In this article we’re going to take a deeper look into the nature of one particular adverb and try to answer the question “Is Always and Adverb?”
An adverb is something that serves as a modifier or qualifier of another verb, noun, adjective, etc and “always” is one such adverb.
“Always” is an adverb because it adds extra information about a certain duration of a situation or action.
Example: She always does a great job.
In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘does’.
How is always an adverb?
“Always” is an adverb by virtue of the fact that it serves a purpose of delivering time-based information.
Example: We always go to the same park when we visit this town.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘go’.
When is always an adverb?
“Always” is in adverb in every context that it is used.
Example: The always beautiful Rita will join us for dinner today.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the adjective ‘beautiful’.
What type of an adverb is always?
“Always” is an adverb of time as it is used to showcase the abstract frequency of certain actions or situations.
Example: She is always the first one to call me on my birthday.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the determiner ‘the’.
Can always be an adjective?
“Always” cannot be an adjective. It only and only functions as an adverb.
Example: We always follow our family traditions no matter what.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘follow’.
Examples of always as an adverb
1. We have always been on our best behaviour in front of them.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘been’.
2. The students have always followed the school rules.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘followed’.
3. My grandfather always goes out for an evening stroll.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘goes’.
4. She has always been very accommodating with us.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘been’.
5. Finally, we get to meet the always busy friend of ours.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the adjective ‘busy’.
6. They are always the first ones to arrive.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the determiner ‘the’.
7. We have always enjoyed each other’s company.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘enjoyed’.
8. She always lovingly asks us if we ate food or not.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies another adverb ‘lovingly’.
9. Our boss has always been late for all the meetings.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘been’.
10. I have always loved all of his films.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘loved’.
11. We could ask our always grumpy uncle for some help.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the adjective ‘grumpy’.
12. I always pack an extra bag for all my trips.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘pack’.
13. He always asks for an extra plate for his little brother.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘asks’.
14. We must always be sure of directions before leaving the house.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘be’.
15. One must always make mistakes to grow in life.
- In the above given example, the word ‘always’ is quite obviously an adverb since that’s the only purpose it serves.
- It gives us additional information about the particular situation at hand in the aforementioned sentence.
- In this case, the particular adverb qualifies the verb ‘make’.
Conclusion
Thus, the answer to the question “Is Always and Adverb?” is a resounding and unmistakable “Yes”.
Asked by: Jaylan Shields
Score: 4.6/5
(10 votes)
Under any circumstances. It is always, always, always separated into two words: a lot. You will probably frequently see the word written as alot, but it’s wrong.
Which is correct alway or always?
Always means at all times; ever; perpetually; throughout all time; continually when used as an adverb. Alway is an archaic word that means all along; for all time, perpetually when used as an adverb. … Always is the correct form to use, unless you are quoting an archaic text.
What is word always?
Always is an adverb — Word Type.
What kind of a word is always?
Always is an adverb.
How do you use always in a sentence?
Always sentence example
- You’ve always taken care of us. …
- You always did have a high opinion of yourself. …
- «She always makes our clothes,» Felipa said. …
- So there was always plenty of food. …
- Our «strong ties»—family, close friends and the like—we can always count on, but they are relatively few. …
- Mom always favored Alex.
44 related questions found
What type of word is always and never?
Always and never are adverbs of frequency. The phrase all the time is a noun phrase.
What is the word always in grammar?
Always is an adverb of frequency, like never, often, frequently, and usually. In simple tenses, it usually goes after the verb «to be»: She is always on time. She was always on time. With other verbs, it usually comes just before the verb: She always runs before breakfast.
What is the full form of always?
always, ever, e’er(adverb) at all times; all the time and on every occasion.
Does always mean forever?
The English language denotes that the word forever is actually the synonym of the word always. This concludes that both words are used for the same meaning. Always and forever are both adverbs. … Forever is the synonym of the word always.
Is always singular or plural?
Re: Do we use singular or plural after the word «always»? «Always» is an adverb. It does not affect the form of the verb. The form of the verb depends on the subject, which is a noun, pronoun, nominal phrase, or nominal clause.
Is always a preposition?
While the word »always» refers to the timeliness of something, it does not function as a preposition.
