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Grammar-Quizzes › Adverbials › Adverbs › Adverbs of Frequency
FREQUENCY | SENTENCE | |
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An adverb of frequency is used to express how often an activity occurs. The following adverbs quantify the repetition. |
The exact frequency indicated by these words will vary from speaker to speaker. A word such as customarily suggests a frequency set by culture, routinely suggests a frequency set as part of a job, as a rule suggests a scheduled or understood code for frequency. |
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always routinely (customarily) as a rule in general normally usually |
We always take the garbage out at night. We routinely take the garbage out at night. As a rule, we take the garbage out at night. In general, we take the garbage out at night. (There are few exceptions.) We normally take the garbage out at night. (Unless something unexpected prevents this.) We usually take the garbage out at night. (Sometimes we're too tired.) |
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often frequently half of the time |
![]() Most of the time, we take the garbage out at night. (Sometimes we forget to.) We often take out the recyclables. recyclables (N) – bottles, plastics, paper We frequently take out the recyclables. (We take it out when the container is full.) Half of the time, we take out the recyclables. |
occasionally on occasion rarely seldom hardly ever |
![]() We sometimes take batteries out. We occasionally take batteries out. On occasion, we take batteries out. We rarely take batteries out. (We don't use many batteries.) We seldom take batteries out. We hardly ever take batteries out. (Use ever after a negative word.) |
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not ever |
![]() We never take hazardous waste out. (We use them up and then recycle the containers.) We don't ever take hazardous waste out. (Use ever after a negative word.)
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ADVERB | SUBJECT | AUX | ADVERB | VERB | OBJECT PHRASE | ADVERB |
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INITIAL (emphasis) | ||||||
Most of
the time, |
my family
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— (no aux.) can is has |
recycles
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household garbage.
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MEDIAL | ||||||
My family
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— (no aux.) can is has |
always |
recycles
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household garbage. |
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FINAL | ||||||
My family
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— (no aux.) can is has |
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recycles
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household garbage |
most of
the time. |
household (Adj) – related to the operation of a house
INITIAL POSITION |
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When a negative adverb – never, rarely, seldom, hardly ever – is placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, the auxiliary of the verb is moved in front of the subject. |
"BE" VERB |
*Seldom we are home in the day time. (We seldom are at home in the daytime.) |
*At no time the President was free. (*The President at no time was free.) |
*Hardly ever we have been so optimistic. (We have hardly ever had so little rain.) |
*Seldom he had been away from home before then. (He had seldom been away….) |
ALL OTHER VERBS |
*Never we have much time together. (We never have much time together.) *Never we spend much time together. |
*At no time the President went out alone. (The President at no time went out alone.) |
*Hardly ever we have had so little rain. (We have hardly ever had so little rain.) |
*Seldom he had worked hard before becoming a father. (He had seldom worked hard….)
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FIXES |
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After a negative adverb, place the auxiliary verb (do, does, is, are, am, have, has, had, can, may, etc.) before the subject and main verb. Initial placement of the adverb is for emphasis. |
Seldom are we are home in the day time. |
At no time was the President was free. |
Hardly ever have we been so optimistic. (present perfect) |
Seldom had he been away from home before then. (past perfect) |
Never do we have much time together. (present) Never can we spend much time together. (present – modals) |
At no time did the President go out alone. (past) |
Hardly ever have we had so little rain. (present perfect) |
Seldom had he worked hard before becoming a father. (past perfect) |
*Words marked with an asterisk, yellow highlighted words, are examples of incorrect or awkward usage.
optimistic (Adj) – believing good things will happen in the future
NEGATIVE OCCURANCE |
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Use ever after a negative verb or expression, or never after a positive verb to mean not at all. "zero repetition" |
We never take hazardous waste out. |
I doubt we ever take hazardous waste out. |
It's unlikely we ever take hazardous waste out. |
I can hardly believe we would ever take hazardous waste out. |
EXPERIENCE |
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Use ever with the present perfect tense to ask about experience. "Have you done this before / at all?" "once?" |
Have you ever taken hazardous waste out for recycling? This is a simple question. |
Have you never recycled your garbage? * This is a question implying: I think you have. |
Have you ever recycled paint cans before? |
No, I've never ever done that. |
Asking a negative question invites the other person to agree: Have you never told a lie? (I think you have.) Yes, I have but…
Also see present perfect Experience
My wife and I always share the housework fifty–fifty. I mostly always do the laundry. She makes routinely the beds. Most of time, she cooks and serves our dinner, and I am usual to wash the dishes. I hardly never break dishes. She vacuums the floors in general, and I dust here and there.
She oftenly mops the kitchen floor because we have two dogs. Seldom we walk our dogs. But they usually mostly get enough exercise running around with our kids. Together, my wife and I get our work done, and we rarely ever fight about workload.
dust (V) – to wipe away dirt and small particles with a cloth
fifty-fifty – share equally; 50%
laundry (N) – the washing of clothes
workload (N) – amount of work each person does
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