2-2 USING FREQUENCY ADVERBS: ALWAYS, USUALLY, OFTEN, SOMETIMES, SELDOM, RARELY, NEVER

 

CHAPTER 2

Expressing Present Time (Part 1)

 

2-2 USING FREQUENCY ADVERBS: ALWAYS, USUALLY, OFTEN, SOMETIMES, SELDOM, RARELY, NEVER

 

Frequency:

·         Always                 : 100%

·         Usually                 : 99% - 90%

·         Often                    : 90% - 75%

·         Sometimes            : 75% - 25%

·         Seldom                 : 25% - 10%

·         Rarely                   : 10% - 1%

·         Never                   : 0%

 

SUBJECT                       +      FREQUENCY ADVERB           +    SIMPLE PRESENT VERB
(a) Bob	always	comes to class.
(b) Mary	usually	comes to class.
(c) We	often	watch TV at night.
(d) I	sometimes	drink tea with dinner.
(e) They	seldom	go to the movies.
(f) Anna	rarely	makes a mistake.
(g) I	never	eat paper.

 

Always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely and never are called “frequency adverbs”. They come between the subject and the simple present verb.*

         

   * Some frequency adverbs can also come at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.      For example:

       Sometimes I got up at seven.   I sometimes got up at seven.    I get up a seven sometimes.

       Also: See Chart 2-3 for the use of frequency adverbs with be.

 

Exercise:

Find the SUBJECTS and VERBS in the sentence. Then add the FREQUENCY ADVERBS in italics to the sentences.

1. always	I eat breakfast.	I always eat breakfast.
2. usually	I get up at 7:00 am.
3. often	I eat 2 breads in the morning.
4. never	I eat carrots for breakfast.
5. seldom	I watch TV in the morning.
6. sometimes	I have tea with dinner.
7. rarely	Ann drinks tea.