What is this word Listen?
intransitive verb. 1 : to pay attention to sound listen to music. 2 : to hear something with thoughtful attention : give consideration listen to a plea. 3 : to be alert to catch an expected sound listen for his step.
What does alleyway mean?
1 : a narrow passageway. 2 : alley sense 3.
Is there such word as anyways?
Anyways is a real word and has seen use meaning «in any manner or respect» for over 800 years. … Others, however, have no doubts about the existence of a specific word. An example of this second group may be found in the people who comment on our entry for anyways. Yes, ‘anyways’ is in the dictionary.
What is the strongest word of love?
15 Words That Are Stronger Than ‘Love’ And Mean Far More
- Lust – I lust after you. …
- Adore – I adore you. …
- Treasure – I treasure time with you. …
- Intimacy – I love our emotional intimacy. …
- Trust – I trust you with my heart. …
- Ally – I am your ally in life. …
- Value – I value your company. …
- Happy – You make me happy.
Which is longer always or forever?
In other contexts there’s a difference in that always usually means continuously, at all [relevant] times, whereas forever usually means for an infinite amount of time into the future.
What is the meaning of 637?
637 means «always and forever.»
What is RMR in text?
RMR means «Remember.»
What is short form of because?
Cos, a short form of because, is pronounced /kəz/ or /kɒz/ and can also be spelt ’cause. It can be used instead of because (and cos of instead of because of). We often use it in speaking, emails and text messages, especially in informal situations: … Why are you and Adam not talking to each other?
Is present perfect tense?
The present perfect tense refers to an action or state that either occurred at an indefinite time in the past (e.g., we have talked before) or began in the past and continued to the present time (e.g., he has grown impatient over the last hour). This tense is formed by have/has + the past participle.
What kind of word is rarely?
Rarely is defined as infrequently or exceptionally. An example of rarely used as an adverb is in the sentence, «He rarely goes for runs any more,» which means «He usually does not go for runs any more.»
What type of adverb is very?
The modifying words very and extremely are themselves adverbs. They are called DEGREE ADVERBS because they specify the degree to which an adjective or another adverb applies.
What kind of adverb is really?
Real or Really
Really is an adverb, and it modifies other adverbs, verbs, or adjectives. It has a meaning of «very.»
What is the adverb of always?
At all times; ever; perpetually; throughout all time; continually: “God is always the same.” Constantly during a certain period, or regularly at stated intervals; invariably; uniformly;—opposed to sometimes or occasionally.
Which type of adverb is always?
Always is an adverb.
Where do you put the word always?
Always is an adverb of frequency, like never, often, frequently, and usually. In simple tenses, it usually goes after the verb “to be”: She is always on time. She was always on time. With other verbs, it usually comes just before the verb: She always runs before breakfast.
What type of word is always and never?
adverbs of frequency
What is thesaurus of very?
In this page you can discover 142 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for very, like: extremely, exceedingly, incredibly, astonishingly, quite, greatly, indispensably, truly, notably, surprisingly and wonderfully.
What are 5 synonyms for nice?
agreeable
- acceptable.
- dandy.
- delicious.
- delightful.
- enjoyable.
- fair.
- fine.
- gratifying.
What’s another word for amazing?
In this page you can discover 61 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for amazing, like: astonishing, incredible, astounding, phenomenal, marvelous, wondrous, fantastical, prodigious, miraculous, stupendous and fantastic.
What is a better word than incredible?
unbelievable, unimaginable, preposterous, improbable, ridiculous, absurd, inconceivable, great, fabulous, awe-inspiring, awesome, unreal, astounding, astonishing, extraordinary, amazing, wonderful, prodigious, superhuman, glorious.
What’s the meaning of unbelievable?
1 : too unlikely to be believed an unbelievable excuse. 2 : very impressive or amazing an unbelievable catch. Other Words from unbelievable.
What’s a word for Hard to believe?
What is another word for hard to believe?
| incredible | unbelievable |
|---|---|
| unconvincing | unthinkable |
| implausible | improbable |
| inconceivable | unimaginable |
| far-fetched | impossible |
What’s the opposite of surreal?
What is the opposite of surreal?
| ordinary | normal |
|---|---|
| uneventful | banal |
| dull | stale |
| suburban | popular |
| set | monotonous |
What is a surreal experience?
adjective. If you describe something as surreal, you mean that the elements in it are combined in a strange way that you would not normally expect, like in a dream.
