Adverbs of frequency
always, usually, often, sometimes, never.
Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. In English we use five main ones: always (100% of the time), usually (about 80%), often (about 60%), sometimes (about 40%), and never (0%). The most important grammar rule is where to put them in a sentence. When the verb is be (am, is, are), the adverb comes AFTER be — for example, 'He is always happy.' When the verb is any other verb (a main verb like walk, eat, play), the adverb comes BEFORE that verb — for example, 'She usually walks to school.' In questions and negatives with do/does, the adverb still goes before the main verb: 'They do not often play football.' It is a very common mistake to put the adverb after a main verb — never say 'She walks always to school.' Remember the order from most to least frequent: always → usually → often → sometimes → never. For example: 'I sometimes eat breakfast at seven o'clock, but I never eat lunch in class.'
Rules
- 1Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, never) show how often something happens.
- 2Frequency order from most to least: always (100%) → usually → often → sometimes → never (0%).
- 3Place the adverb AFTER the verb be: 'She is always late.' / 'They are never tired.'
- 4Place the adverb BEFORE any other main verb: 'He usually eats breakfast.' / 'I sometimes play football.'
- 5In negative sentences the adverb still comes before the main verb: 'She does not often walk to school.'
Practice
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