We use adverbs of frequency and time expressions to talk about how often we do something and when we do it.

🔁 1. Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often we do an activity.

🧩 Common Adverbs:

Adverb	Meaning	Example
always	100%	I always drink coffee in the morning. ☕
usually	about 80%	I usually go to bed at 11. 🕚
often	about 60%	I often read before bed. 📖
sometimes	about 40%	I sometimes eat out. 🍽️
hardly ever / rarely	about 10%	I hardly ever watch TV. / I rarely eat fast food. 📺🍔
never	0%	I never smoke. 🚭

💡 “Hardly ever” and “rarely” both mean almost never.
They are more polite and softer than “never.”

⚙️ Word Order — Adverbs of Frequency

🟢 Before the main verb

I always eat breakfast.
She usually studies at night.

🟣 After the verb to be

I am never late.
He is rarely tired.

🕰️ 2. Time Expressions

Time expressions tell us when or how often something happens.

💬 Examples:

• every day / every morning / every weekend
• in the morning / in the evening
• on weekends / on Fridays
• once a week / twice a month / three times a year
• at night / at the weekend

📏 Word Order — Time Expressions

There are two main positions for time expressions:

🅰️ At the end of the sentence (most common)

I go shopping on Saturdays.
We study English every morning.
She exercises twice a week.

🅱️ At the beginning of the sentence (for emphasis)

On weekends, I relax and watch movies.
In the morning, I drink coffee and read the news.

🧠 Combine time expressions with adverbs of frequency for natural sentences:

I usually go jogging in the morning.
We hardly ever eat out on weekdays.

🪄 Tip: Don’t put both “adverb of frequency” and “time expression” together at the beginning.
✅ “I usually study English at night.”
🚫 “Usually I study English at night.” (too informal, except in spoken English)

Let’s Practice!

Practice 1

Speaking

Look at the cards.

Complete the questions using the words from the cards starting with How often…?

Discuss the question with your classmates