What is another word for inexpensive?
What is another word for inexpensive?
| cheap | affordable |
|---|---|
| reasonable | budget |
| bargain | cut-rate |
| discount | discounted |
| economic | economical |
What is the meaning of cheap in?
costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive: a cheap dress. costing little labor or trouble: Words are cheap. charging low prices: a very cheap store. of little account; of small value; mean; shoddy: cheap conduct; cheap workmanship. embarrassed; sheepish: He felt cheap about his mistake.
How do you say cheap in a nice way?
affordable
- bargain.
- budget.
- cheap.
- cost-effective.
- economical.
- fair.
- low-cost.
- modest.
Which two words have the closest meaning to inexpensive?
Synonyms & Antonyms of inexpensive
- affordable,
- bargain-basement,
- budget,
- cheap,
- cheapie,
- cheapo,
- chintzy,
- cut-price.
How do you say very cheap in English?
Different Ways To Say Cheap Good Deal – You got a good deal on the car. Low Cost – We live in a low cost housing project. Discount, – I got a discount on the cake. Low-end – I bought a low-end microwave.
What are examples of surreal?
The definition of surreal is seeming like a dream or fantasy. An example of surreal is the experience of seeing a spirit. Of or like a dream; fantastic, hallucinatory, bizarre, etc. Having an oddly dreamlike quality.
What’s another word for surreal?
What is another word for surreal?
| strange | odd |
|---|---|
| bizarre | weird |
| fantastic | unreal |
| dreamlike | peculiar |
| outlandish | queer |
How do u spell surreal?
adjective. of, relating to, or characteristic of surrealism, an artistic and literary style; surrealistic. having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic: surreal complexities of the bureaucracy.
How is surreal used in a sentence?
Surreal sentence example. He studied the surreal imagery of the situation. She paused to look around again, caught in the surreal sense that everything that happened the past few months hadn’t touched the condo community. However, today I woke up unaided, in the middle of a rather surreal dream.
What Rhymes Surreal?
| Word | Rhyme rating | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| conceal | 100 | Verb |
| heel | 100 | Noun |
| peel | 100 | Noun, Verb |
| unreal | 100 | Adjective |
What’s the difference between surreal and unreal?
As adjectives the difference between unreal and surreal is that unreal is fake; not real while surreal is resembling a dream: fantastic and incongruous.
What does it mean if something is surreal?
1 : marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream also : unbelievable, fantastic surreal sums of money. 2 : surrealistic.
What kind of adverb is immediately?
In an immediate manner; instantly or without delay. “I hope we can begin immediately.”
What is a must word?
noun (1) ˈməst Definition of must (Entry 2 of 4) 1 : an imperative need or duty : requirement. 2 : an indispensable item : essential exercise is a must.
How often should you use adverbs?
As a general rule, writers should use no more than one adverb per 300 words. You can either replace the ‘-ly’ adverb with a stronger adjective or verb, or remove it if it is obsolete. It is not necessary to remove every adverb, but limiting them will help strengthen your writing.
What is the purpose of using adverbs?
The term implies that the principal function of adverbs is to act as modifiers of verbs or verb phrases. An adverb used in this way may provide information about the manner, place, time, frequency, certainty, or other circumstances of the activity denoted by the verb or verb phrase.
What is the adverb form of general?
generally. Popularly or widely.
Do adverbs always end in?
What about the adverb always? In general, the adverb always is not as movable as other kinds of adverbs – like the word occasionally. You will not often hear an English speaker use always at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Can adverbs be more than one word?
Not all adverbs are one word. In the examples above, every adverb is a single word, but an adverb can be made up of more than one word. For example: (This is an adverbial phrase.
Do adverbs end in Ed?
In “The puppies play entertainingly,” entertainingly is an adverb modifying the verb play. We can do the same thing with -ed: In the sentence “His habits disgust her,” disgust is a verb….Examples.
| Elements | Adverb |
|---|---|
| ad + mit + t + ed + ly | admittedly |
Are all words ending in ed past tense?
