Adverbs of frequency are words that tell us how often an action happens. They answer the question “How often?” They are among the most common adverbs in English because they help speakers describe habits, routines, repeated actions, and events.
For example:
- I always brush my teeth before bed.
- She usually drinks coffee in the morning.
- They sometimes play basketball after school.
- We rarely eat fast food.
- He never lies.
In each sentence, the adverb tells us how frequently the action occurs.
Understanding adverbs of frequency is important because they appear in everyday conversations, books, news articles, and English tests such as EIKEN, TOEFL, IELTS, and school exams.
What Is an Adverb?
An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) a verb, adjective, another adverb, or an entire sentence.
Examples:
- She runs quickly.
- He speaks softly.
- They arrived early.
Adverbs of frequency are one special type of adverb.
Instead of telling how something happens, they tell how often it happens.
Common Adverbs of Frequency
Here are the most common ones, listed from 100% frequency to 0% frequency.
| Adverb | Approximate Frequency |
|---|---|
| Always | 100% |
| Usually | 90% |
| Normally | 80% |
| Generally | 80% |
| Often | 70% |
| Frequently | 70% |
| Sometimes | 50% |
| Occasionally | 30% |
| Seldom | 20% |
| Rarely | 10% |
| Hardly ever | 5% |
| Never | 0% |
Remember that these percentages are only estimates. The exact meaning depends on the situation.
Examples
Always
Always means every time.
Examples:
- I always eat breakfast.
- She always arrives early.
- We always lock the door.
Usually
Usually means most of the time.
Examples:
- I usually walk to school.
- They usually watch TV after dinner.
- He usually finishes his homework quickly.
Often
Often means many times.
Examples:
- We often visit our grandparents.
- She often goes shopping.
- Birds often sing in the morning.
Sometimes
Sometimes means on some occasions.
Examples:
- I sometimes cook dinner.
- My brother sometimes forgets his keys.
- They sometimes play video games.
Rarely
Rarely means not very often.
Examples:
- I rarely drink soda.
- He rarely gets angry.
- We rarely stay up late.
Never
Never means at no time.
Examples:
- She never smokes.
- They never complain.
- I never skip class.
Where Do Adverbs of Frequency Go?
Their position depends on the verb.
1. Before the Main Verb
Most adverbs of frequency come before the main verb.
Examples:
- I always eat breakfast.
- She usually studies at home.
- They often play soccer.
- We sometimes watch movies.
- He rarely forgets names.
Pattern:
Subject + adverb + main verb
2. After the Verb “Be”
When the main verb is be (am, is, are, was, were), the adverb comes after it.
Examples:
- She is always happy.
- They are usually busy.
- I am often tired.
- He was never late.
- We were rarely sick.
Pattern:
Subject + be + adverb
Not:
❌ She always is happy.
Normally we say:
✔ She is always happy.
3. With Auxiliary Verbs
When there is an auxiliary (helping) verb, the adverb usually comes after the first auxiliary.
Examples:
- I have always loved music.
- She has never seen snow.
- They can usually finish early.
- We will often visit them.
- He has sometimes forgotten his wallet.
Using Adverbs in Questions
Adverbs of frequency are less common in questions, but they are possible.
Examples:
- Do you often exercise?
- Have you ever been to Australia?
- Is she usually this busy?
More commonly, English speakers ask:
- How often do you exercise?
- How often do you travel?
Possible answers:
- I always exercise.
- I usually exercise.
- I sometimes exercise.
- I never exercise.
Using Adverbs in Negative Sentences
Examples:
- I don’t usually eat lunch at school.
- She doesn’t often watch TV.
- They aren’t always busy.
- We haven’t ever visited Canada.
- He doesn’t normally drive.
Notice that the adverb stays close to the verb.
Adverbs of Frequency vs. Frequency Expressions
Do not confuse adverbs of frequency with frequency expressions.
Adverbs
- always
- usually
- often
- sometimes
- rarely
- never
Frequency Expressions
- every day
- once a week
- twice a month
- three times a year
- every morning
- on weekends
Examples:
- I always exercise.
