What are adverbs of frequency?

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. They answer the question 'How often?' and describe whether an action is rare, common, or happens all the time. Common adverbs of frequency include: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, hardly ever, and never. These words are essential for describing habits, routines, and regular activities in English.

Where do adverbs of frequency go in a sentence?

The position of an adverb of frequency depends on the type of verb in the sentence. With simple verbs (like 'go' or 'eat'), place the adverb between the subject and the main verb: 'I usually drink coffee.' With the verb 'to be' (is, are, was, were), place the adverb after the verb: 'She is always late.' With auxiliary verbs (do, have, will), place the adverb after the auxiliary verb: 'I have never seen that film.' Adverbs of frequency can also appear at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis: 'Sometimes I work late' or 'I go swimming often.'

Frequency scale: from 0% to 100%

It helps to think of adverbs of frequency on a scale from 0% to 100%. 'Never' means 0% (it never happens), while 'always' means 100% (it happens every time). 'Hardly ever' is very close to 0%, 'rarely' is low, 'sometimes' is in the middle (around 50%), 'often' and 'usually' are high, and 'always' is at the top. Understanding this scale helps you choose the right word to express exactly how often something happens.

List of Common Adverbs of Frequency

Adverb	Frequency	Meaning	Example Sentence	Typical Position
always	~100%	Every time, without exception	She always drinks coffee in the morning.	Before main verb; after "be"
almost always	~95%	Nearly every time	He almost always arrives on time.	Before main verb
usually	~80%	Most of the time; as a habit	They usually eat dinner at 7 p.m.	Before main verb; can start sentence
normally	~75%	Under normal circumstances	I normally walk to work.	Before main verb; can start sentence
often	~60%	Many times; frequently	We often go hiking on weekends.	Before main verb; can start/end sentence
frequently	~60%	Happening at short intervals	She frequently checks her email.	Before main verb; can end sentence
sometimes	~50%	On some occasions; not always	He sometimes forgets his keys.	Flexible — start, middle, or end
occasionally	~30%	From time to time; not often	They occasionally eat out on Fridays.	Flexible — start, middle, or end
rarely	~10%	Not very often; seldom	I rarely watch television.	Before main verb; after "be"
seldom	~10%	Hardly ever; infrequently (formal)	She seldom misses a deadline.	Before main verb; more formal tone
hardly ever	~5%	Almost never; very infrequently	He hardly ever reads the news.	Before main verb; after "be"
never	0%	Not at any time; not ever	They never eat fast food.	Before main verb; after "be" — no "not" needed

Formula

✔ Positive

Subject + adverb of frequency + main verb + object

I always drink tea in the morning.

? Question

How often + do/does + subject + verb + object?

How often do you go to the gym?

Examples

I always eat breakfast before work.

Daily routine · Simple present with adverb between subject and verb

She is rarely sick, so she comes to the office every day.

General statement · With verb 'to be'

We usually go to the beach in summer.

Regular habit · Adverb before main verb

They have never been to Japan before.

Experience · With auxiliary verb 'have'

Sometimes I work late on Fridays.

Occasional action · Adverb at the beginning of the sentence

He hardly ever complains about anything.

Very infrequent · Two-word adverb of frequency

When to use it

Describing daily routines

Use adverbs of frequency to talk about what you do regularly—your habits and daily activities.

"I usually wake up at 7 AM, and I often go for a run before breakfast."

Saying what you don't do

Use 'never,' 'rarely,' and 'hardly ever' to say how often something doesn't happen.

"I hardly ever eat fast food, and I never skip exercise."

Asking about frequency

Ask questions about how often someone does something in conversations.

"How often do you visit your family? Do you usually go on weekends?"

Casual conversation

Make everyday conversation more natural by describing how often you do things.

"I sometimes work from home, but I'm usually in the office on Mondays."

Signal words

always usually often sometimes rarely hardly ever never frequently occasionally seldom

Common Mistakes

Wrong

I never have been to London.

✓

Correct

I have never been to London.

With 'have', the adverb of frequency goes after the auxiliary verb, not before it.

Wrong

She always is late for meetings.

✓

Correct

She is always late for meetings.

With 'to be' verbs, place the adverb of frequency after the verb, not between subject and verb.

Wrong

They go often to the cinema.

✓

Correct

They often go to the cinema.

With simple verbs, the adverb should come between the subject and the main verb, not after it.

Wrong

He sometimes doesn't come to class.

✓

Correct

He doesn't sometimes come to class. OR He sometimes doesn't come to class.

With negatives, the adverb typically comes before the main verb or after the auxiliary.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

What to Remember

Adverbs of frequency answer 'How often?' and describe how rare or common an action is.
Common adverbs of frequency include: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, hardly ever, and never.
With simple verbs, place the adverb of frequency before the main verb in the sentence.
With the verb 'be', the adverb of frequency comes after 'be', not before it.
Never place an adverb of frequency at the end of a sentence in standard English.

← Previous

Order of adjectives — common mistakes

Always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never — scale