Adverbs of frequency | Everyday English

1. Overview

2. The frequency scale

These adverbs show how often something happens. The scale is approximate: the exact meaning depends on the context.

Adverb	Approximate meaning	Example
always	siempre, el 100% de las veces	I always check my email in the morning.
usually	usually, most of the time	She usually walks to work.
often	a menudo	We often have dinner together.
sometimes	a veces	They sometimes go out on Fridays.
occasionally	ocasionalmente	I occasionally work at the weekend.
rarely / seldom	raramente	He rarely watches television.
hardly ever	casi nunca	I hardly ever eat fast food.
never	nunca, el 0% de las veces	She never drinks coffee.

Often, sometimes and occasionally can appear in more than one position in a sentence, especially at the beginning or end:

Sometimes I take the bus.
I sometimes take the bus.
I take the bus sometimes.

3. Position with ordinary verbs

With most verbs, the adverb is placed before the main verb:

I usually get up at seven.
She often visits her grandparents.
They sometimes play tennis after work.
He rarely cooks at home.

With never and hardly ever, do not add another negative:

I never watch reality shows.
She hardly ever arrives late.

Do not say:

I don’t never watch reality shows.
She doesn’t hardly ever arrive late.

4. Position with be

When the main verb is be, the adverb is placed after be:

I am usually tired after work.
He is often late for class.
We are sometimes noisy.
They are never rude to visitors.

In contracted forms, the adverb remains after be:

She’s usually at home on Sundays.
We aren’t often hungry in the morning.

5. Position with auxiliaries, modals and two verbs

When there is an auxiliary, a modal or two verbs, the adverb is usually placed after the first verb and before the main verb:

I can usually finish by six.
She doesn’t often complain.
We have never seen that film.
He is always asking difficult questions.
They will probably arrive late.

With have got, the adverb is normally placed after have:

I usually have got enough time.

However, in everyday English, it is more natural to use usually have when talking about habitual possession:

I usually have enough time.

6. Questions and longer frequency expressions

To ask about frequency, use How often…?:

How often do you exercise?
How often does she call her parents?
How often are they late?

The answer can include an adverb or a frequency expression:

I usually exercise in the evening.
She calls her parents twice a week.
They are rarely late.

Common frequency expressions

Expression	Example
every day / every week	I read every day.
once a week	We have a meeting once a week.
twice a month	She visits us twice a month.
three times a year	They travel three times a year.
from time to time	I work from home from time to time.
every other day	He goes running every other day.
at weekends / on weekends	We usually relax at weekends.

With expressions such as every day, once a week and twice a month, the expression is usually placed at the end of the sentence:

I go swimming twice a week.
She studies English every evening.

7. Common mistakes

Incorrect	Correct
I go always by bus.	I always go by bus.
She is usually go to bed early.	She usually goes to bed early.
They are often arrive late.	They often arrive late.
He never doesn’t cook.	He never cooks.
I visit my parents everydays.	I visit my parents every day.
I go to the cinema two times week.	I go to the cinema twice a week.

Every day means “each day” and works as a frequency expression. Everyday is an adjective and means “ordinary” or “used every day”:

I walk to work every day.
These are my everyday shoes.

8. Exercises

1. Listen and answer the questions

Listen to the audio and answer the questions.

My name is Aldric, and I keep an inn beside the old road to York. Travellers always arrive before sunset because the forest is dangerous at night. I usually serve stew, bread and ale in the evening, and I often hear strange stories from merchants, soldiers and pilgrims. Sometimes a knight stays at the inn, but noble guests are rare.

I rarely close before midnight because someone is usually still eating, drinking or talking by the fire. I hardly ever sleep well when the inn is full, and I never leave the front door open after dark. On quiet mornings, I sometimes sit outside and watch the road. Life at the inn is often tiring, but it is never boring.

Answers

Where is Aldric’s inn?
Why do travellers always arrive before sunset?
What does Aldric usually serve in the evening?
Who does he often hear stories from?
Who sometimes stays at the inn?
Why does Aldric rarely close before midnight?
When does he hardly ever sleep well?
What does he never do after dark?
What does he sometimes do on quiet mornings?
Is life at the inn boring?

2. Put the adverb in the correct position

Put the adverb in brackets in the most natural position.

Answers

I drink tea in the morning. (usually)
She is late for work. (never)
We eat at that restaurant. (occasionally)
My brother can help us. (often)
They have seen a whale. (never)
He watches the news before bed. (hardly ever)

3. Choose the correct option

Answers

My parents (usually live / live usually) in the city.
Tom (is often / often is) very quiet in the morning.
We (sometimes go / go sometimes) to the beach in winter.
She (can always / always can) find a solution.
I (have never / never have) tried sushi.
They (rarely are / are rarely) at home on Saturdays.

4. Correct the mistake

Correct the mistake in each sentence.

Answers

I go always to the gym on Mondays.
She is late never.
We don’t never eat meat.
He watches hardly ever films.
I see my cousins two times a month.
These are my every day clothes.

5. Build the sentence

Put the words in order to make correct sentences.

Answers

usually / breakfast / I / have / at seven
never / is / our teacher / angry
once a month / visit / we / our grandparents
often / can / you / find / cheap tickets / online
hardly ever / watches / television / my sister

6. Make it personal

Write true answers about your routine. Use an adverb or frequency expression in each answer.

Example answers

How often do you exercise?
How often do you cook?
How often do you see your friends?
How often are you tired in the morning?
What do you hardly ever do?
What do you always do before going to bed?

7. Listen and answer the questions

Listen to the audio and answer the questions.

Marie Curie usually spends long hours in the laboratory. She often arrives early in the morning and sometimes stays until late at night. She always takes careful notes because every experiment is important. Her work is difficult, and she rarely has an easy day. She hardly ever stops thinking about her research, even when she is at home. Marie sometimes works with her husband, Pierre, and they often discuss their experiments together. She never gives up when an experiment fails. For Marie, scientific discovery is usually slow, but it is always worth the effort.

Answers

Where does Marie Curie usually spend long hours?
When does she often arrive at the laboratory?
How late does she sometimes stay?
Why does she always take careful notes?
How often does she have an easy day?
Does she stop thinking about her research when she is at home?
Who does Marie sometimes work with?
What do Marie and Pierre often discuss?
What does Marie never do when an experiment fails?
How does Marie see scientific discovery?

She usually spends long hours in the laboratory.
She often arrives early in the morning.
She sometimes stays until late at night.
Because every experiment is important.
She rarely has an easy day.
No. She hardly ever stops thinking about her research.
She sometimes works with her husband, Pierre.
They often discuss their experiments.
She never gives up.
She sees it as usually slow, but always worth the effort.

1. Overview

2. The frequency scale

3. Position with ordinary verbs

4. Position with be

5. Position with auxiliaries, modals and two verbs

6. Questions and longer frequency expressions

Common frequency expressions

7. Common mistakes

8. Exercises

1. Listen and answer the questions

2. Put the adverb in the correct position

3. Choose the correct option

4. Correct the mistake

5. Build the sentence

6. Make it personal

7. Listen and answer the questions

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