Most regular verbs form their past tense by adding -ed to the base: accept/accepted. A few verbs form the past tense with a -t ending: build/built. A common spelling error occurs with words that end with the sound /t/, but are spelled with –ed. The -t ending for these verbs is more common in British spelling.
When Ed sounds like T at the end of a word?
-ed = /t/ When the final sound of the root word is unvoiced (place your hand on your throat, no vibration at the end of the root word! When a letter does not make your throat vibrate, we call that letter unvoiced.)
What type of verbs Cannot be changed to past tense just by adding ed at the end?
An irregular verb is one that does not form its simple past tense or its past participle by adding “-ed” or “-d” to the base form.
Наречие — это часть речи, которая обозначает признак действия и описывает где, когда и как это действие совершается. Often, usually и always относятся к наречиям частотности и отвечают на вопрос «Как часто?». Где ставятся often, usually и always в предложении — рассмотрим ниже.
В английском различают наречия места, времени, образа действия, меры и степени, наречия частоты действия и наречия-вопросительные слова. Оften, usually и always относятся к наречиям частоты действия или иначе частотности — Adverbs of Frequency, но не являются единственными представителями этой группы.
Примеры наречий частоты действия:
Это далеко не все существующие Adverbs of Frequency, их великое множество. Условно их можно разделить на наречия определенной частоты (definite frequency) и наречия неопределенной частоты (indefinite frequency). Наречия обеих групп отвечают на один и тот же вопрос: «How often?».
Наречия определенной частоты действия:
- Daily — ежедневно
- Annually — ежегодно
- Every day / hour / month / year — каждый день / час / месяц / год
- Once a week / month / year etc. — раз в неделю / месяц / год и т.д.
На группе наречий неопределенной частоты действия остановимся подробнее, поскольку оften, usually и always представляют именно эту группу. Наиболее распространенные наречия неопределенной частоты иногда представляют в виде шкалы, на которой ярко видна разница между ними. Частота выполнения действия представлена в процентном соотношении.
При использовании этих наречий в речи большую роль играет субъективное мнение говорящего: для кого-то «часто» — это три раза в день, а для кого-то — три раза в месяц.
Наречия частоты действия, в том числе, оften, usually и always, относятся к временным маркерам Present Simple. Простое настоящее время связано с периодичностью, регулярностью или постоянством. Соответственно, сходно и значение его маркеров-наречий частотности.
Оften, usually и always в утверждениях, отрицаниях и вопросах
Утверждение
По общему правилу, если сказуемое выражено одиночным смысловым глаголом, то наречие частоты следует поставить перед глаголом.
He often visited us. — Он часто нас посещал.
I usually drink tea in the morning. — Я обычно пью чай по утрам.
Вопрос
В вопросах наречия частоты также занимают место в середине предложения, после подлежащего.
Did he usually have tea for breakfast? — Он всегда пил чай на завтрак?
Также наречия неопределенной частоты употребляются в коротких ответах на вопросы перед вспомогательным глаголом, когда говорящий соглашается или не соглашается со сказанным ранее.
Mary is depressed again. — Oh, she always is.
Мэри опять расстроена. — Она всегда такая.
Tom talks only about himself. — Yes, he always does.
Том говорит только о себе. — Да, он всегда так делает.
Must he always come here at 8 o’clock? — Yes, he always must.
Он всегда должен приходить сюда в восемь часов? — Да, всегда.
Отрицание
Что касается отрицаний, то частица not обычно ставится перед наречиями частоты.
I do not usually go to the gym. — Обычно я не хожу в спортзал.
They are not always very friendly. — Они не всегда дружелюбные.
Таким образом, наиболее типичное место наречия частоты в предложении — до или после глагола в середине высказывания.
Место оften, usually, always в предложении до и после глагола
- В утверждениях наречия частоты чаще всего занимают место в середине предложения, после вспомогательного глагола (если он есть) и перед смысловым.
Не always comes early. — Он всегда приходит рано.
Не often goes there. — Он часто ходит туда.
I usually get up at seven o’clock. — Я обычно встаю в семь часов.
- Если в предложении единственный глагол — to be, то наречие частоты должно стоять после него
She is always happy to help us. — Она всегда рада помочь нам.
Не is always here at five o’clock. — Он всегда здесь в пять часов.
