Grammar ~20 min of the core left

Say how often you do things

After this lesson you can

I can say how often I do something and join two sentences into one.

Start the lesson Core 18–20 min · steps: 6 · optional: +2

Declared core time. Two of the core blocks carry no figure at all, so the real lesson is longer than this sum.

Grammar

4 min

Adverbs of frequency — and the main thing about them is not the meaning but the place.

always	usually	often	sometimes	never
every time	most of the time	many times	at some times	at no time

The rule of place is one rule, but it has two halves:

before the main verb: I always get up at seven.
after the verb be: I am always late.

never is already a negative on its own — do not put a second don't next to it: I never work on Sunday, not I don't never work.

How often? — How often do you…?

Three conjunctions that join sentences:

conjunction	what it does	example
and	joins	I work and I study.
but	shows a contrast	I like coffee, but I don't like tea.
because	gives the reason	I get up late because I don't work.

Common learner errors

written for your language

The adverb at the end or after the verb

✗ I get up always at seven

✓ I always get up at seven

In French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch or the Scandinavian languages the adverb often comes after the verb ("I get up always"), and in many languages its place is free. In English the place is fixed: before the main verb.

Double negative

✗ I don't never work

✓ I never work

Many languages need two negative words in one sentence: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Greek, Polish and other Slavic languages say "I not work never". English does not allow this: one negative word is enough.

Pronunciation

3 min

In connected speech, conjunctions are weak and short:

written	sounds
and	/ən/, often /n/
but	/bət/
because	/bɪˈkəz/, often /kəz/

fish and chips sounds like "fish'n'chips" — this is not careless speech, it is normal.

Text

3 min

I usually get up at seven, but on Sunday I get up at ten. I always have breakfast because I work until six. I sometimes go to the cinema in the evening. I never work at night.

Reading aloud

Exercises

8–10 min

1. Word order.

[ always / I / get up / at seven ]
[ is / he / late / never ]
[ sometimes / we / work / on Saturday ]

Show the answers

I always get up at seven. He is never late. We sometimes work on Saturday.

2. Gap fill.

I like tea I don't like coffee
I work I study
I'm tired I work a lot

Show the answers

but, and, because.

3. Error correction.

I don't never work.
I get up always early.
He always is late.

Show the answers

I never work. / I always get up early. / He is always late.

4. Matching.

The adverb → how often. always, usually, sometimes, never → 0%, 100%, 50%, 80%

Show the answers

always 100%, usually 80%, sometimes 50%, never 0%.

Summary

Covered

five adverbs of frequency and their place
no double negatives
the conjunctions and
but
because

Next — lesson 12: review of lessons 7–11.

End of the core

The lesson counts as done once the exercises are done. Everything after this is optional.

Lesson 12

optional

Vocabulary for your deck

12 words

always /ˈɔːlweɪz/ every time; at all times
usually /ˈjuːʒuəli/ most of the time
often /ˈɒfn/ many times
sometimes /ˈsʌmtaɪmz/ at some times, not always
never /ˈnevə/ at no time; not ever
because /bɪˈkɒz/ for this reason (it gives the reason)
but /bʌt/ joins two different or opposite ideas
until /ənˈtɪl/ up to a time (until six)
cinema /ˈsɪnəmə/ a place where you watch films
tired /ˈtaɪəd/ needing rest or sleep
a lot /ə ˈlɒt/ much, very much
tea /tiː/ a hot drink made from leaves

Writing

Five sentences about your habits; at least one with but and one with because.

Example

I usually get up at seven. I always have breakfast because I work until six. I sometimes go to the cinema, but I never work at night.

Checklist

is the adverb before the main verb and after be?
is there no don't next to never?

The draft is saved on this device

Practise this lesson in the other sections

Dictationbased on this lesson Write down what you hear. The check shows every word that differs, and how. Write the dictation Reading aloudbased on this lesson Read the lesson text aloud — speech recognition highlights the words it did not catch. Read the text aloud Reading and listeningA1–C1 Texts at every level with comprehension questions; the transcript opens after you answer. Try it

Got a feature idea?

Tell us what you'd like to see next — we read every message and ship suggestions weekly.

Send idea →