25. Frequency adverbs

25.1 Include the adverb in the following sentences

I go to the pictures (often).
I have seen an elephant (never).
She is a good student (always).
I do my homework (usually).
I forget my homeowrk (sometimes).
We try to work well (always).
We are very busy (generally).
My mother goes for a walk on Sundays (often).
The buses are full in this town (usually).
They have heard of it (never).
The student on my left makes mistakes (always).
The student on my right answers correctly (never).
My friend stays long (never).
I am going for a walk (just).
She has come in (Just).
I travel by train (usually).
Mary can swim now (nearly).
She knows what to say about it (scarcely).
I can't understand (quite).
The porter was able to carry my luggage (hardly).
We have firnished this exercise (almost).
The children quarrel with each other (often).
Her death has upset me (quite).
I drink my tea with milk (generally).
He gets up before half past nine (never).

Some very common adverbs , usually answering the question How often? come immediately before the PRINCIPAL verb of the sentence: e.g. I often see him, I have often seen him. BUT they come before the verb TO BE: e.g. She is always late, you are never to come late again.

The most common adverbs of this type are: often, never, always, sometimes, generally, usually, just, almost, nearly, quite, hardly, scarcely.

Other similar adverbs are: ever, scarcely ever, hardly ever, nearly always, seldom, rarely, occasionally, frequently, already.

Ever is used in questions and negative sentences, or where there is doubt: have you ever been here before? if you ever come to Spain you must look me up.
Some adverbs have a variable position (e.g. nearly, only, just) and come before the very when modifying its meaning - e.g. he only lent it to me (= he didn't give it to be) versus he lent it to me only (= he only lent it to me).
All the above adverbs can be used before auxiliaries when emphasising them - Mary is late again. Yes she always is late. Why don't you do your home work in time? - But I always do do it in time. (note the first"do" here is an auxiliary verb for emphasis).
The two auxiliaries taking "to" (used to and have to) usually have the adverb before them - e.g. I scarcely ever had to ask him ... you always used to agree with me ..
Ought to sometimes follows (4) in spoken English (you always ought to get up early), but its more educated to have the adverb after the verb (you ought always to get up early).

25.2 Add the adverbs to the following sentences (intermediate).

"I have seen a worse piece of work (rarely)". "I have (never)". e.g. "I have rarely seen a worse piece of work". "I never have"
Cyril used to call me by the first name (always). In my opinion he ought to have spoken to you at all! (never).
Were you able to understand mathematical problems? (ever). No, I could (never).
I've been able to get in for nothing (nearly always). I have been su lucky (never). I have to pay (always).
I used to have to wait more than half an hour for my friend Maisie (nealy always).
I've seen you properly dressed (hardly ever).
I've met a more ill-mannered man (seldom).
You ought to get of a bus when it is moving (never).
I do get off a bus when it is moving.
He has told me he is in love with me (frequently).
He is a little boy (only), but he broke the window with his ball (nearly).
He isn't late (generally), but he was last night (nearly).
The municipal water-system breaks down (rarely).
You can prove it to be true (never) because it isn't so (just).
None of them had been there before (ever) and they wanted to go again (never).
Why don't you wear a hat in winter (even)? You did in England (always).
I do wear a hat in winter (generally)(.
You ought to write to your mother (always). Oh, I do (occasionally).
He does say rude things like that (always); he ought to have been born (never).
I had to tell him twice (scarcely ever).
You are to do as your father tells you (always). I do always.
I have to do it myself (nearly always).
None of you need come (ever) if you have the time (so seldom).
I should have known the answers (never) if you had not whispered them to me (always).
He'll have to leave you again (never).

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