💡 Daily Idiom — To make a habit of something

✔️ She makes a habit of reading before bed.
✔️ You should make a habit of reviewing your notes daily.

🔤 Daily Phrasal Verb — Stick to

✔️ He always sticks to his morning routine.
✔️ It's hard to stick to a new habit.

🔗 Daily Collocation — Keep a routine

✔️ Successful people usually keep a strict routine.
✔️ She keeps a routine of exercising every morning.

1. What Are Adverbs of Frequency?

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. They are essential for describing habits, routines and repeated actions — one of the most common uses in everyday English.

Question: How often do you…?
Answer: I always / usually / often / sometimes / rarely / never + verb…

2. The Frequency Scale — From 100% to 0%

3. Position of Adverbs of Frequency — The Golden Rules

Rule 1 : Before the main verb (except "to be") — Subject + ADVERB + main verb + rest

She always wakes up at 6am. (Elle se réveille toujours à 6h du matin.)
Konan usually studies in the evening. (Konan étudie généralement le soir.)
They never eat breakfast before school. (Ils ne mangent jamais le petit-déjeuner avant l'école.)

Rule 2 : After the verb "to be" — Subject + am/is/are/was/were + ADVERB + rest

She is always on time for her lessons. (Elle est toujours à l'heure pour ses cours.)
The market is usually very busy on Saturdays. (Le marché est généralement très animé le samedi.)
He was never late when he worked here. (Il n'était jamais en retard quand il travaillait ici.)

Rule 3 : Between auxiliary and main verb — Subject + auxiliary + ADVERB + main verb

She has always wanted to become a doctor. (Elle a toujours voulu devenir médecin.)
They have never visited Abidjan before. (Ils n'ont jamais visité Abidjan auparavant.)

4. Flexible Adverbs — Sometimes, Usually, Often, Occasionally

Some adverbs can also appear at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis or style — especially sometimes, usually, often and occasionally.

Sometimes I drink tea in the evening instead of coffee. (Parfois, je bois du thé le soir plutôt que du café.)
I drink tea in the evening sometimes. (Je bois parfois du thé le soir.)
Usually, Aminata prepares her lessons the night before. (D'habitude, Aminata prépare ses cours la veille au soir.)

5. Asking About Frequency

How often + do/does/did + subject + verb? · How often + am/is/are + subject + adjective?

6. Adverbial Expressions of Frequency

In addition to single-word adverbs, you can use adverbial phrases to express frequency. These usually go at the end of the sentence.

7. Adverbs of Frequency with Negatives

Be careful with never, hardly ever and rarely — they already carry a negative meaning. Never use them with "not".

I never skip my morning routine. ✔ (Je ne saute jamais ma routine matinale.)
She hardly ever watches television. ✔ (Elle regarde presque jamais la télévision.)

8. Real-Life Context — Daily Routines in Côte d'Ivoire

A: How often do you practise your English outside of class, Aminata?
B: I usually watch an English video every morning before school. I sometimes listen to English podcasts on the gbaka too!
A: That's great! Do you ever speak English with your friends?
B: We occasionally have small conversations in English. But Konan rarely joins us — he is always too shy to speak!
A: He should try! Speaking often is the best way to improve.

9. Summary Table — Position Rules

10. Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ She wakes always up early. → ✅ She always wakes up early. (Adverb goes BEFORE the main verb.)
❌ Always I am on time for work. → ✅ I am always on time for work. ('Always' cannot start an affirmative sentence.)
❌ He doesn't never eat breakfast. → ✅ He never eats breakfast. ('Never' is already negative.)
❌ She has visited often Abidjan. → ✅ She has often visited Abidjan. (With auxiliary verbs, the adverb goes BETWEEN the auxiliary and the main verb.)