Adverbs of frequency are words like always, sometimes and never . We use them to tell how often something happens.
Except for “hardly ever”, English adverbs of frequency consist of a single word. But how do you know which one to use each time? That depends on the level of regularity you want to convey.
Adverbs of Frequency and expressions List
Frequency | Adverb of Frequency | Example Sentence |
100% | always | I always run in the mornings. |
90% | usually | I usually take the bus to work |
80% | normally / generally | I normally go to the gym. |
70% | often* / frequently | I often surf the internet. |
50% | sometimes | I sometimes forget my wife’s birthday. |
30% | occasionally | I occasionally eat junk food. |
10% | seldom | I seldom read the newspaper. |
5% | hardly ever / rarely | I hardly ever drink alcohol. |
0% | never | I never swim in the sea. |
We can also use the following expressions when we want to be more specific about the frequency:
- every day
- once a month
- twice a year
- four times a day
- every other week
- daily
- monthly
I play tennis twice a week.
I play tennis once a week.
Every Monday I have a gym