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In this site they say time words can only appear in two possible positions in a sentence, either before or after the subject:

  1. Time + Subj. + Verb + Obj.
  2. Subj. + Time + Verb + Obj.

But I came across the following sentence:

明天天气好，我们可以明天去.

Mínɡtiān tiānqì hǎo, wǒmen kěyǐ mínɡtiān qù.

The weather is good tomorrow, we can go tomorrow.

Where the time word 明天 is after 可以. According to the previous rules, I thought it should be before 可以.

Question: Is this sentence wrong? Is 可以 an exception to the rule order? Or is it because it is a compound sentence (with two verbs) and the time word makes reference to the second verb 去?

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Question: Is this sentence wrong? Is 可以 an exception to the rule order? Or is it because it is a compound sentence (with two verbs) and the time word makes reference to the second verb 去?

明天天气好 and 我们可以明天去 are two separate clauses (relative clause and main clause)

(如果)明天天气好 is the relative clause, 我们可以明天去 is the main clause

我们可以明天去 or 明天我们可以去 are both correct

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  • So in the main clause of a relative-main sentence construction, you don't have to follow the rule order of subject, time when, adverb, location, instrument etc?
    – MuchAppreciated25
    Commented Jun 6, 2020 at 1:31
  • No, the main clause follows the rule like an independent sentence. [明天我们可以去] --> [ (Time) + Subj + 可以 + Verb] ; [我们可以明天去] --> [ Sub + 可以 + (Time) + Verb] . Both examples have the subject before 可以, but time can be placed before or after the subject
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Commented Jun 6, 2020 at 1:48
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    可以 (can/ able to) can be an auxiliary verb e.g. 可以去 (able to go). It must be placed before a verb. 1. Time can be placed before an auxiliary verb and verb e.g. 明天可以去; 2. Time can be placed between an auxiliary and verb e.g. 可以明天去
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Commented Jun 6, 2020 at 10:02
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    As for the relationship between the subject and time, Time can be placed before or after the subject e.g. 我们明天去; 明天我们去. Since 可以 can be placed before or between auxiliary verb and verb, you can place 可以 the following way, as long as it is after the subject and before a verb: e.g. 我们明天(可以)去 ; 我们 (可以)明天去
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Commented Jun 6, 2020 at 10:08
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    But there is a slight different between the two sentences. 我们明天可以去 means 'we can go when tomorrow comes (cannot go now) ; 我们可以明天去 means 'we can wait until tomorrow to go (no need to go now)
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Commented Jun 6, 2020 at 10:15

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