Adverbs of frequency

We use some adverbs to describe how frequently we do an activity.

These are called adverbs of frequency and include:

Frequency	Adverb of Frequency	Example Sentence
100%	always	I always go to bed before 11 p.m.
90%	usually	I usually have cereal for breakfast.
80%	normally / generally	I normally go to the gym.
70%	often* / frequently	I often surf the internet.
50%	sometimes	I sometimes forget my wife's birthday.
30%	occasionally	I occasionally eat junk food.
10%	seldom	I seldom read the newspaper.
5%	hardly ever / rarely	I hardly ever drink alcohol.
0%	never	I never swim in the sea.

The Position of the Adverb in a Sentence

An adverb of frequency goes before a main verb (except with To Be).

Subject + adverb + main verb 

• I always remember to do my homework. 
• He normally gets good marks in exams. 

An adverb of frequency goes after the verb To Be.

Subject + to be + adverb 

• They are never pleased to see me. 
• She isn't usually bad tempered. 

When we use an auxiliary verb (have, will, must, might, could, would, can, etc.), the adverb is placed between the auxiliary and the main verb. This is also true for to be.

Subject + auxiliary + adverb + main verb 

• She can sometimes beat me in a race. 
• I would hardly ever be unkind to someone. 
• They might never see each other again. 
• They could occasionally be heard laughing. 

We can also use the following adverbs at the start of a sentence:
Usually, normally, often, frequently, sometimes, occasionally

• Occasionally, I like to eat Thai food. 

BUT we cannot use the following at the beginning of a sentence:
Always, seldom, rarely, hardly, ever, never.

We use hardly ever and never with positive, not negative verbs:

• She hardly ever comes to my parties. 
• They never say 'thank you'. 

We use ever in questions and negative statements:

• Have you ever been to New Zealand?
• I haven't ever been to Switzerland. (The same as 'I have never been Switzerland'). 

Adverbs of Definite Frequency 

We can also use the following expressions when we want to be more specific about the frequency:

• every day 
• once a month 
• twice a year 
• four times a day 
• every other week 
• daily 
• monthly

Adverbs of Frequency Exercises

The following exercises will help you to gain better understanding about how adverbs of frequency work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. I ________________ late on Saturdays.
a. Get up usually
b. Get usually up
c. Usually get up

Answer: C. I usually get up late on Saturdays.

2. Jared ______________ late for work.
a. Never is
b. Is never

Answer: A. Jared is never late for work.

3. _______________ on weekends?
a. Often do you travel
b. Do you often travel
c. Often you do travel

Answer: B. Do you often travel on weekends?

4. Susan ________________ early for class.
a. Often is
b. Are often
c. Often are
d. Is often

Answer: D. Susan is often early for class.

5. When do you ____________ go on vacation each year?
a. Always
b. Never
c. Usually
d. Ever

Answer: When do you usually go on vacation each year?

Each of the following sentences have a mistake. Find it and correct it.

1. I always am happy when I finish work early
2. Susan has been never to Thailand
3. Gerald needs to take his medication three times for day
4. Always I try to arrive at the office before 9 a.m
5. It doesn’t hardly ever rain in Almería
6. I eat sometimes muesli for breakfast
7. I always don’t remember my keys when I leave the house

(Answers)

1. I am always happy when I finish work early
2. Susan has never been to Thailand
3. Gerald needs to take his medication three times a day
4. I always try to arrive at the office before 9 a.m
5. It hardly ever rains in Almería
6. I sometimes eat muesli for breakfast Sometimes, I eat muesli for breakfast
7. I don’t always remember my keys when I leave the house