How to Teach Adverbs of Frequency in English?

How to Teach Adverbs of Frequency? Examples & Exercise

Adverbs are an important part of a language, because they express how a verb (an action) is done. When we want to describe how often an action (a verb) is done, we need to use adverbs of frequency. But, how do you teach it to your students? Read below to find our top tips and examples!

What are Adverbs of Frequency?

Adverbs that modify or qualify the meaning of a sentence by saying how often or how often something happens are defined as adverbs of frequency.

An adverb of frequency sounds like exactly what it is - an adverb of time. Adverbs of frequency always describe how often something happens, either in definite or indefinite terms. An adverb that describes a specific frequency such as daily, weekly or yearly. An adverb describing indefinite frequency does not specify an exact time period; Examples are sometimes, often, and rarely.

How to Teach Adverbs of Frequency?

I find it useful to show students the above and below, so they can see the most common positions for adverbs of frequency between subjects and verbs. Here are some other examples I like to use with them:

• Sara always goes out on Monday evenings.
• Smith's boyfriend usually picks her up and they drive into the city centre.
• Emma and Ben often go for lunch together.

• In the winter Jerry sometimes goes Skiing in Spain.

• Stephen and James rarely go to the movie in the summer because they prefer to stay outside.
• As Harry is so busy she never gets home from work before 8.

More Examples of Adverbs of Frequency

Each sentence contains an example of an adverb of frequency: Examples are italicized for ease of identification.

• Incubators do not turn eggs hourly.
• We take at least a vacation once annually.
• I usually shop for groceries on Wednesday mornings.
• She is often late for work.
• We seldom see Alex.
• My dentist told me to floss twice daily.

Check Your Understanding of Adverbs of Frequency

Fill in the gapes by choosing the most appropriate adverbs of frequency from the list below.

(every now and then, occasionally, seldom, usually, eventually, often, frequently, hardly ever, rarely, always,)

1. Alex _______ plays tennis in the evening.
2. We come here _____________.
3. The place is ________ crowded at times.
4. Rose has __________ gone on any trip.
5. My neighbors and their families get together __________.
6. He __________ keeps a check on his son.
7. Does Smith visit you _________?
8. You will __________ understand how to do it.
9. The buss here are _______ late.
10. He _________ goes home during the weekends.

Find Out And Check How You Understand Adverbs of Frequency.

Answers:

1. Alex always plays tennis in the evening.
2. We come here every time.
3. The place is rarely crowded at times.
4. Rose has hardly ever gone on any trip.
5. My neighbors and their families get together occasionally.
6. He frequently keeps a check on his son.
7. Does Smith visit you often?
8. You will eventually understand how to do it.
9. The buss here are seldom late.
10. He usually goes home during the weekends.

Frequently Asked Questions on Adverbs of Frequency in English

What is an adverb of frequency?

An adverb of frequency is a word used to give more information about a verb, adjective, or other adverb in a sentence.

What is the definition of adverb of frequency?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word 'frequency' is defined as "how often something happens in a given period of time, or how often or often something happens". Thus, an adverb of frequency is an adverb that describes how often an action occurs in a given period of time. Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines the word 'frequency' as "the rate at which something happens or repeats itself." Therefore, an adverb of frequency can be defined as an adverb that refers to the rate at which something happens.

Where can we put an adverb of frequency in a sentence?

Adverbs of frequency can be placed after the noun or pronoun that serves as the subject and before the verb if there is only one verb in a sentence. If a sentence contains more than one verb (eg, auxiliary verb), the adverb of frequency can be placed before the main verb.

Give some examples of adverbs of frequency.
Some examples of adverbs of frequency are often, seldom, rarely, every now and then, hardly ever, sometimes, never, occasionally, eventually, always, etc.