Adverbs of Frequency - Rules and Examples

Adverbs of frequency are words that describe how often something happens. They are used to answer questions such as “How often?”, “When?”, “Where?”, “How much?”, “How many times?” and are used to describe frequency and intensity. In this article, we will be taking a closer look at adverbs of frequency, the rules for using them correctly, and providing some examples of common adverbs of frequency.

Rules for Using Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency are generally placed before the main verb in a sentence. For example, if the main verb is "to read", an adverb of frequency will be placed before it.

When using adverbs of frequency in questions, they are placed after the auxiliary verb. For example, if the auxiliary verb is "do", an adverb of frequency will follow it.

In some cases, adverbs of frequency can be placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis.

Common Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency can be divided into three main categories:

Always

These adverbs describe actions that happen all the time.

• Always
• Continuously
• Constantly

Often

These adverbs describe actions that happen frequently.

• Regularly
• Frequently
• Occasionally
• Usually

Rarely

These adverbs describe actions that happen infrequently.

• Seldom
• Rarely
• Hardly ever
• Never

Examples of Adverbs of Frequency

Here are some examples of adverbs of frequency in use:

• I always eat breakfast before I go to work.
• I do yoga regularly to stay healthy.
• We hardly ever go out to eat.
• She never forgets to take her vitamins.
• I usually go to bed early.