He is usually at home in the morning. — С утра он обычно дома.
- Если в предложении есть вспомогательный (am, is, are, have, has, will) или модальный глагол (can, may, must, should), то наречие частоты находится после этого глагола.
You can usually find him in his office. — Его обычно можно найти у себя в кабинете.
I will always love you. — Я всегда буду любить тебя.
I don’t often go to parties. — Я не часто хожу на вечеринки.
Parents can’t always be around. — Родители не могут всегда быть рядом.
Birds don’t always fly south in October. — Птицы не всегда улетают на юг в октябре.
Место оften, usually, always в предложении: в конце или в начале?
Не все наречия частоты могут стоять в конце или в начале предложения. Но always, usually и often, относящиеся к наречиям частотности с положительным значением, иногда ставят в конец предложения.
My neighbours go out in the evening, usually. — Мои соседи обычно ходят гулять вечером.
Does he call you often? — Он часто тебе звонит?
He doesn’t call me very often. — Он не очень часто мне звонит.
Наречия частоты always и never часто стоят в начале повелительных предложений.
Always tell the truth. — Всегда говори правду.
For those interested in a little info about this site: it’s a side project that I developed while working on Describing Words and Related Words. Both of those projects are based around words, but have much grander goals. I had an idea for a website that simply explains the word types of the words that you search for — just like a dictionary, but focussed on the part of speech of the words. And since I already had a lot of the infrastructure in place from the other two sites, I figured it wouldn’t be too much more work to get this up and running.
The dictionary is based on the amazing Wiktionary project by wikimedia. I initially started with WordNet, but then realised that it was missing many types of words/lemma (determiners, pronouns, abbreviations, and many more). This caused me to investigate the 1913 edition of Websters Dictionary — which is now in the public domain. However, after a day’s work wrangling it into a database I realised that there were far too many errors (especially with the part-of-speech tagging) for it to be viable for Word Type.
Finally, I went back to Wiktionary — which I already knew about, but had been avoiding because it’s not properly structured for parsing. That’s when I stumbled across the UBY project — an amazing project which needs more recognition. The researchers have parsed the whole of Wiktionary and other sources, and compiled everything into a single unified resource. I simply extracted the Wiktionary entries and threw them into this interface! So it took a little more work than expected, but I’m happy I kept at it after the first couple of blunders.
Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: the UBY project (mentioned above), @mongodb and express.js.
Currently, this is based on a version of wiktionary which is a few years old. I plan to update it to a newer version soon and that update should bring in a bunch of new word senses for many words (or more accurately, lemma).
Adverbs of Frequency
Always, usually, normally, generally, often, frequently, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, hardly ever, rarely, and never.
These are all adverbs and they describe how frequently we do an activity or the frequency of habits.
These are called Adverbs of Frequency or more specifically Adverbs of Indefinite Frequency. (Indefinite because it is NOT a specific frequency like three times a week, once a month, etc.)
To help you understand when to use each adverb of frequency, I will add some approximate numbers (percentages of frequency or possibility of it happening) to give you a general idea of the frequency associated with each adverb.
- 100% always
- 90% usually
- 80% normally / generally
- 70% often / frequently
- 50% sometimes
- 30% occasionally
- 10% seldom
- 5% hardly ever / rarely
- 0% never
IMPORTANT: The percentages that appear on the left are only approximate numbers to give you a general idea of the frequency associated with each adverb.
Let’s look at each adverb of frequency more in detail…
ALWAYS
When something happens 100% of the time, we use the adverb ALWAYS.
- I always brush my teeth at night.
This means that without exception 100% of the time I will brush my teeth at night before going to bed.
NEVER
What is the opposite of ALWAYS? … NEVER, which is 0% of the time.
- Vegetarians never eat meat.
This means there is a zero percent possible of this happening. The frequency is zero.
SOMETIMES
What adverb do we use when something happens half the time and the other half of the time it doesn’t happen?
When something has about a 50% frequency of happening. We use the adverb SOMETIMES.
- I sometimes sing in the shower.
This means half the time I am in the shower I sing, and half the time I don’t sing… I sometimes sing in the shower.
HARDLY EVER / RARELY
What can we use if we almost never do something? It’s not zero percent but maybe 5% possibility of it happening.
