eng5-3.3· Unit 3: Daily Routines· ~13 min

Adverbs of frequency

always, usually, often, sometimes, never.

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. In English we use five main ones: always (100% of the time), usually (about 80%), often (about 60%), sometimes (about 40%), and never (0%). The most important grammar rule is where to put them in a sentence. When the verb is be (am, is, are), the adverb comes AFTER be — for example, 'He is always happy.' When the verb is any other verb (a main verb like walk, eat, play), the adverb comes BEFORE that verb — for example, 'She usually walks to school.' In questions and negatives with do/does, the adverb still goes before the main verb: 'They do not often play football.' It is a very common mistake to put the adverb after a main verb — never say 'She walks always to school.' Remember the order from most to least frequent: always → usually → often → sometimes → never. For example: 'I sometimes eat breakfast at seven o'clock, but I never eat lunch in class.'

Key terms

adverb of frequency — A word that tells you how often something happens (e.g., always, usually, often, sometimes, never).
always — An adverb of frequency meaning 100% of the time — it happens every time, without exception.
never — An adverb of frequency meaning 0% of the time — it does not happen at all.
verb be — The verb am / is / are. Adverbs of frequency go AFTER 'be': 'She is always happy.'
main verb — Any verb that is not 'be' (e.g., eat, play, walk). Adverbs of frequency go BEFORE a main verb: 'He usually eats breakfast.'
Frequency Scale
AdverbHow often?Example sentence
always100% — every timeI always brush my teeth.
usually~80% — most of the timeShe usually walks to school.
often~60% — many timesWe often play football.
sometimes~40% — some of the timeHe sometimes eats fish.
never0% — not at allThey never wake up late.

Learn the order from top (most frequent) to bottom (least frequent).

Where to put the adverb
Verb typeAdverb positionCorrect exampleWrong example
be (am / is / are)AFTER beShe is always tired.She always is tired.
main verb (eat, play, walk …)BEFORE the main verbHe usually eats lunch.He eats usually lunch.
negative with do/doesBEFORE the main verbShe does not often walk.She often does not walk.

Remember: 'be' → adverb comes after; any other verb → adverb comes before.

Quick check: be or main verb?
SentenceVerb in sentenceVerb typeCorrect adverb position
He ___ is happy.isbeHe is always happy. (after 'is')
I ___ eat breakfast.eatmain verbI always eat breakfast. (before 'eat')
They ___ are tired.arebeThey are never tired. (after 'are')
We ___ play tennis.playmain verbWe sometimes play tennis. (before 'play')

First identify the verb type, then place the adverb correctly.

✎Build a correct sentence with 'be'
  1. 1Step 1: Write the subject and 'be': My brother is …
  2. 2Step 2: Add the adverb AFTER 'be': My brother is always …
  3. 3Step 3: Add the adjective or rest of the sentence: My brother is always tired after school.
  4. 4Check: Adverb 'always' comes right after 'is'. Correct!
✎Build a correct sentence with a main verb
  1. 1Step 1: Write the subject: Leyla …
  2. 2Step 2: Add the adverb BEFORE the main verb: Leyla often …
  3. 3Step 3: Add the main verb and the rest: Leyla often goes to the library.
  4. 4Check: Adverb 'often' is before 'goes'. Correct! NOT 'Leyla goes often to the library.'
🚫Common mistake

Do NOT put the adverb BEFORE 'be'. Wrong: 'She always is happy.' Correct: 'She is always happy.' The adverb comes AFTER am / is / are.

🚫Common mistake

Do NOT put the adverb AFTER a main verb. Wrong: 'He drinks always water.' Correct: 'He always drinks water.' The adverb goes BEFORE eat, play, walk, etc.

💡Note

Only use ONE adverb of frequency in a sentence. Do not write 'usually and always' or 'sometimes always' — choose just one.

⚠️Caution

Do not confuse 'often' and 'usually'. 'Usually' (~80%) is more frequent than 'often' (~60%). If something happens most of the time (e.g., 4 out of 5 days), use 'usually'. If it happens many times but not most of the time, use 'often'.

Rules

  1. 1Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, never) show how often something happens.
  2. 2Frequency order from most to least: always (100%) → usually → often → sometimes → never (0%).
  3. 3Place the adverb AFTER the verb be: 'She is always late.' / 'They are never tired.'
  4. 4Place the adverb BEFORE any other main verb: 'He usually eats breakfast.' / 'I sometimes play football.'
  5. 5In negative sentences the adverb still comes before the main verb: 'She does not often walk to school.'

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

10 random questions per test

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