Adverbs of Frequency & Time Expressions
always, usually, often… and word order.
Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. The most common ones, from the most often to the least often, are: always (100%), usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never (0%). The most important thing to learn is their position in the sentence: an adverb of frequency goes before the main verb (She always walks to school) but after the verb 'be' (She is always late). We usually use these adverbs with the present simple tense, because they describe habits and routines. English also has time expressions such as every day, every week, once a week, twice a month and on Mondays, and these usually go at the end of the sentence (I play football twice a week). Notice the difference: short adverbs of frequency go in the middle of the sentence, while longer time expressions go at the end. For example: 'He never drinks coffee, but he sometimes drinks tea in the morning.'
Rules
- 1Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never) go BEFORE the main verb: I always do my homework.
- 2With the verb 'be' the adverb goes AFTER it: She is never late; They are usually busy.
- 3These adverbs are normally used with the present simple to talk about habits and routines.
- 4Never make the verb negative with 'never' or 'rarely': say 'I never eat fish' (NOT 'I don't never eat fish').
- 5Time expressions (every day, once a week, twice a month, on Sundays) usually go at the END of the sentence.
Practice
10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard