Adverbs of Frequency

Why do we use adverbs of frequency? Look at these examples: 1) He’s often angry. 2) It works sometimes. 3) They’re rarely here.

Adverbs	Examples
100% – Always	I always wake up on time.
90% – Usually	I usually have a banana for breakfast.
80% – Normally/Generally	I normally take the bus to work.
70% – Often/Frequently	I often go home late.
50% – Sometimes	I sometimes pack a lunch.
30% – Occasionally	I occasionally read a book before bed.
10% – Seldom	I seldom wake up late.
5% – Hardly ever/Rarely	I rarely miss the bus.
0% – Never	I never work the overnight shift.
Correct Word Order: Subject + Be + Adverb – I am always late. Subject + Adverb+ Main Verb – I always wake up on time. Helper Verb + Subject + Adverb + Main Verb? – Do you always wake up late?	Don’t use hardly ever or never with negative verbs Don’t use always, hardly ever, seldom, rarely or never at the beginning of a sentence

Practice

Compound Sentences

Looking at the examples below, which one is a simple sentence, and which one is a compound sentence?

Rules & Examples	Conjunctions
I like tea. This is a simple sentence or one complete sentence.	We use and to talk about different ideas or a series of actions.   I like chocolate, and he likes vanilla. I made a chocolate cake for dessert, and we ate it.
Miriam and Angelo like tea. This is a simple sentence with two subjects.	We use but to talk about contrasting ideas.   I like washing dishes, but he hates it.
Miriam and Angelo like tea and drink coffee. This is a simple sentence with two subjects, two verbs, and two objects.	We use or to talk about choices. We can go to bed now, or we can watch another movie.
Miriam likes tea with honey, and Angelo likes coffee with sugar. This is a compound sentence because you can break it into two simple sentences: Miriam likes tea + Angelo likes coffee.	We use so to talk about a result. The second idea is the result of the first one. I didn’t like the soup, so I stopped eating it.
Miriam and Angelo have toast and tea for breakfast, or Miriam and Angelo have pancakes and coffee. This is a compound sentence with two subjects, two verbs, and two objects on each side.	We use nor to talk about negative actions or choices. He doesn’t wake up early, nor does he make breakfast.
Note: Some teachers might say using coordinating conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence is wrong, but in spoken (and written) English, fluent speakers often use FANBOYS (which stands for For-And-Nor-But-Or-Yet-So) at the beginning of a sentence. Example: But I didn’t go to the party. This sentence is not compound because it does not have two complete sentences on both sides of but. It’s incomplete or a fragment.	We use yet to talk about contrasting ideas as well, but yet has more emphasis than but. She hates cooking, yet she does it all the time.
	We use for to talk about the reason. For as a coordinating conjunction is less common in speech. I ate three burgers for lunch, for I was hungry.

Practice: Are these compound sentences correct? Check your answers below.

1. I usually have juice or water with my lunch.
2. They finished work, so they went home.
3. She wakes up, brushes her teeth, and goes to school.
4. The weather is cloudy but still warm.
5. It is raining, yet she takes her umbrella.