Hi, in today’s lesson you will learn all about adverbs of frequency.
What are they?
Well, an adverb of frequency tells you how often something happens
or how many times you do an activity.
So, let’s look at some adverbs of frequency in more detail.
So, first up, always …. means something happens every time.
Slightly less frequency is most days, nearly always, usually, or often.
Then less frequency is sometimes, every now and then and occasionally,
Even less frequency would be hardly ever and rarely
and finally never which means it doesn’t ever happen.
There are some expressions that work like adverbs of frequency
such as: once a day, once a week, once a month or once a year.
Or twice a day, three times a day.
You get it.
Or: Once in a while, from time to time,
every now and again or most of the time.
So where do adverbs of frequency go in a sentence?
The expressions we have just seen either go at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
For example,
Every now and again, I will order a pizza to be delivered to my house.
Or
I go running twice a week.
However, we normally put adverbs of frequency in the mid-position before a single word verb.
So between the subject and the verb.
For example, I usually travel by train.
I is the subject, travel is the single-word verb.
and the adverb of frequency goes in between.
and not I travel usually by train.
This is incorrect.
But after the verb to be for example AFTER am/is/ are/ was and were.
We put the adverb of frequency after the verb to be.
So you would say, I am often late.
So the adverb of frequency goes after the verb to be.
If the verb has 2 or more parts, the adverb of frequency usually goes after the first part,
the auxiliary.
For example:
I have never been to this part of town before.
Never is the adverb of frequency and goes after the auxiliary have
and before the past participle been.
Or, Clare doesn’t often eat meat.
Here the adverb of frequency is often and it goes between the auxiliary doesn’t and the main verb eat.
Or, I don’t always work in the morning.
Or, in questions, Do you always work in the morning?
Except for the adverb of frequency sometimes which we put before the auxiliary.
For example: I sometimes don’t work in the morning.
Here sometimes comes before the auxiliary don’t
and not in between the auxiliary and the main verb like other adverbs of frequency.
so remember sometimes is different
You don't say, I don’t sometimes work in the morning.
Also, all adverbs of frequency and in fact all adverbs go before have to.
For example: Joe never phones me. I always have to phone him.
And not I have to always phone him.
Adverbs can sometimes go in the front-position
to give special emphasis to how, when or how often something happens.
Sometimes we shop at a supermarket, but usually we go to the market.
Finally, adverbs of definite frequency,
that means an adverb that specifies how often something happens
by indicating a precise number of times or a specific point in time.
such as annually, daily and twice go in the end position.
The contract is renewed annually.
Rooms are cleaned daily.
I’ve seen the film twice.
And adverbs of indefinite frequency,
such as ever, often, and usually are put in the mid position.
So, we often have to work late,
or, it usually rains in the evening.
Or, Doesn’t he ever study?
OK so now it’s your turn:
Are the underlined words in the right position or not? Correct the sentences where necessary,
1 Harry drives always to work.
No, it should be Harry always drives to work.
Remember the adverb of frequency normally goes between the subject and the verb,
2. Jane has rarely to hurry in the morning.
No Jane rarely has to hurry in the morning.
Remember the adverb of frequency goes before have to.
3. Johnny Depp has won twice the Best Actor award.
You know what to do.
Write your answer down below and I promise to give you feedback on your answer.
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Bye, bye.