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Unit 16
Adverbs of Frequency
always, usually, never...
What are Adverbs of Frequency?
Adverbs of frequency describe how often we do something. They answer the question How often? and are most commonly used with the Present Simple tense.
The Frequency Scale
| Adverb | Frequency | Example |
|---|---|---|
| always | 100% | I always wake up early. |
| usually | ~90% | She usually walks to work. |
| often | ~70% | We often go out at weekends. |
| sometimes | ~50% | He sometimes works late. |
| occasionally | ~30% | I occasionally eat fast food. |
| rarely / seldom | ~10% | They rarely travel abroad. |
| never | 0% | She never drinks alcohol. |
Position Rules
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Before the main verb | I always eat breakfast. |
| After the verb "be" | He is always late. / She is never rude. |
| After auxiliary verbs | She has never been to Japan. / You should always check. |
Frequency Expressions — At the Start or End
Longer frequency expressions (once a week, every day, etc.) usually go at the beginning or end of a sentence.
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| once a week | I go swimming once a week. |
| twice a month | She calls her parents twice a month. |
| three times a year | We travel abroad three times a year. |
| every day / week / month / year | He reads every day. |
| from time to time | I go hiking from time to time. |
| every other day | She jogs every other day. |
How Often? — Questions
Use How often...? to ask about frequency.
| Question | Example answer |
|---|---|
| How often do you go to the gym? | I usually go three times a week. |
| How often does she cook at home? | She rarely cooks — she prefers eating out. |
| How often do they travel? | They travel twice a year. |
Negatives, Questions and Ever
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Negative: auxiliary + not + adverb | I don't usually eat breakfast. · She isn't often late. |
| Question: auxiliary + subject + adverb + verb | Do you usually walk to work? |
| ever in questions (= at any time) | Do you ever eat fast food? — No, never. |
| hardly ever (= almost never) | We hardly ever go to the cinema. |
| Never already negative | I never drink coffee. (not |
| Sometimes / usually / often can also start a sentence | Sometimes I work from home. |
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectSheadverbalwaysverbchecksobjecther phoneadverbin the morning.
↳ "Always" before the main verb.
subjectHeverbisadverbneveradverbon time.
↳ "Never" after the verb "be".
subjectIverbgoverbswimmingadverbthree timesadverba week.
↳ Frequency expression at the end.
Common Mistakes
He always is late.
→
He is always late.
After "be" verb → adverb comes AFTER it.
We go always to the park.
→
We always go to the park.
Before the main verb, not after it.
I go to gym every days.
→
I go to the gym every day.
"Every day" = singular. "The gym" needs "the".
She never is happy.
→
She is never happy.
"Never" comes after "be": She is never happy.
I go sometimes to the cinema.
→
I sometimes go to the cinema.
"Sometimes" goes before the main verb.
I don't never eat meat.
→
I never eat meat.
"Never" is already negative — don't add "don't".
Do you never go to the theatre? (neutral question)
→
Do you ever go to the theatre?
Neutral questions use "ever".
I usually don't eat breakfast. (most natural?)
→
I don't usually eat breakfast.
Both are possible, but "don't usually" is more common.