In this case we use the adverbs HARDLY EVER or RARELY.
- I hardly ever get angry.
OR you can say…
- I rarely get angry
They both mean the same thing.
This means there is a VERY small chance of it happening but it is almost never.
I hardly ever get angry. It usually only happens if you steal my chocolate from the fridge. Other than that, nothing else annoys me.
Let’s quickly look at the other adverbs of frequency.
USUALLY
USUALLY is when something happens around 90% of the time. It is almost always.
- I usually walk to work.
Yes, I live close to my place of work so I usually walk there.
NORMALLY / GENERALLY
NORMALLY or GENERALLY happen around 80% of the time.
- I normally get good marks.
Yes, about 80% of the time my marks are good, the rest of the time… they are excellent!
OFTEN / FREQUENTLY
When something has a frequency of around 70%, we use the adverbs OFTEN or FREQUENTLY
OFTEN can be pronounced two ways:
- By pronouncing the T … “OFTEN” … or
- By not pronouncing the T …”OFFEN” (Never write “Offen”)
Both forms are correct and depend on where you live.
Our examples of these adverbs are:
- I often read in bed at night.
which is the same as:
- I frequently read in bed at night.
The adverb OFTEN is more common than using the word FREQUENTLY.
OCCASIONALLY
The adverb Occasionally is at about 30% frequency.
- I occasionally go to bed late.
Yes, this happens on Friday and Saturday night. I occasionally go to bed late.
SELDOM
And the adverb Seldom is at around 10% frequency.
- I seldom add salt to my food.
Which means it is not common or not often that I add salt.
The adverbs Seldom, hardly ever, rarely, and never all have a negative meaning.
Adverbs of Frequency – Word Order
Let’s look at word order when we use adverbs of frequency.
In general, the adverb of frequency goes before the main verb.
The order is: Subject + Adverb + Main Verb
Let’s look at this sentence…
- I read in bed at night.
If I want to let you know about the frequency I do this, the frequency that I read in bed, then I need to use an adverb.
The main verb is READ, so we put the adverb before the verb READ…
- I often read in bed at night.
Another example:
- Daniel always passes his exams.
The main verb is PASSES so we put the adverb before it.
- They never speak Spanish in class.
The main verb is SPEAK so the adverb of frequency goes before it.
Adverbs of Frequency – Word Order with Auxiliary Verbs
When there is an auxiliary verb such as has, have, must, might, will, can, should, would, etc. followed by a main verb, then the adverb goes between them both.
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + Adverb + Main Verb
- I have done my homework.
HAVE is the auxiliary verb and DONE is the main verb so we put the adverb of frequency in the middle:
- I have always done my homework.
You can see it is the same rule as before, the adverb goes before the main verb. Just remember to put it after the auxiliary verb.
Look at this sentence:
- Susan has lived in New York.
HAS is the auxiliary verb and LIVED is the main verb so we put the adverb of frequency in the middle:
- Susan has always lived in New York.
Look at this example:
- I have never eaten dog food.
The adverb NEVER goes between the auxiliary verb HAVE and the main verb EATEN.
- I have never eaten dog food… that I know of.
Adverbs of Frequency – Word Order with TO BE
Of course in English there is always an exception and this happens with the verb TO BE.
When we want to use an adverb with the verb TO BE, then the order is:
Subject + TO BE + Adverb
Look at this sentence:
- I am busy at work.
AM is a form, or conjugation, of the verb TO BE so we put the adverb after it.
- I am normally busy at work.
We cannot say “I normally am busy at work.” NO, this is NOT correct.
- He is always happy.
Again, the adverb is after the form of To Be.
- They are sometimes late.
The adverb SOMETIMES comes after the verb ARE which is a form of TO BE.
Adverbs of frequency at the beginning of a sentence
We have just seen the common position of adverbs of frequency within a sentence.
But, it is also possible to place SOME adverbs at the beginning of a sentence.
These adverbs include: usually, normally, frequently, generally, occasionally, and sometimes.
Look at these examples:
- Occasionally I have pancakes for breakfast.
OR you can put the adverb between the subject and main verb:
- I occasionally have pancakes for breakfast.
Both sentences are correct.
- Normally our English class is in the morning.
- Sometimes they take a bus to work.
