言，这显然是不妥当的。如将用作状语的短语考虑在内，上述说法也许是对的，实例的确可举出不少，上述句（4）与句（10）即是例证，再如：
(15)He worked quietly at home.
(16)The plane arrived uneventfully at Honolulu by midnight.
(17)The children were running very fast to the park.
但由于种种原因，将地点状语置于方式状语之前的情况也不罕见，上述句（8）与句（10）即是例证，再如：
(18)He waited at the station patiently.（当然亦可说 He waited patiently at the station，如若不强调 patiently 的话）
(19)He will work there with pleasure.
(20)She pushed the book away from her violently.
(21)He went there by bus once a month.
(22)They were travelling to Washington first class.
(23)People stayed for months in the same house without stirring from it even for a night.
那么，总的说来，英语中状语的顺序到底应怎样排列呢？英人夸克等所编著的《英语语法大全》给我们提供了一个有关附加状语（不包括下加状语、外加状语和联加状语）的顺序如下：
方面——方式——空间——时间——因果，其例证是：
(24)John was working on his hobby （方面）with the new shears （方式）in the rose garden （空间）for his day off （时间）to complete the season's pruning （因果）.
这个顺序不仅限于附加状语，而且必须服从两个原则：一是这种顺序可以改变，以适应信息中心的要求；二是较短的附加状语往往在较长的附加状语之前（这两条原则实际上与我们在这篇短文开头所提到的一些原则是一致的）。
我们认为上述顺序很值得参考，虽然我们仍然认为：一般说来，用作状语的单词的顺序似乎应当是：地点状语——方式状语——时间状语。
