Always, usually, never: adverbs of frequency in English

Adverbs of frequency say how often something happens: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never. They usually go before the main verb (“I usually drink tea.”) but after the verb “to be” (“She is always late.”).

Where they go

Before the main verb: “We often walk to school.”, “He never eats meat.” After “to be”: “I am usually tired on Mondays.” After an auxiliary verb if there is one: “I have never been to Paris.”, “You can always ask me.” “Sometimes” can also start a sentence: “Sometimes I cook dinner.”

Asking and being more exact

To ask about frequency: “How often do you exercise?” For more exact answers, expressions go at the end of the sentence: “once a week”, “twice a month”, “every day”: “I go swimming twice a week.”

Common mistakes for Turkish speakers

Because adverbs can move around in Turkish, they often end up in the wrong place in English: not “I drink usually coffee”, but “I usually drink coffee”. “Never” is already negative, so it is not used with “not”: not “I don't never go”, but “I never go”.

A short exercise

Think about your week and write six sentences, each with a different adverb of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never). Then prepare three “How often…?” questions to ask a friend.

To keep going, see Present simple or present continuous? The difference and How to practise everyday English speaking at home.

Frequently asked questions

Which tense do adverbs of frequency go with? Mostly the present simple, because they describe habits, but they work with any tense: “I have never seen it.”

What does “ever” mean? In questions it means “at any time”: “Have you ever tried sushi?” It is not usually used in positive sentences.