- I exercise every day.
- She visits us once a month.
- They go camping twice a year.
Multiple Examples
Daily routines:
- I always wake up at 6:00.
- I usually eat breakfast.
- I often drink coffee.
- I sometimes take the train.
- I rarely oversleep.
- I never miss work.
School:
- She always does her homework.
- He usually studies after dinner.
- We often ask questions.
- They sometimes forget their books.
- Our teacher rarely gets angry.
- The students never cheat.
Sports:
- I often play basketball.
- She usually swims on Saturdays.
- They sometimes go hiking.
- He rarely watches baseball.
- We never skip practice.
Family:
- My parents always support me.
- We usually eat dinner together.
- My sister often calls me.
- Our grandparents sometimes visit.
- My uncle rarely travels.
- My cousin never drinks coffee.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1
❌ I eat always breakfast.
✔ I always eat breakfast.
Mistake 2
❌ She always is happy.
✔ She is always happy.
Mistake 3
❌ They go always shopping.
✔ They always go shopping.
Mistake 4
❌ He never is late.
✔ He is never late.
Tips for Learning
Here are a few ways to master adverbs of frequency:
- Learn them in order from always to never.
- Practice describing your daily routine.
- Listen for them in English conversations, movies, and podcasts.
- Make sentences about yourself.
- Read English books and notice where these words appear.
- Practice both speaking and writing.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate adverb.
- I ______ brush my teeth before bed. (100%)
- She ______ watches horror movies because they scare her. (0%)
- We ______ eat pizza on Fridays. (about 90%)
- He ______ forgets his homework. (about 10%)
- They ______ visit their grandparents. (about 50%)
Possible Answers
- always
- never
- usually
- rarely
- sometimes
Summary
Adverbs of frequency describe how often an action happens. They are essential for talking about habits, routines, and repeated actions in English.
The most common adverbs are always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, and never. In most sentences, they come before the main verb (“She always studies”), but they come after the verb be (“She is always cheerful”). With auxiliary verbs, they usually appear after the first auxiliary (“They have never visited Italy”).
By practicing these words in everyday conversations and writing, you will sound more natural and improve both your grammar and fluency. Mastering adverbs of frequency is an important step toward confident English communication.
**頻度を表す副詞（Adverbs of Frequency）とは、「どのくらいの頻度で行動や出来事が起こるか」**を表す言葉です。つまり、「どれくらいの頻度で？（How often?）」という質問に答える副詞です。
英語では、日常生活の習慣や繰り返し行われる行動について話すときによく使われます。そのため、会話や文章、学校の英語、英検、TOEFL、IELTSなど、あらゆる場面で頻繁に登場します。
例えば、次の文を見てみましょう。
- I always brush my teeth before bed.
（私は寝る前にいつも歯を磨きます。） - She usually drinks coffee in the morning.
（彼女は朝たいていコーヒーを飲みます。） - They sometimes play basketball after school.
（彼らは放課後に時々バスケットボールをします。） - We rarely eat fast food.
（私たちはファストフードをめったに食べません。） - He never lies.
（彼は決してうそをつきません。）
太字の単語が頻度を表す副詞です。それぞれ、「その行動がどのくらいの頻度で起こるのか」を教えてくれます。
副詞とは？
まず、「副詞」とは何かを確認しましょう。
**副詞（adverb）**とは、動詞・形容詞・他の副詞・文全体を修飾（詳しく説明）する言葉です。
例えば、
- She runs quickly.
（彼女は速く走ります。） - He speaks softly.
（彼は静かに話します。） - They arrived early.
