5.3: Grammar

Grammar Focus: Adverbs of Frequency 

Adverbs of frequency are used to talk about how often you do something as routines, or how often something happens.

Never         rarely          occasionally            sometimes           often               usually              always

  0%       5% - 10%        30 - 40%              40% - 50%       60% - 70%         80% - 90%          100%

• Adverbs of frequency are usually after the verb BE.

Examples:

1. He is usually early for doctor appointments.
2. Vegetables are always healthy.

•  Adverbs of frequency are usually before other verbs.

Examples:  

1. I never want to eat fast food.
2. He often gets up early for morning exercise.

• Adverbs of frequency are placed between auxiliary verbs (or helping verbs) and main verbs.

Examples: 

1. Carlos and Mary don’t usually eat at home on weekends.
2. My brother doesn’t often drink coffee at night.

• For questions, we often use “How often….?” to ask about the frequency of activities.

Examples: 

1. How often do you go swimming? – I often go swimming in the morning.
2. How often does Amanda cook? – She usually cooks on weekdays.

• The adverbs “never” and “rarely” have a negative meaning, so do not use them with “do not” or “does not” 

Examples:

1. I don’t never eat sushi. (incorrect)          I never eat sushi. (correct)                   
2. She doesn't rarely go to bed after midnight. (incorrect)          She rarely goes to bed after midnight. (correct)

Grammar Practice

Practice 1

Directions:  Complete the sentences below with the adverbs of frequency that is right for you. Use negative if possible. 

Examples:  I usually eat fish once or twice a week.     Or             I don’t often eat hamburgers for lunch.

1. I ___________________ eat ice cream for dessert.
2. I ___________________ swim in the ocean.
3. I ___________________ ride my bike in the park.
4. I ___________________ cook dinner for my family.
5. I ___________________ sleep eight hours a day.
6. I ___________________ visit my doctor for an annual checkup.
7. I ___________________ exercise at the gym.
8. I ___________________ drink coffee in the morning.
9. I ___________________ eat more vegetables than meat.
10. I ___________________ go dancing in the evening.

Practice 2

Directions:  Fill in the blanks below with the best adverbs of frequency (some sentences may have more than one correct answer).

Example:  My sister is never sad. She is always happy.

1. I was late for work one time last year. I was ___________________ late.
2. He always remembers to turn off the light before leaving the room. He ___________________ forgets to turn off the light.
3. Martin gets up at 5 a.m. five days a week. He ___________________ gets up early.
4. Judy finishes work at 8 p.m. three days a week. She ___________________ goes home late.
5. My brother eats burgers every weekend. He ___________________ eats fast food.
6. Tom failed many tests this semester. He ___________________ passed his tests.
7. It’s always hot and sunny here. I ___________________ see any snow.
8. Susan and her classmates works on a project every week. They ___________________ work together.
9. My grandmother doesn’t know how to use a computer. She ___________________ uses a computer.
10. Lan goes shopping three times a week, but she doesn’t ___________________ buy new clothes.

Practice 3

Directions:  Answer the questions below using the adverbs of frequency for each statement. 

Example:  How often do you go to the gym? – I usually go to the gym three times a week.

1. How often do you smoke?                           ___________________________________________________________________
2. How often do you eat junk food?                 ___________________________________________________________________
3. How often do you eat breakfast?                 ___________________________________________________________________
4. How often do you work out?                       ___________________________________________________________________
5. How often do you eat out on weekends?      ___________________________________________________________________
6. How often do you go dancing?                    ___________________________________________________________________
7. How often do you stay up after midnight?    ___________________________________________________________________
8. How often do you get up at 6 am?              ___________________________________________________________________
9. How often do you do the laundry?               ___________________________________________________________________
10. How often do you need to go to the dentist? ___________________________________________________________________

Practice 4

Directions: First, complete the 7 sentences below about yourself. Write 3 true sentences and 4 false sentences. Make the sentences difficult to guess. After completing your sentences, form a group of 4-5 classmates, take turns reading your sentences aloud, your classmates will guess which sentences are true and which ones are false.  

1. I always _________________________________________________________________________________
2. I usually _________________________________________________________________________________
3. I often __________________________________________________________________________________
4. I sometimes ______________________________________________________________________________
5. I occasionally _____________________________________________________________________________
6. I rarely __________________________________________________________________________________
7. I never __________________________________________________________________________________