eng7-1.4· Unit 1: Tenses — Present & Past· ~12 min

Adverbs of Frequency & Time Expressions

always, usually, often… and word order.

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. The most common ones, from the most often to the least often, are: always (100%), usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never (0%). The most important thing to learn is their position in the sentence: an adverb of frequency goes before the main verb (She always walks to school) but after the verb 'be' (She is always late). We usually use these adverbs with the present simple tense, because they describe habits and routines. English also has time expressions such as every day, every week, once a week, twice a month and on Mondays, and these usually go at the end of the sentence (I play football twice a week). Notice the difference: short adverbs of frequency go in the middle of the sentence, while longer time expressions go at the end. For example: 'He never drinks coffee, but he sometimes drinks tea in the morning.'

Key terms

Adverb of frequency — A word that tells how often something happens, such as always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never. We usually use them with the present simple to describe habits and routines.
always — The frequency adverb meaning 'every time, 100% of the time': I always do my homework.
never — The frequency adverb meaning 'at no time, 0% of the time'. It is already negative, so the verb stays positive: I never eat fish (NOT I don't never eat fish).
Time expression — A longer phrase that tells how often or when, such as every day, every week, once a week, twice a month and on Mondays. It usually goes at the end of the sentence.
Position (word-order) rule — A frequency adverb goes BEFORE the main verb (She always walks) but AFTER the verb 'be' (She is always late).
Double negative error — A mistake made by using two negatives together, such as 'don't' or 'not' with 'never' or 'rarely'. Use only one: I never eat fish, not 'I don't never eat fish'.
Frequency adverbs: from most often to least often
AdverbFrequency (%)Example
always100%I always brush my teeth before bed.
usuallyabout 90%I usually have breakfast at seven o'clock.
oftenabout 70%She often listens to music.
sometimesabout 50%We sometimes go for a walk after dinner.
rarelyabout 10%My sister is rarely angry.
never0%She never eats meat.
Where to put the adverb or time expression
TypePositionExample
Frequency adverb with a main verbBefore the main verbI always do my homework.
Frequency adverb with 'be'After am / is / areShe is never late.
Time expression (every day, once a week, on Sundays)At the end of the sentenceI play football twice a week.
✎Place the adverb with a main verb (before the verb)
  1. 1Sentence: She ___ listens to music. (often)
  2. 2Find the verb: The main verb is 'listens'. There is no form of 'be' in this sentence.
  3. 3Apply the rule: A frequency adverb goes BEFORE the main verb, so 'often' comes before 'listens'.
  4. 4Answer: She often listens to music.
✎Place the adverb with 'be' (after the verb)
  1. 1Sentence: She ___ late for school. (never)
  2. 2Find the verb: The verb is 'is', a form of 'be'.
  3. 3Apply the rule: With 'be' the adverb goes AFTER the verb, so 'never' comes after 'is'.
  4. 4Answer: She is never late for school.
🚫Common mistake

With the verb 'be' (am/is/are), put the adverb AFTER it, not before: say 'She is never late', not 'She never is late'.

🚫Common mistake

With a main verb, put the adverb BEFORE it: say 'I always do my homework', not 'I do always my homework'.

🚫Common mistake

Do not add 'am/is/are' or 'do/does' before a main verb just to fit the adverb: say 'often listens' (NOT 'is often listens'), 'sometimes watch' (NOT 'are sometimes watch').

⚠️Caution

'Never' and 'rarely' are already negative, so keep the verb positive. Say 'I never drink coffee' — using 'don't' or 'not' as well ('I don't never drink coffee') makes a double negative.

Rules

  1. 1Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never) go BEFORE the main verb: I always do my homework.
  2. 2With the verb 'be' the adverb goes AFTER it: She is never late; They are usually busy.
  3. 3These adverbs are normally used with the present simple to talk about habits and routines.
  4. 4Never make the verb negative with 'never' or 'rarely': say 'I never eat fish' (NOT 'I don't never eat fish').
  5. 5Time expressions (every day, once a week, twice a month, on Sundays) usually go at the END of the sentence.

Practice

10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard

10 random questions per test

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