Frequency Adverbs

FREQUENCY ADVERBS
With the present simple, we often use adverbs of frequency to say ‘how often’ we do something.
Frequency Adverbs come AFTER a BE verb.
BE Verb
(am, is, are, was, were, etc.) I am always a good student.
My brother is usually late to school.
Jenny and Susan are often in the library after class
Frequency Adverbs come BEFORE other verbs.
Other Verbs
(play, do, study, work, etc.)
I always help the other students.
My brother usually comes late to school.
Jenny and Susan often study in the library after class.
Always 100% of the time
Frequently – Almost always – Generally 90% of the time
Usually – Regularly – Normally 80% of the time
Often 70% of the time
Sometimes 50% of the time
Occasionally 40% of the time
Seldom 20% of the time We can also put

them at the very
Rarely - Almost never – Hardly ever 10% of the time beginning or end of
the sentence. This
Never 00% of the time makes them
stronger:
• Often I go to the cinema. or I go to the cinema often.

• NEVER : I go often to the cinema.
If you want to ask for the frequency of an activity you have to use the expression: HOW OFTEN.
Ex: How often DO you have English classes? How often DOES she study?
TIME EXPRESSIONS
Here are some other expressions we can use to say ‘how often’. All of these longer phrases go at the end of the
sentence or at the beginning if you want to be emphatic but not in the middle.
• once in a while: I go to the cinema once in a while.

• every now and again: She drinks wine every now and again.
• from time to time: From time to time I visit my mother.
To say how often something happens, you can use a number or ‘several’ or ‘many’, followed by ‘times’.( If the
number is one, use ‘once’ instead of ‘one time’. If the number is two use ‘twice’ instead of ‘two times’) Then add
‘a’ and a period of time:
• I go to the cinema twice a week.

• She takes these tablets three times a day.
• I meet him several times a year.
• I visit my parents once a month.
Remember:
A week
Once
A month
Twice
Three / four / five …. times An hour
A day
We can also use the expressions “every” or “last” or “next”

A year, etc. + period of time:
Week Month
Hour
Every
Day
Last
Monday
Next
Summer, etc
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
The position of these expression is at the end of the sentence: “I have English classes on Fridays”
December, January
A minute, an hour
IN
Summer, spring
2021, 2008
In the morning/in the evening/in the afternoon
Night,
The midnight,
morning, middayevening
afternoon,
AT Lunchtime,
2016, 1995 teatime
At 10:00
09:00, 12:00
ON Monday, Tuesday
On October 12th
DURING The week
OVER The weekend
A day of the week with ‘s’ at the end, for example ‘on Tuesdays’ means the same as ‘every Tuesday’:
I take a dance class on Wednesdays. I relax on Saturdays.

EXERCISES TO PRACTICE
1) He listens to the radio. (often) ………………………………………………………..

2) They read a book. (sometimes) ………………………………………………………..
3) Pete gets angry. (never) ………………………………………………………..
4) Tom is very friendly. (usually) ………………………………………………………..
5) I take sugar in my coffee. (sometimes) ………………………………………………………..
6) Ramon and Frank are hungry. (often) ………………………………………………………..
7) My grandmother goes for a walk in the evening. (always) ……………………………………..
8) Walter helps his father in the kitchen. (usually) ……………………………………………….
9) They watch TV in the afternoon. (never) ………………………………………………………..
10) Christine smokes. (never) ………………………………………………………..
CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE

1 Carlos is an excellent student. He _________ goes to class.
a. always b. usually c. sometimes d. seldom e. never
2 I hate vegetables. I _________ eat carrots.

a. always b. usually c. sometimes d. seldom e. never
3 Robert goes to the gym only two or three times a year. He ________ goes to the gym always.
a. never b. usually c. seldom
4 Harold never leaves the college on Friday. He ________ eats at the cafeteria on Fridays.
a. always b. never c. seldom
5 Ms. Biethan is always in a good mood. She is _________ sad.

a. always b. usually c. never
6 Teresa is not a pleasant person. She is ___________ in a bad mood.

a. never b. seldom c. always
7 My sister usually drives to work with a friend. She _________ drives alone.
a. never b. always c. usually d. seldom
8 I never lend money to Curtis. He ______ pays me back.

a. sometimes b. always c. never d. usually
9 Susan goes to the beach whenever she can. She _______ misses a chance to go to the ocean.
a. never b. always c. usually
10 It almost always rains in Seattle. The sun ________ shines there.

a. always b. usually c. seldom
FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPIATE PREPOSITION (IN-ON-AT)
1. Can you come __________ Monday ?

2. It rains a lot ____________ winter.
3. My birthday is ____________ the 6th of May.
4. I usually get up ____________ half past eight.
5. I will meet her _____________ two months.
6. We usually have lunch ___________ one.
7. We've got English __________ Thursday.
8. My grandfather died __________ 1987.
9. Paul isn't here __________ the moment.
10. I'll be back __________ ten minutes.
11. I'm going to Italy __________ a week.
12. Come and see us __________ Christmas Day.

Frequency Adverbs

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FREQUENCY ADVERBS

Frequency Adverbs come AFTER a BE verb.

Frequency Adverbs come BEFORE other verbs.

Always 100% of the time

Frequently – Almost always – Generally 90% of the time

Usually – Regularly – Normally 80% of the time

Often 70% of the time

Sometimes 50% of the time

Occasionally 40% of the time

Seldom 20% of the time We can also put

• Often I go to the cinema. or I go to the cinema often.

• once in a while: I go to the cinema once in a while.

• I go to the cinema twice a week.

Three / four / five …. times An hour

We can also use the expressions “every” or “last” or “next”

In the morning/in the evening/in the afternoon

DURING The week

OVER The weekend

I take a dance class on Wednesdays. I relax on Saturdays.

1) He listens to the radio. (often) ………………………………………………………..

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ALTERNATIVE

2 I hate vegetables. I _________ eat carrots.

5 Ms. Biethan is always in a good mood. She is _________ sad.

6 Teresa is not a pleasant person. She is ___________ in a bad mood.

8 I never lend money to Curtis. He ______ pays me back.

10 It almost always rains in Seattle. The sun ________ shines there.

FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPIATE PREPOSITION (IN-ON-AT)

1. Can you come __________ Monday ?

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