What are adverbs of frequency?
These are ways of describing verbs and how often or how infrequently an action happens. Here are some of the basic adverbs of frequency that are commonly used in everyday English. The percentages of frequency are included alongside.
- Never (0%) They never miss the bus.
- Usually (80-90%) She usually drives to work.
- Sometimes (50%) I sometimes meet my friends on Fridays.
- Often (70-80%) They often go to the park on Sundays.
- Always (100%) I always eat breakfast at 9.00am
- Rarely (10-20%) She rarely visits her grandparents.
- Hardly ever (5%) We hardly ever eat spicy food.
What are the rules?
Adverbs of frequency come after the verb be. For example:
Traffic is never a problem except in the Summer when all the tourists arrive.
Adverbs of frequency come before other verbs. For example:
She sometimes has her lunch in the restaurant.
How can we use them?
In affirmative sentences such as:
Do you go to the cinema often?
Yes, I usually go on Saturdays.
Do you play football?
Yes, I often play football.
Do you visit your grandparents?
Yes, I sometimes visit them at the weekend.
In negative sentences such as:
Do you drink coffee?
No, I never drink coffee.
It’s important to learn these adverbs of frequency because they can help you talk about your daily routine and habits.