Adverbs of frequency tell how often something happens: always, almost always, usually, normally, generally, frequently, often, sometimes, occasionally, every now and then, rarely/seldom, hardly ever, barely ever, almost never, never. Use them to describe habits, routines, and repeated actions.
| Adverb | Typical Frequency | Model sentence |
|---|---|---|
| always | ~100% | I always recycle on Mondays. |
| almost always | ~95% | She almost always walks to work. |
| usually | ~90% | She is usually on time. |
| normally | ~85% | We normally meet on Fridays. |
| generally | ~80% | He generally studies in the evening. |
| frequently | ~75% | They frequently visit the library. |
| often | ~70% | We often read local news. |
| sometimes | ~50% | Sometimes, I take the bus. |
| occasionally | ~30% | They occasionally volunteer. |
| every now and then | ~20% | Every now and then, we eat out. |
| rarely / seldom | ~10–15% | He is rarely late. |
| hardly ever | ~5% | I hardly ever drive downtown. |
| barely ever | ~2% | She barely ever misses class. |
| almost never | ~2% | We almost never stay up late. |
| never | 0% | We never litter. |
Subject + adverb + main verb
Subject + be + adverb
Place the adverb after the first auxiliary/modal (have, be, can, will, should, etc.).
Front position is common with sometimes and often in informal English.
These common phrases also describe frequency, but they follow different placement rules than single-word adverbs:
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| How often + do/does + subject + base verb? | How often do you volunteer? — I usually volunteer on weekends. |
| How often + be + subject? | How often are you late? — I’m rarely late. |
| Short answers echo the auxiliary | Do you often read local news? — Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. Have you often joined meetings? — Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t. |