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Adverbs of Frequency

1 min
A2

Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never) go before the main verb but after "to be": "I always brush my teeth" but "I am always late."

CEFR A2·other

Formula

(always eat, never drink)
(am always late)

Examples

Positive
I always brush my teeth before bed.
Negative
She never eats fast food.
Question
Do you usually walk to work?

Common Time Markers

always
usually
often
sometimes
rarely
never

Usage

  • •Describing how often something happens
  • •Placed before the main verb but after "to be"
  • •Can be used with Present Simple to describe habits

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Where does the adverb of frequency go in a sentence?

With a normal main verb, the adverb goes directly before it: "I always brush my teeth before bed." "She never eats fast food." With the verb "to be" (am/is/are/was/were), the adverb goes after it instead: "He is always late for meetings."

The same rule applies with auxiliary verbs: the adverb sits after the first auxiliary, before the main verb — "I have never been to Japan," "She doesn't usually drink coffee."

How often do these adverbs mean?

Roughly: always (100%) → usually (80%) → often (60%) → sometimes (40%) → rarely (20%) → never (0%). These aren't exact percentages, just a way to feel the difference in strength between them.

"Ever" appears mainly in questions ("Do you ever visit your grandparents?") and conditionals — it doesn't normally appear in positive statements the way always/usually/often do.

Comparison Table

Adverbs of frequency, from most to least frequent
FormApproximate frequencyPosition with main verbExample
always~100%before verb / after "to be"I always brush my teeth. / He is always late.
usually~80%before verb / after "to be"I usually walk to work.
often~60%before verb / after "to be"They often go swimming.
sometimes~40%before verb / after "to be", or sentence startI sometimes have lunch at my desk.
rarely~20%before verb / after "to be"They rarely go to the cinema.
never0%before verb / after "to be"She never eats fast food.
Save this comparison chart
Comparison diagram: Adverbs of frequency, from most to least frequentDownload PNG

When to Use Adverbs of Frequency

Always / usually — near-constant habits

I always brush my teeth before bed.

Often / sometimes — variable habits

I sometimes have lunch at my desk.

Rarely / never — infrequent or absent

She never eats fast food.

Save this timeline chart
Adverbs of Frequency use cases on a Past-Now-Future timeline: Always / usually — near-constant habits, Often / sometimes — variable habits, Rarely / never — infrequent or absentDownload PNG

More Examples

  • He is always late for meetings.

    "always" after "to be"

  • They rarely go to the cinema.

    "rarely" (almost never) before main verb

  • I sometimes have lunch at my desk.

    "sometimes" before main verb

  • Do you ever visit your grandparents?

    "ever" in questions

Common Mistakes

  • ✗Putting the adverb after the main verb: "I eat always breakfast" should be "I always eat breakfast".
  • ✗Using "never" with negative verbs creates a double negative: "I don't never eat meat" → "I never eat meat".

Tips

  • ✓Position rule: adverb goes BEFORE the main verb but AFTER "to be" and auxiliary verbs.
  • ✓Percentage guide: always (100%) → usually (80%) → often (60%) → sometimes (40%) → rarely (20%) → never (0%).

Advanced Notes

Position flexibility increases at higher levels: "sometimes" and "often" can move to the front or end of a sentence for emphasis ("Sometimes I just don't feel like it"), while "always" and "never" are almost always mid-sentence. "Ever" appears mainly in questions and conditionals ("if you ever need help..."), not in affirmatives. "Occasionally", "frequently", "constantly", and "habitually" are higher-register synonyms worth introducing once core adverbs are solid.

FAQ

Where do you put adverbs of frequency in a sentence?

Before the main verb, but after the verb "to be": "I always eat breakfast" (before the main verb "eat"), but "I am always late" (after "to be"). The same position rule applies after other auxiliary verbs too.

Why is "I eat always breakfast" wrong?

The adverb of frequency has to go before the main verb, not after it: "I always eat breakfast," not "I eat always breakfast." Putting it after the verb is one of the most common ordering mistakes at this level.

Why is "I don't never eat meat" wrong?

That creates a double negative — "don't" and "never" cancel each other out illogically. Use just one negative: either "I never eat meat" or "I don't ever eat meat."

What is the difference between always, usually, and often?

They describe decreasing frequency: always means basically 100% of the time, usually is very frequent but not every single time, and often is fairly frequent but noticeably less than usually. All three are used with present simple to describe habits.

Adverbs of frequency vs present simple — how do they work together?

Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, sometimes, never...) are the signal words that make present simple habits explicit: "I usually wake up at 7" combines the present simple tense (a regular habit) with a frequency adverb (how often it happens).

Is "never" an adverb?

Yes — "never" is an adverb of frequency, meaning 0% of the time: "She never eats fast food." It follows the same position rule as the other frequency adverbs: before the main verb, after "to be".

Practice

  1. 1.I eat breakfast before school.
  2. 2.He is late for meetings.
  3. 3.They go to the cinema — maybe twice a year.
  4. 4.Do you visit your grandparents?
  5. 5.I don't eat meat.
Quiz loads as you scroll…

Compare With

Present Simple(A1)Adverbs of Manner(A2)