Adverb of Frequency: Definition, Rules, Types and Examples

Adverb of Frequency:  Some things we do all the time, some we do occasionally, and some we never do at all. Adverbs of frequency help us describe how often actions happen, using words like always , sometimes , and never . These words make it easier to talk about routines, habits, and activities clearly.

How to Teach Kids

What is an Adverb of Frequency?

An adverb of frequency is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb to indicate how often an action occurs. These adverbs help us express the number of times an event happens, ranging from regular occurrences (like "always") to rare events (like "never").

Definition of an Adverb of Frequency:

An adverb of frequency describes the rate at which something happens or how often it happens over a period of time. It answers the question: "How often?"

For example:

• "She always arrives early."

• "They rarely go out on weekdays."

English Grammar

List of Commonly Used Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of Frequency Rules

Rule 1: Position in the Middle of a Sentence

Rule 2: Placement with the Verb To Be

Rule 3: Placement with Auxiliary Verbs

• "She has often visited her grandparents." ( often comes between has and visited .)

• "He must always listen to instructions." ( always comes between must and listen .)

Rule 4: Starting a Sentence with Certain Adverbs

• "Sometimes, I go for a jog in the park."
• "Occasionally, we travel to the countryside."

Rule 5: Adverbs in Questions

• "Do you often visit this café?"

• "Has she ever tried sushi?"

Rule 6: Avoiding Double Negatives

• Correct: "He never misses an appointment."

• Incorrect: "He doesn’t never miss an appointment."

Rule 7: Placement in Sentences with Multiple Verbs

Rule 8: Using Adverbs of Frequency for Habits and Routines

Abstract Nouns

Types of Adverbs of Frequency 

Definite Frequency Adverbs

• Daily : "She goes for a run daily." ( daily tells us this action happens every day.)
• Hourly : "The train arrives hourly." ( hourly means it arrives once every hour.)
• Weekly : "They publish a new article weekly." ( weekly indicates the action happens once a week.)
• Yearly : "We have a family reunion yearly." ( yearly shows this event happens once a year.)

2. Indefinite Frequency Adverbs

• Always : "He always arrives early for meetings." ( always means the action happens 100% of the time.)
• Often : "She often reads before bedtime." ( often shows the action happens many times, but not with an exact count.)
• Sometimes : "They sometimes eat out on weekends." ( sometimes means the action happens occasionally, but not regularly.)
• Rarely : "I rarely watch TV during the week." ( rarely implies that the action doesn’t happen often.)
• Never : "He never drinks soda." ( never means the action does not happen at all.)

Difference Between Adverbs of Time and Adverbs of Frequency

Adverb of Time

Adverb of Frequency

• Always : “He always wakes up early.”
• Often : “They often go out for dinner.”
• Sometimes : “We sometimes take a walk in the park.”
• Rarely : “I rarely eat fast food.”
• Never : “She never misses a meeting.”

Common Mistakes with Adverbs of Frequency:

1. Incorrect placement:

   • Incorrect: "She plays often tennis."
   • Correct: "She often plays tennis."

2. Overusing certain adverbs:

   • It’s important not to overuse strong frequency adverbs like “always” and “never.” These should be used when referring to consistent actions or habits, not for actions that happen sporadically.

3. Confusing adverbs of frequency with adverbs of time:

   • Adverbs of time like "yesterday," "now," and "soon" focus on when an action happens, not how often.

Adverbs of Frequency  Practice  Questions

1. Choose the correct adverb of frequency for the sentence:

5. True or False

6. Matching Questions

1. a) always
2. b) for two days
3. c) soon

Answers

1. a) sometimes
2. b) never
3. often
4. usually
5. ( a). False, b ). True
6. I go to school ________." → b) daily, We have dance class ________." → a) weekly, They visit their grandparents ________." → c) sometimes
7. Corrected Sentence : "He went to the park yesterday."
8. a) always
9. Example Answer : "I never eat ice cream for breakfast."