Adverbs of Frequency (A2)

1. What you already know

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens.
From most often to least often:

• always
• usually
• often
• sometimes
• rarely / hardly ever
• never

You also know the basic position rules:

With be: in statements, put the adverb after be ("He is always friendly."). In questions, put it after the subject ("Are you often tired after work?").
With other verbs → put the adverb before the main verb. ("She usually drinks coffee.")

In this lesson, you’ll practise the same position rules, but you’ll add extra information (time/place/reason) to make longer sentences.

Now, let’s look at more natural and flexible uses in longer sentences.

2. Frequency adverbs in longer sentences

We often use frequency adverbs together with extra information such as:

• time
• place
• reason
• opinions
• routines

The position of the adverb usually stays the same.

Examples

"I usually have breakfast at home before I go to work."

"She rarely goes to the cinema because she is busy."

"We often eat at that restaurant on Friday evenings."

"My brother sometimes studies in the library after school."

"They hardly ever travel in winter because flights are expensive."

These extra details (time/place/reason) help you make longer, more natural sentences.

3. Frequency adverbs with different verb types

3.1 With the verb “be”

Put the adverb after be.

"He is always polite."

"They are usually tired after work."

"I am rarely late for class."

3.2 With other verbs

Put the adverb before the main verb.

"She often visits her grandparents."

"We sometimes order food online."

"He never checks his email in the evening."

3.3 With auxiliary and modal verbs

Put the adverb after the first helping verb (can/has/is/don’t) and before the main verb.

"I can usually come on Fridays."

"She has always enjoyed music."

"They have never been to London."

"We don’t often eat out during the week."

"He is always complaining about the weather."

• With don’t/doesn’t, the adverb usually comes after don’t/doesn’t: "We don’t often eat out." (Different meaning: "We often don’t eat out" = often we choose not to.)

4. Contrastive placement and meaning

Sometimes the position of the adverb changes slightly depending on what the speaker wants to emphasise.

Middle position (most common)

"I usually walk to work."
This is the normal, neutral structure.

Beginning of the sentence

"Sometimes, I walk to work." = "Not always—only on some days."

"Usually, we stay home on Sundays." = "This is our normal routine."

Beginning position adds emphasis or contrast (for example, when you are changing topic or comparing routines).

End position

"I go to the gym sometimes."

"We eat out often."

End position is mainly used with sometimes/often/usually. We don’t normally put always/never at the end ("I go always" / "I go never").

5. Frequency + time and place expressions

Examples

"I usually study English in the evening."

"She often works from a café near her office."

"They sometimes play football after school."

"We rarely go to restaurants during the week."

"He always checks his phone before bed."

Notice that the frequency adverb usually comes before the main verb, while time and place information often comes later in the sentence.

6. Negative meaning and double negatives

Some adverbs already have a negative meaning:

• never
• hardly ever
• rarely

Do not use another negative word with them.

Incorrect

"I don’t never eat chocolate."

"She doesn’t hardly ever go out."

Correct

"I never eat chocolate."

"She hardly ever goes out."

"We rarely watch television during the day."

7. Questions about frequency

7.1 “How often…?” questions

We use How often…? to ask about habits and routines.

"How often do you exercise?"

"How often does she call her parents?"

Answers

"I usually exercise after work."

"She rarely calls during the week."

"We sometimes meet for coffee on Saturdays."

7.2 Yes/No questions

In questions with do/does, the adverb goes after do/does and before the main verb.

Structure

Do/Does → subject → adverb → main verb → …?

**Examples

"Do you often play football?"

"Does she usually cook dinner?"

"Do they sometimes work late?"

8. Using frequency adverbs in short texts

Example 1

"Maria usually takes the bus to work, but she sometimes walks when the weather is nice. She rarely drives because parking in the city is expensive."

Example 2

"My friends and I often meet at a café after class. We usually stay there for an hour, but we sometimes stay longer on Fridays."