MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH

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  Put in Order
Frequency adverbs: position
Focus Grammar
Description Practise how to put adverbs of frequency in the right place inside the sentence.
Instructions Order these sentences so the adverb of frequency comes in the right position.
 
Items
always / She / asking me questions / is
 
rarely / help you / Tom / will / if you need it
 
usually / have lunch / you / at home? / Do
 
once a year / usually / I / to the dentist / go
 
get up / always / I / at 8 a.m.
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the end)
often / feel tired? / you / Do
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the beginning or the end)
is / late / often / John
 
breaks down / My car / several times a year
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the beginning or the end)
to help me / very often / My parents / come
 
go / usually / once a month / to the hairdresser's / I
 
you / often / do / to the disco? / How / go
 
Begin the sentence with YESTERDAY
she / twice / me / Yesterday, / phoned
 
day in, day out / have to go / I / shopping
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the beginning or the end)
some help with the homework / usually / They / need
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the end)
always / win / Kevin / ? / Does
 
go / to the gym / Do / every day / ? / you
 
need / some petrol / every other day. / I travel a lot. I
 
never / know / what to say / I
 
My parents / almost never / go on holiday
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the beginning or the end)
often / pizza / for dinner / Mike / eats
 
three times a week / I / to the gym / go
 
I / eat / hardly ever / oranges
 
in the mornings. / very tired / am / Something is the matter with me. I / usually
 
Begin the sentence with SHE
when you talk to her / rarely / listens / She
 
never / your car keys / find / You / can
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the end)
dress / in green? / I / always / Can
 
soup / We / have / every other day
 
Place it in mid-position (not at the beginning or the end)
dresses / She / in blue / very often
 
never / They / can / listen
 
saw / it / five times / I
 
Total number of items: 30
This is an activity from Multimedia-English www.multimedia-english.com
 

FREQUENCY ADVERBS

These adverbs answer the question: How often?
Here is a list ordered from more to less frequency (percentages are approximative)

ALWAYS (100%)
FREQUENTLY (90%)
USUALLY (85%)      = generally, normally
OFTEN (75%)
SOMETIMES (50%)      = now and then
OCCASIONALLY (35%)
SELDOM (25%)
RARELY (10%)
HARDLY EVER (5%)
NEVER (0%)

Word order:

One-word adverbs

Before normal verbs (the rest)
- I OFTEN go to the cinema
- He RARELY watches television
After special verbs (to be, have, do, can, will, etc.)
- I am ALWAYS here
- you can NEVER speak fast o
exceptions:
- I HARDLY EVER watch football on TV
- Tim ALMOST NEVER eats pudding
Notice: Some of these can use VERY (with the same position).
- I VERY OFTEN eat potatoes
- We VERY RARELY go to the beach

Two words or more

At the end of the sentence
- I go to the cinema TWICE A MONTH
- He works in the mornings EVERY OTHER DAY (= every two days)
- He watches football DAY IN, DAY OUT (= every day, every single day)
- We go hiking SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR (= a few times every year)

How many times?
Once = x1
Twice = x2
Three times = x3
Four times, etc. = x4

These frequency phrases usually go at the end:
- You have to ring the bell twice
- I go to the cinema once a month
- Tim goes to school three times a week