（彼らは早く到着しました。）
このように、quickly、softly、earlyは「どのように」「いつ」などを説明しています。
一方、頻度を表す副詞は「どのように」ではなく、**「どれくらいの頻度で」**を説明します。
よく使われる頻度の副詞
頻度を表す副詞にはいくつか種類があります。
下の表は、**100％（いつも）から0％（まったくない）**までのおおよその頻度を示しています。
| 英語 | 日本語 | おおよその頻度 |
|---|---|---|
| always | いつも | 100% |
| usually | たいてい | 約90% |
| normally | 普通は | 約80% |
| generally | 一般的には | 約80% |
| often | よく | 約70% |
| frequently | 頻繁に | 約70% |
| sometimes | 時々 | 約50% |
| occasionally | ときどき | 約30% |
| seldom | めったに～ない | 約20% |
| rarely | めったに～ない | 約10% |
| hardly ever | ほとんど～ない | 約5% |
| never | 決して～ない | 0% |
これらの割合は目安です。実際には話し手の感じ方や状況によって多少変わります。
それぞれの副詞の使い方
always（いつも）
alwaysは「毎回」「例外なく」という意味です。
例文
- I always eat breakfast.
（私はいつも朝食を食べます。） - She always arrives early.
（彼女はいつも早く到着します。） - We always lock the door.
（私たちはいつもドアに鍵をかけます。）
つまり、毎回必ず行う習慣を表します。
usually（たいてい）
usuallyは「ほとんどの場合」という意味です。
例文
- I usually walk to school.
（私はたいてい学校まで歩きます。） - They usually watch TV after dinner.
（彼らはたいてい夕食後にテレビを見ます。） - He usually finishes his homework quickly.
（彼はたいてい宿題を早く終えます。）
毎回ではありませんが、多くの場合そうであることを表します。
often（よく）
oftenは「よく」「しばしば」という意味です。
例文
- We often visit our grandparents.
（私たちはよく祖父母を訪ねます。） - She often goes shopping.
（彼女はよく買い物に行きます。） - Birds often sing in the morning.
（鳥は朝によくさえずります。）
「always」ほどではありませんが、高い頻度で起こることを表します。
sometimes（時々）
sometimesは「時々」「たまに」という意味です。
例文
- I sometimes cook dinner.
（私は時々夕食を作ります。） - My brother sometimes forgets his keys.
（兄（弟）は時々鍵を忘れます。） - They sometimes play video games.
（彼らは時々テレビゲームをします。）
毎回ではなく、ある時にはするが、ある時にはしないという意味です。
rarely（めったに～ない）
rarelyは「めったに～ない」という意味です。
例文
- I rarely drink soda.
（私は炭酸飲料をめったに飲みません。） - He rarely gets angry.
（彼はめったに怒りません。） - We rarely stay up late.
（私たちはめったに夜更かしをしません。）
頻度はかなり低く、「ほとんどしない」という意味になります。
never（決して～ない）
neverは「一度も～ない」「決して～ない」という意味です。
例文
- She never smokes.
（彼女は決してたばこを吸いません。） - They never complain.
（彼らは決して文句を言いません。） - I never skip class.
（私は授業を決して休みません。）
neverは**0％**を表し、その行動がまったく起こらないことを意味します。
頻度の副詞を覚えるコツ
次の順番で覚えると理解しやすくなります。
always
↓
usually
↓
often
↓
sometimes
↓
occasionally
↓
seldom / rarely
↓
hardly ever
↓
never
上に行くほど頻度が高く、下に行くほど頻度が低くなります。
例えば、
- I always study English.
（私はいつも英語を勉強します。） - I usually study English.
（私はたいてい英語を勉強します。） - I often study English.
（私はよく英語を勉強します。） - I sometimes study English.
（私は時々英語を勉強します。） - I rarely study English.
（私はめったに英語を勉強しません。） - I never study English.
（私は決して英語を勉強しません。）
副詞が変わるだけで、行動の頻度が大きく変わることがわかります。
以上が第1部です。
第2部では、以下の内容を詳しく説明します。
- 頻度の副詞の語順（動詞の前・be動詞の後など）
- 助動詞と一緒に使う場合
- 疑問文での使い方
- 否定文での使い方
- every day や once a week などの「頻度を表す表現」との違い
その後の第3部では、よくある間違い、練習問題、まとめを日本語で詳しく解説します。
