Welcome to your easy English grammar lesson! Today, we’re going to learn about adverbs of frequency. Don’t worry, it sounds a bit complicated, but it’s actually quite simple and very useful for everyday English conversation, especially when talking about your daily routines and habits. If you’re just starting to learn English, this is a great lesson for you!

What are Adverbs of Frequency?

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. They describe how regularly we do things. Think about your daily life. Do you always drink coffee in the morning? Do you sometimes watch TV in the evening? These words like ‘always’ and ‘sometimes’ are adverbs of frequency!

Learning about adverbs of frequency will really help you to improve your spoken English and make your English sound more natural. This is important for English speaking learners who want to communicate clearly and confidently.

Common Adverbs of Frequency for Beginners

Let’s look at some of the most common adverbs of frequency in English. We’ll start with the ones we use most often:

• Always (100%): This means something happens every time, without exception.
  Example: I always brush my teeth before bed.
• Usually (90%): This means something happens very often, most of the time.
  Example: I usually have cereal for breakfast.
• Often (70%): This means something happens frequently.
  Example: I often go for a walk in the park.
• Sometimes (50%): This means something happens occasionally, not all the time, but not rarely either.
  Example: I sometimes eat pizza on Fridays.
• Rarely (10%): This means something happens not very often. It’s almost never, but not quite. You might also hear “seldom” which means the same as rarely.
  Example: I rarely drink soda.
• Never (0%): This means something does not happen at all, not even once.
  Example: I never smoke cigarettes.

These adverbs help us talk about our habits and routines. For English for beginners, these are the most important ones to learn. Understanding these will significantly boost your spoken English practice.

Position of Adverbs of Frequency in Sentences

Now, let’s learn where to put these adverbs in a sentence. There’s a simple rule for most adverbs of frequency:

Rule 1: Before the Main Verb (but after ‘be’ verbs)

Generally, we put adverbs of frequency before the main verb in a sentence. The main verb is the action word (like ‘eat’, ‘go’, ‘play’, ‘watch’).
Examples:

• I usually eat lunch at noon. (‘eat’ is the main verb)
• They often play football on weekends. (‘play’ is the main verb)
• She always studies in the library. (‘studies’ is the main verb)

However, there’s a small exception when we use the verb ‘to be‘ (am, is, are, was, were). With ‘to be’ verbs, we put the adverb of frequency after the ‘be’ verb.
Examples:

• I am always happy to see you. (‘am’ is the ‘be’ verb)
• He is often late for class. (‘is’ is the ‘be’ verb)
• They are never bored. (‘are’ is the ‘be’ verb)

Rule 2: With Auxiliary Verbs

When we use auxiliary verbs (like ‘have’, ‘can’, ‘will’, ‘should’, ‘must’), the adverb of frequency usually goes between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.
Examples:

• You should always listen to your teacher. (‘should’ is the auxiliary verb, ‘listen’ is the main verb)
• I have never seen snow. (‘have’ is the auxiliary verb, ‘seen’ is the main verb)
• They will often visit their grandparents. (‘will’ is the auxiliary verb, ‘visit’ is the main verb)

Don’t worry too much about all the rules right now. The most important thing is to understand the basic idea: usually before the main verb, but after ‘be’ verbs. Practice will make it easier!

Using Adverbs of Frequency in Speaking

Now for the fun part: using adverbs of frequency in your spoken English! This is where you can really make your English sound more natural and talk about your life and routines.

Think about your daily routine. What do you do every day? What do you do sometimes? What do you never do?

Here are some questions you can ask yourself and answer using adverbs of frequency:

• How often do you drink coffee? (e.g., “I always drink coffee in the morning.”)
• How often do you cook dinner? (e.g., “I usually cook dinner at home.”)
• How often do you go to the cinema? (e.g., “I sometimes go to the cinema on weekends.”)
• How often do you read books? (e.g., “I often read books before bed.”)
• How often are you late for appointments? (e.g., “I am never late for appointments.”)
• How often do you travel abroad? (e.g., “I rarely travel abroad.”)

Try to practice speaking these sentences out loud. You can talk to yourself, or even better, practice with a friend or a language partner. Using Lingofrnd.com can be a fantastic way to practice speaking English and using adverbs of frequency! Lingofrnd is like your AI spoken English teacher, always ready to help you improve your speaking confidence.

To improve your English pronunciation tips, try to listen to native English speakers and notice how they use adverbs of frequency in their speech. Pay attention to the word order and how naturally they incorporate these words into their sentences.

Let’s Practice! – Adverbs of Frequency Exercises

Time to test your understanding! Fill in the blanks with the correct adverb of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never). Choose the best adverb to complete each sentence.

1. I ___________ (100%) get up at 7 am on weekdays.
2. They ___________ (90%) watch TV in the evenings.
3. She ___________ (70%) goes to the gym after work.
4. We ___________ (50%) eat out at restaurants.
5. He ___________ (10%) is late for school.
6. I ___________ (0%) drink alcohol.
7. My brother ___________ (90%) plays video games.
8. They ___________ (50%) visit their grandparents on Sundays.
9. She ___________ (100%) smiles when she is happy.
10. We ___________ (0%) are sad when we get good news.

Answers to Practice Exercises

1. I always get up at 7 am on weekdays.
2. They usually watch TV in the evenings.
3. She often goes to the gym after work.
4. We sometimes eat out at restaurants.
5. He rarely is late for school.
6. I never drink alcohol.
7. My brother usually plays video games.
8. They sometimes visit their grandparents on Sundays.
9. She always smiles when she is happy.
10. We never are sad when we get good news.

How did you do? Great job! Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you use adverbs of frequency, the more natural they will become in your English. Keep practicing your spoken English and you’ll see improvement in no time!

For more spoken English practice and to further improve your English grammar, don’t forget to check out Lingofrnd.com. It’s your AI partner for learning and practicing English. You can also Download App to practice anytime, anywhere. Lingofrnd can help you practice using adverbs of frequency and many other English grammar topics in real conversations. Start speaking English confidently today!

Keep learning and keep practicing! You’re doing great!