Adverbs of frequency

 

‘Never’, ‘hardly ever’, ‘sometimes’, ‘often’, ‘usually‘ and ‘always’ are adverbs of frequency.  We use them with the present simple to say how often we do something:

 

never – hardly ever – sometimes – often – usually – always

_____________________________

0%                                    100%

 

• I always get up at 7.00 am.
• I usually make toast and coffee for breakfast. 
• I often have two cups of coffee.
• I sometimes drive to work. 
• I hardly ever ride my bike to work.
• I never walk!

 

Present Simple – Most Verbs

 

Most of the time, these adverbs come before the verb:

• I always get up at 7.00 am.

(NOT: I get up always at 7.00 am.)

• I sometimes drive to work.  

(NOT: I drive sometimes to work.)

 

With negatives, they come after the auxiliary verb:

• I don’t usually ride my bike to work.

 

With questions, the word order is:

• What do you usually make for breakfast?
• How do you usually get to work?

 

Present Simple – ‘To be’

• It is sometimes cold at 7.00 am.
• I am usually a bit sleepy in the morning.
• I am never late for work.

 

The word order is different with ‘to be’:

• It is sometimes cold at 7.00 am.

(NOT: It sometimes is cold at 7.00 am.)

• I am never late for work.

(NOT: I never am late for work.)

 

With negatives, we can say:

• I’m not usually very awake in the morning.

 

With questions, we can say:

• Is it usually cold in the morning?
• Are you sometimes late for work?