What are Adverbs of Frequency?
Learn about adverbs of frequency in English – like always, usually, sometimes, and never – then practice what you have learned with our collection of fun exercises!
2.4.1 Adverbs of frequency are words that describe how often we do something. They can be graded in terms of frequency as follows:
2.4.2 We usually use adverbs of frequency in present simple tense, because they describe time which is regular or general – outside of the past-present-future timeline. Adverbs of frequency may go with time phrases like:
- every day
- once a week
- twice a month
- three times a year
- at the weekend
- on Mondays (i.e. every Monday)
…and so on.
2.4.3 Adverbs of frequency usually occur in the middle of a sentence, rather than at either end. Like other adverbs, adverbs of frequency go before the main verb in a sentence, e.g.
- I never eat sweets.
- Never I eat sweets.
- We usually go to my friend’s house for lunch on Sundays.
- Usually we go to my friend’s house for lunch on Sundays.
If the main verb is BE, however, adverbs go after the main verb, e.g.
- He is often late for work.
- Lisa and Charles are always cheerful.
2.4.4 We can also use adverbs of frequency with other tenses. Notice that they come after the auxiliary verb but before the main verb. For example:
Exercises:
Ex. 2.4.1 Writing Complete each gap with an adverb of frequency:
- I ______________ go to bed before 10pm.
- My friend ______________ comes to class on time.
- I ______________ drive to work.
- I ______________ cook dinner for my family.
- I ______________ take taxis.
- I ______________ do my homework on time.
- I ______________ travel by public transport.
- My teacher ______________ give me feedback on my pronunciation.
- I ______________ listen to the radio.
- I ______________ eat fresh fruit every day.
Ex. 2.4.2 Writing Complete the sentences with information about your life, which can be true or not:
- I always _____________________________________________________________
- I usually _____________________________________________________________
- I often _____________________________________________________________
- I sometimes _____________________________________________________________
- I rarely _____________________________________________________________
- I never _____________________________________________________________
Ex. 2.4.3 Writing Complete the sentences with information about your life, which can be true or not:
On Monday mornings, I…
always _____________________________________________________________
usually _____________________________________________________________
often _____________________________________________________________
sometimes _____________________________________________________________
rarely _____________________________________________________________
never _____________________________________________________________
At the weekend, I…
always _____________________________________________________________
usually _____________________________________________________________
often _____________________________________________________________
sometimes _____________________________________________________________
rarely _____________________________________________________________
never _____________________________________________________________
When I’m on holiday, I…
always _____________________________________________________________
usually _____________________________________________________________
often _____________________________________________________________
sometimes _____________________________________________________________
rarely _____________________________________________________________
never _____________________________________________________________
When I feel unwell, I…
always _____________________________________________________________
usually _____________________________________________________________
often _____________________________________________________________
sometimes _____________________________________________________________
rarely _____________________________________________________________
never _____________________________________________________________
Ex. 2.4.4 Writing Write 10 things that you have never done and say why not:
Ex. I have never watched Pinocchio, because I don’t like animated films.
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
- I have never _____________________________________________________________
Ex. 2.4.5 Writing Complete each sentence using present simple tense and include an adverb of frequency:
- ________________________________________________________ every day
- ________________________________________________________ every week
- ________________________________________________________ at the weekend.
- ________________________________________________________ once a week.
- ________________________________________________________ twice a month.
- ________________________________________________________ three times a year.
- ________________________________________________________ on Thursdays.
- ________________________________________________________ during the holidays.
- ________________________________________________________ at night.
- ________________________________________________________ most days.
Ex. 2.4.6 Writing Complete the table with adverbs of frequency and percentages: