Adverbs of Frequency: sentences, exercises, tests and examples

Adverbs of Frequency use

Adverbs of Frequency answer the question How often? and show how often an action happens.

Children are always funny, but sometimes they cry.
They never worry about the future.
They don't often clean their rooms.
They are hardly ever serious and can play for hours.

Adverbs of Frequency Form

Adverbs of frequency usually do not change for person or tense. The important thing is to choose the right word by meaning: from always to never.

Frequency Adverb Meaning Example
100% always every time I always brush my teeth before bed.
80–90% usually / normally most times We usually eat out on Sundays.
60–70% often / frequently many times She often calls her grandmother.
30–50% sometimes / occasionally some times They sometimes play chess after school.
10–20% rarely / seldom not often He rarely watches TV.
1–5% hardly ever almost never My parents hardly ever use cash.
0% never no times I never drink coffee at night.

100% → always → usually / normally → often / frequently → sometimes / occasionally → rarely / seldom → hardly ever → never → 0%

She seldom goes to the theatre.
I am always polite.

Adverbs of Frequency Rule

  • With most verbs, the adverb of frequency usually comes before the main verb.

    Subject + adverb of frequency + main verb

    She never drinks coffee.
    We usually finish our homework before dinner.
  • With the verb be (am / is / are), the adverb usually comes after be.

    Subject + am / is / are + adverb of frequency

    They are often late.
    He is hardly ever angry.
  • If there is an auxiliary or modal verb, the adverb usually goes after the first auxiliary / modal verb and before the main verb.

    Subject + auxiliary / modal + adverb of frequency + main verb

    I have never seen this film.
    She can often help us after school.
  • Sometimes, usually, often, and occasionally can go at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis. Sometimes and often can also go at the end.
    Sometimes, the dentist is late for work.
    Usually, we eat out on Sundays.
    They do this sometimes.
  • Never is already negative, so we normally do not use it together with don't / doesn't / didn't.
    ❌ He doesn't never wear shorts.
    ✅ He never wears shorts.
  • Exact frequency expressions usually come at the end of the sentence: every day, once a week, twice a month, three times a year.
    We go swimming twice a month.
    She calls her parents once a week.

Adverbs of Frequency Questions

To ask “how often?”, use How often...?. You can also use often or ever inside a question.

How often + do / does + subject + V1?
How often + am / is / are + subject + ...?
Do / Does + subject + often / ever + V1?
Am / Is / Are + subject + often + ...?

How often do you practise English?
I practise English every day.
How often is he late for work?
He is hardly ever late for work.
Do you often cook at home?
Do you ever watch films in English?

Adverbs of Frequency Common mistakes

Common mistakes are usually connected with word order and double negatives.

❌ They often are late.
✅ They are often late.
❌ She goes usually to school by bus.
✅ She usually goes to school by bus.
❌ He doesn't never wear shorts.
✅ He never wears shorts.
❌ Never I drink coffee.
✅ I never drink coffee.
❌ She is late never.
✅ She is never late.
❌ I go always to bed at ten.
✅ I always go to bed at ten.
❌ We don't hardly ever eat fast food.
✅ We hardly ever eat fast food.
✅ We don't often eat fast food.

Adverbs of Frequency Sentences

I always wake up at seven o'clock.
She usually walks to school with her brother.
They often play football after classes.
We sometimes have dinner at a restaurant.
My brother rarely watches TV in the morning.
My grandmother hardly ever uses her phone.
He never drinks coffee before bed.
I am usually busy on Mondays.
The children are often noisy after lunch.
We visit our grandparents once a month.

Adverbs of Frequency Examples

A: How often do you study English?
B: I study English every day. I usually learn new words in the evening.
A: How often does your sister go to the gym?
B: She goes to the gym twice a week, but she rarely goes on Sundays.
A: Are you often late for school?
B: No, I am hardly ever late.
Usually, we have breakfast at home, but sometimes we eat in a cafe.
She never forgets her homework because she always checks her bag before school.
My friends often watch films in English, but I only do it occasionally.

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Tenses

Future Simple Present Simple Present Perfect Present Continuous Past Simple Past Perfect Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Continuous Future Continuous Future Perfect Future Perfect Continuous Be going to

Adjectives/Adverbs

Superlatives Comparatives Adverbs Adverbs of Frequency

Conditionals

Second Conditional First Conditional Third Conditional Zero Conditional

Pronouns

Something, Anything, Nothing, etc. Quantifiers Demonstrative Pronouns Possessive 's Possessives Pronouns

Sentences

Relative Clauses Conjunctions Reported Speech There is / There are There was / There were

Verbs

Used to To be used to To get used to

Modals

Should or Shouldn't May or Might and Infinitive Modal Verbs Can / Can't Speculation and Deduction

Nouns and Articles

Countable and Uncountable Singular and Plural Nouns Uncountable and Plural