Adverbs of frequency

Good morning, everyone! Today we are going to learn about adverbs of frequency. They are words that answer the question “ how often “. For example, when we say 'I always wake up early' or 'She never eats junk food,' the words 'always' and 'never' are telling us how often these actions happen. These adverbs help us be more specific when talking about regular activities.

Let's take a look at some common adverbs of frequency and their meanings:

1- Common Adverbs of Frequency:

Adverb	Meaning
Always	100% of the time
Usually	80-90% of the time
Frequently	70-80% of the time
Often	50-70% of the time
Sometimes	30-50% of the time
Occasionally	10-30% of the time
Rarely	5-10% of the time
Never	0% of the time

• Examples
• Jasmine always wears a hat when it’s cold.
• David usually takes the bus to work.
• We frequently go out for lunch during the week.
• Sami often goes jogging in the evening.
• We sometimes watch movies at home.
• I occasionally treat myself to a spa day.
• I rarely drink soda.
• Lily never wakes up early on weekends.

2- Position of Adverbs of Frequency:

Adverbs of frequency generally go before the main verb (except for the verb ‘to be’):

1. Subject + adverb + main verb

• Example: Alia always reads books.

2. Subject + verb ‘to be’ + adverb

• Example: Zoey and Hazal are often late to class.

3- Forming Questions with Adverbs of Frequency

To create a question with an adverb of frequency, you need to use auxiliary verbs (like do, does, or did) depending on the tense. Here’s how it works:

a) Present Simple Tense (do/does)

For the present simple tense, the auxiliary verbs do and does are used at the beginning of the question. The adverb of frequency goes after the auxiliary verb and before the main verb.

• Question Structure: Do/Does + subject + adverb of frequency + base verb?
• Examples:
• Do you always go to the gym?
• Does she usually drink coffee in the morning?
• Do they sometimes visit their grandparents?

b) Past Simple Tense (did)

this time, we use the auxiliary verb did. The adverb of frequency goes after did and before the main verb.

• Question Structure: Did + subject + adverb of frequency + base verb?
• Examples:
• Did you always read before bed as a child?
• Did he rarely call you last year?
• Did they often travel during the holidays?

c) Other Tenses (Other Auxiliary Verbs)

For other tenses, such as the present continuous, future, etc., you follow similar rules with their respective auxiliary verbs.

• Present Continuous: Are/Is/Am + subject + adverb of frequency + verb-ing?
• Example: Are they always studying at this time?

4. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Wrong word order: Don’t place the adverb of frequency at the beginning or end of the sentence unless using emphasis.
• Incorrect: "Do you go always to the gym?"
• Correct: "Do you always go to the gym?"

• Forget the auxiliary verb: In questions, remember that you need to use do/does/did for proper structure.
• Incorrect: "You always go to the gym?"
• Correct: "Do you always go to the gym?"

Tasks

Task 1: Write sentences using the following adverbs of frequency.

1. always
2. rarely
3. usually
4. sometimes
5. never

Correction of task 1:

1. I always drink coffee in the morning.
2. Romi rarely eats dessert after dinner.
3. They usually go to the park on weekends.
4. My fimaly and I sometimes have pizza for dinner.
5. Celia never goes to bed late.

Task 2: Find and correct the mistake in the following sentences.

1. She go rarely to the gym.
2. We always are happy to see you.
3. They never goes to the movies.
4. I sometimes am busy on weekends.
5. He eat usually breakfast at 7 AM.

Correction of task 2:

1. She rarely goes to the gym.
2. We are always happy to see you.
3. They never go to the movies.
4. I am sometimes busy on weekends.
5. He usually eats breakfast at 7 AM.

Task 3: Fill in the blanks with an appropriate adverb of frequency.

1. I . . . . . . . . . . visit my grandmother on Sundays. 
2. They . . . . . . . . . .  go skiing in the winter. 
3. She . . . . . . . . . .  plays tennis on weekdays. 
4. We . . . . . . . . . . eat pizza on Fridays. 
5. He . . . . . . . . . . drinks milkshakes . 

Correction of task 3:

1) I usually visit my grandmother on Sundays.

2) They sometimes go skiing in the winter.

3) She rarely plays tennis on weekdays.

4) We always eat pizza on Fridays.

5) He never drinks milkshakes.

Task 4: Write a short paragraph about your daily routine. Use at least five different adverbs of frequency in your paragraph.

Correction of task 4:

Every morning, I always wake up at 6 AM to start my day. I usually go for a 30-minute jog before having breakfast. After that, I often check my emails while drinking coffee. I sometimes read the news, depending on how much time I have. In the evening, I rarely watch TV because I prefer to spend time reading or working on personal projects.

Recapitulation of the lesson

Today we learned about adverbs of frequency. These adverbs help us explain how often something happens. We also practiced how to use them in various exercises. Now, try using these adverbs in your daily conversations to get more comfortable with them. Keep practicing and soon you’ll be using them naturally!