But be careful with always, hardly ever, seldom, rarely, and never …. Do NOT put them at the beginning of the sentence.
- Always I get up early. This is NOT correct.
We need to put ALWAYS before the main verb…
- I always get up early. (CORRECT)
The exception to this is when we are using ALWAYS or NEVER in the IMPERATIVE to give orders or instructions.
We will see more about this in another lesson.
Next activity
You might want to watch our other video about Adverbs of DEFINITE frequency.
Summary Chart
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(Use and position of adverbs of indefinite frequency)
What are frequency adverbs?
For simplicity and especially for English language learners, adverbs of indefinite frequency are regularly called frequency adverbs. Accordingly, they indicate how often something is done or how often something happens. For this reason, they usually appear in simple tenses, particularly in the present simple and are, therefore, signal words for this tense. Only in exceptional cases, they are used in continuous or ing-tenses.
- Frequency adverbs include the following example words, in the chart by approximate increasing frequency, in the list by decreasing frequency:
- 100% → always
- continuously
- constantly
- regularly
- habitually
- usually
- mostly
- frequently
- normally
- generally
- often
- sometimes
- occasionally
- seldom
- rarely
- hardly ever
- never ← 0%
What is the position of frequency adverbs in a sentence?
The most common position of adverbs of frequency is in the middle of the sentence. In particular, this place signifies before the main verb or after the first auxiliary verb if one is present. One distinct verb that deviates from this rule is ‘to be’ (exception see below). Compare the following points:
- The usual position of the adverbs of indefinite frequency is before the main verb:
- “Sally sometimes plays tennis.”
- “My parents often go on holiday to Egypt.”
- In the case of multi-part predicates
, which means there are several verbs in the sentence, they regularly follow the first auxiliary verb – unless the auxiliary verb stands alone as in incomplete sentences, for example; in which case the adverb must come before it:
- “Our neighbours have always been nice.”
- “Natalie would never have done that.”
- “Tom always says he will help me, but he never does.”
- In this statement, the adverb ‘never’ precedes the auxiliary verb ‘does’.
- Some of the frequency adverbs such as ‘sometimes, occasionally, usually, normally, regularly, often’ may also be used at the beginning or the end of the sentence in some cases. When ‘often’ is placed at the end of the sentence, it is usually combined with ‘very’ or ‘quite’:
- “Sometimes I go to work by bike.”
- beginning of the sentence
- “A lot of people eat meat regularly.”
- end of the sentence
- “We don’t go on holiday very often.”
- ‘often’ stands at the end of the sentence together with the additional adverb ‘very’ for intensification.
- “Sometimes I go to work by bike.”
- Moreover, ‘never, seldom, rarely, hardly ever’ can also begin a sentence; but then, the subject and the verb must exchange their position (see inversion
):
- “He hardly ever stopped by when he was in town.”
- In this statement, ‘hardly ever’ stands between the subject and the main verb.
- “Hardly ever did he stop by when he was in town.”
- In this sentence, the adverb appears before the auxiliary verb and the subject with inversion.
- “He hardly ever stopped by when he was in town.”
- In addition, these adverbs are very common before the modal auxiliary verbs ‘have to’ and ‘used to’:
- “The neighbours’ kids always have to go home at 10 o’clock.”
- “I never used to exercise in the morning.”
Word order of frequency adverbs with the verb ‘to be’
As mentioned above, the rule says that frequency adverbs generally come before the full verb. An exception to this is the verb ‘to be’ if it is the only verb in the sentence (then, it is used as a full verb). In such a case, the adverbs follow:
- The verb ‘to be’ is an exception and regularly precedes adverbs of indefinite frequency:
- “She’s usually punctual.”
- “We are always here.”
- However, in short answers and incomplete sentences, this exception does not apply:
- “Are you interested in new books about this region? – Yes, I always am.”
- short answer
- “Maria says that she’s never mad, but she sometimes is.”
- This clause is not complete because the necessary adjective ‘mad’ is missing.
- “Are you interested in new books about this region? – Yes, I always am.”
Further explanations related to the ‘Frequency adverbs’
The following explanations relate to the topic ‘Use and position of adverbs of indefinite frequency (often, sometimes, normally, usually, never)’ and might be helpful as well: