UNIT 9 LESSON 03: ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

Let’s talk about how often you do things! 🔄

🔄 HOW OFTEN?

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens.

Adverb	Meaning
always	every time
usually	most of the time
often	many times
sometimes	from time to time
never	not at any time

Think of them as a simple scale:

ALWAYS → USUALLY → OFTEN → SOMETIMES → NEVER

📍 WHERE DO WE PUT THEM?

With most verbs, the adverb of frequency goes before the main verb.

• I always play football after school.
• She usually reads before bed.
• We often watch films together.
• They sometimes go cycling.
• He never plays tennis.

With the verb to be, the adverb usually comes after be.

• I am usually tired after school.
• She is always happy at the weekend.
• They are sometimes late.

❓ HOW OFTEN DO YOU…?

To ask about frequency, we can use:

Question	Answer
How often do you read?	I usually read before bed.
How often do you play football?	I often play football.
How often does she draw?	She sometimes draws.
How often do they go cycling?	They never go cycling.

Remember that do and does depend on the subject:

• Do you play video games?
• Does your brother play video games?

🎨 HOBBIES AND HABITS

We can use adverbs of frequency to talk about our hobbies and free time.

Activity	Example
read	I usually read comics.
play video games	I often play video games.
draw	I sometimes draw.
ride a bike	I often ride my bike.
watch films	I usually watch films at the weekend.
play an instrument	I never play an instrument.

📖 READ: MY WEEK

Read about Ben’s hobbies and habits during a normal week.

Hi! I’m Ben. I have different hobbies, but I don’t do them every day. I always listen to music when I come home from school. I usually play football on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At the weekend, I often ride my bike with my friends. We sometimes go to the park and take photos. I also like reading. I usually read in the evening, but I never read in the morning because I’m too sleepy! I sometimes play video games with my brother, especially when the weather is bad. I think it’s important to have time for the things you enjoy.

🔎 CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

1. When does Ben always listen to music?
2. How often does he play football?
3. Who does he ride his bike with?
4. Where do Ben and his friends sometimes go?
5. When does Ben usually read?
6. Why does Ben never read in the morning?

✏️ PRACTISE: HOW OFTEN?

Complete these sentences with information about you.

• I always…
• I usually…
• I often…
• I sometimes…
• I never…

🎯 YOUR HABITS

Write five sentences about your hobbies and free time. Use a different adverb of frequency in each sentence.

For example: I usually read before bed.

🗣️ ASK A FRIEND

Ask a friend these questions and compare your answers:

• How often do you read?
• How often do you play video games?
• How often do you play sports?
• How often do you listen to music?
• How often do you watch films?

🏆 A2 CHALLENGE

Write a short paragraph about your typical week. Include at least five adverbs of frequency and talk about your hobbies, school or free time.

Try to use always, usually, often, sometimes and never.

🎮 GAMES

Practise adverbs of frequency and How often…? with these games:

📥 Fichas descargables

📝 Resumen

In this lesson, you have learned how to talk about how often you do things using adverbs of frequency such as always, usually, often, sometimes and never. You can now ask and answer questions about habits, hobbies and routines and describe your typical week in simple A2 English.