Adverbs of Frequency: How Often Do You Do Things?
⏱ 5 Minutes · A2
📖 From Experience
When a French customer at the Ivy asked me how often I worked nights, I said ‘I work night always.’ The look on her face told me something was wrong. The correct order is: subject → adverb → verb. ‘I always work nights.’ A tiny shift that makes a big difference.
📚 Adverbs of Frequency + Position
Order from most to least frequent:
always (100%) → usually → often → sometimes → rarely → hardly ever → never (0%)
Position: before the main verb but AFTER the verb to be
- She always arrives early. [before main verb]
- He is never late. [after be]
✅ Examples
- I usually wake up at 6am.
- We rarely get complaints — the team is excellent.
- She is often the last to leave.
✏️ Your Turn
Put the adverb in the right position:
- I eat breakfast. (always)
- She is tired in the morning. (hardly ever)
- They are late for meetings. (sometimes)
- He drinks coffee. (never)
💡 Check Answers
- I always eat breakfast.
- She is hardly ever tired in the morning.
- They are sometimes late for meetings.
- He never drinks coffee.
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