[Grammar] Help me about Adverbs of Frequency

[danghuynh]

Hi i am a newbie and nice to meet everyone here, can you explain to me what is different about adverbs of frequency, i completely understand all the meaning of these adverbs but i really got confuse when using them, it is not a big problem in speaking but it makes me crazy when doing with exercises, can you show me exactly where should i put them in right location.
thanks

 

[bhaisahab]

Hi I am a newbie and nice to meet everyone here, can you explain to me what is different about adverbs of frequency, I completely understand all the meaning of these adverbs but I really get confused when using them, it is not a big problem in speaking but it makes me crazy when doing with exercises. Can you show me exactly where should I put them in right location?
thanks

Welcome to the forums,danghuynh. It would be easier for us to help you if you wrote and posted some example sentences, showing how you think you should use them.

 

[danghuynh]

@ bhaisahab : Thanks for reply

Sure, i will list some kinda common adverbs of frequency that i often meet in my exercises.
We have: Permanently, Often, Seldom, Occasionally, sometimes, always, usually, frequently, regularly, normally, rarely

for examples: how can i use exactly seldom and rarely when they have the same meaning and all the rest of those words :-D

 

[bhaisahab]

@ bhaisahab : Thanks for reply

Sure, i will list some kinda common adverbs of frequency that i often meet in my exercises.
We have: Permanently, Often, Seldom, Occasionally, sometimes, always, usually, frequently, regularly, normally, rarely

for examples: how can i use exactly seldom and rarely when they have the same meaning and all the rest of those words :-D

OK. Now write some sentences using some of those words.

 

[danghuynh]

These following sentence

Jack________bring his dog Spot to work with him. On most days, he leaves Spot in his backyard
(A) occasionally
(B) frequently
(C) almost always
(D) often

Firstly i choose B but the answer key is A. How can i choose exactly when A and B is similar

Once more

I________forget to date forms. I must have been really tired yesterday
(A) sometimes
(B) frequently
(C) often
(D) rarely

Mine is D but the answer is C

And

I_________ walk to work. When it's raining I take the bus, thought.

(A) never
(B) sometimes
(C) almost always
(D) occasionally

Mine is B but it's C

 

[5jj]

Jack________bring his dog Spot to work with him. On most days, he leaves Spot in his backyard.
(A) occasionally.....(B) frequently.....(C) almost always.....(D) often

Firstly [STRIKE]i[/STRIKE] I choose B but the answer key is A. How can [STRIKE]i[/STRIKE] I choose exactly when A and B [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] are similar?

The dictionary definitions of occasionally and frequently tell you that only A is appropriate in the context of this sentence.

 

[5jj]

I________forget to date forms. I must have been really tired yesterday.
(A) sometimes.....(B) frequently.....(C) often'''''(D) rarely

Mine is D but the answer is C

This is not a good question. The second sentence implies that the speaker did forget to date the form(s) yesterday; in that case, D is the most appropriate choice.

I_________ walk to work. When it's raining I take the bus, though[STRIKE]t[/STRIKE].

(A) never.....(B) sometimes.....(C) almost always.....(D) occasionally

Mine is B but it's C.
'Though' implies contrast; C is therefore the appropriate answer, though people who overstate their case might say A.

(written later) Please ignore the words I have underlined and coloured green. They are incorrect. I have not deleted them only because others have commented on them in later posts.

 

[Barb_D]

I have to disagree with your assessment of the last one. If he "never" walks (choice A) then he's not overstating his case. It's just illogical. "I never do X. Sometimes I do Y though."

I find this a bad question. What if it's a rainy climate? Then "sometimes" makes perfect sense. "Sometimes I walk, but when it rains I take the bus." I expect the person who wrote the test wanted C but it must must rain very little there for "almost always" to work.

 

[5jj]

I have to disagree with your assessment of the last one. If he "never" walks (choice A) then he's not overstating his case. It's just illogical. "I never do X. Sometimes I do Y though."

I think that some people do use 'never' when they mean 'almost never' - overstating their case. Of course, if they say that they never do it, and then show that they do it sometimes, this is illogical, but few listeners would automatically think "That's illogical - I don't understand'.

Some people use a double negative for emphasis. That, too, is illogical, and it is unacceptable in standard English, but it causes no problems of understanding.

I find this a bad question. What if it's a rainy climate? Then "sometimes" makes perfect sense. "Sometimes I walk, but when it rains I take the bus." I expect the person who wrote the test wanted C but it must must rain very little there for "almost always" to work.

I agree

 

[Barb_D]

I must be dense because I'm still not following. I'm assuming that he has two choices on how he gets to work. He walks or he takes the bus. If he (almost) never takes walks and sometimes takes the bus, what does he do on those other (the "non-sometimes days when it's not raining") if he's not walking either?

I do agree that we often say "I never do X" to mean almost never but I can't make it it here.

 

[danghuynh]

sorry for breaking in but which is more frequently between sometimes and almost always, my mean is which degree is more higher, more frequently

 

[Raymott]

sorry for breaking in but which is more frequently between sometimes and almost always, my mean is which degree is more higher, more frequently

All three words have their normal dictionary meanings, and there are no tricks in the way 'almost' modifies 'always'.

 

[5jj]

I do agree that we often say "I never do X" to mean almost never but I can't make it it here.

Of course you can't - I was talking rubbish. I don't know what happened there. My apologies to danghuynh and you for confusing the issue.

 

[Barb_D]

I always expect if you and I disagree that I'm just missing something, or it's an American/British this. This one didn't seem the be the latter, so I figured it was the former.