Frequency adverbs: always, usually, often, never

The scale

• I always drink water with lunch.
• My neighbour rarely watches television.

Before the main verb

In a neutral sentence, the frequency adverb goes before the main verb.

• We usually cycle to the library.
• She often calls her grandmother.
• They never eat sweets.

After be

In a neutral sentence the adverb goes after be. In an emphatic clause it can come before be, for example when be itself carries the stress: it never IS quiet here.

• My dog is always hungry at six o'clock.
• The shop is usually closed on Mondays.
• The children are never quiet for long.

With auxiliary verbs

With an auxiliary or modal verb, the adverb goes after the first auxiliary and before the main verb.

• My boss has never eaten octopus.
• He can usually fix a bicycle.

Never already makes a sentence negative, so standard English does not add not: she is never late, not "she isn't never late" (a double negative). For a softer negative, use not + often.

• It doesn't often rain here. it rains, but not many times

Questions with ever and how often

Use ever in questions about life or habits; ever goes before the main verb. Use how often at the start to ask about frequency.

• Does she ever call you?
• How often does the bus run on Sundays?

Sometimes at the start or the end

Sometimes and often can also go at the start or the end of a sentence. A neutral statement does not start with always, ever or never.

• Sometimes we eat on the balcony.
• We eat on the balcony sometimes.

What comes next

See Basic word order: verb, object, place and time for the basic sentence order, Adverb position for all adverb types, and The present simple for the present simple.