The Ultimate Guide to Adverbs of Frequency in English

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Adverbs of frequency describe how much we do an activity.[1]https://www.grammar.cl/Basic/Adverbs_Frequency.htm

Adverbs of Indefinite Frequency

adverbs of frequency

Adverbs of indefinite frequency help describe how much we do something but doesn’t define the exact amount of time.

  • I always
    work out in the morning.
  • I usually
    drink coffee in the morning.
  • She normally
    eats with us.
  • I generally
    do well in school.
  • I often
    eat at this restaurant.
  • I frequently
    visit my parents.
  • I sometimes
    read books.
  • I occasionally
    go to the beach.
  • I seldom
    eat vegetables.
  • I hardly
    ever     drive.
  • I rarely fly
    on planes.
  • I never
    lie to my friends.

Adverb Position

There are two main positions for adverbs in a sentence.

Subject + adverb + verb

For example:

  • I always
    fasten my seatbelt in the car.
  • I sometimes
    sing while cleaning the house.
  • She hardly
    visits me.

Subject + be + adverb

For example:

  • She is never
    happy.
  • They are always
    on time.
  • He is sometimes
    funny.

At the beginning of a sentence

There are some adverbs of frequency that you can use at the beginning of a sentence with a comma.

For example:

  • Occasionally,
    I go to the park.
  • Normally,
    I don’t study for exams.

However, you can’t use the following adverbs of frequency at the beginning of a sentence:

  • Always
  • Ever
  • Hardly
  • Never
  • Rarely
  • Seldom

Adverbs of Definite Frequency

Adverbs of definite frequency allow us to be more specific when talking about frequency.

Number

Number + Times + a + Time Period

For example:

  • Once a day
  • Twice a day
  • Three times a day
  • Four times a day
  • Five times a week
  • Six times a month
  • Seven times a year

Time Period

For example:

  • Daily
  • Weekly
  • Monthly
  • Annually

Every

Every + Number + Time Period

For example:

  • Every two days
  • Every three days
  • Every four days
  • Every five weeks
  • Every six months
  • Every seven years

Every + Time Period

  • Every day
  • Every week
  • Every month
  • Every year
  • Every decade

Practice Exercises

 20%

Question 1 of 5

1. I ______ get up early in the morning because I like to wake up early.

Question 1 of 5

Question 2 of 5

2. He rarely fails exams. He ______ gets good grades.

Question 2 of 5

Question 3 of 5

3. I only was late to work once this year. I am ______ late.

Question 3 of 5

Question 4 of 5

4. I always brush my teeth. I ______ forget to do it.

Question 4 of 5

Question 5 of 5

5. I am never sad. I am ______ happy.

Question 5 of 5


 

Conclusion

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References[+]