Negative sentences with "often"

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Rachel Adams

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Joined
Nov 4, 2018
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Student or Learner
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Georgia
Current Location
Georgia
Hello.

Can I put "often" at the beginning or the end of a sentence? The first sentence must be correct but I am not sure I can put it before "don't".
1. "I don't often go out".

2. "I don't go out often".

3 "I often don't go out".

4. "Often I don't go out."
 
All sound natural in colloquial BrE. I would stick with the first two for complete sentences, the others fit more naturally as part of longer sentences.
 
Number four doesn't work for my American ears. There may be places where "often" works at the beginning of a sentence, but I can't think of any and this isn't one of them.
 
The full stops/periods should go inside the quotation marks in those sentences.
 
3 & 4 sound a bit more emphatic to me.
 
All sound natural in colloquial BrE. I would stick with the first two for complete sentences, the others fit more naturally as part of longer sentences.

As in "I often don't go out when it rains." And "Often I don't go out when it rains" as part of longer sentences.
 
I'd only say 'I don't often go out when it rains'.
 
Hello.

Can I put "often" at the beginning or the end of a sentence? The first sentence must be correct but I am not sure I can put it before "don't".
1. "I don't often go out". 10%

2. "I don't go out often". 90%

3 "I often don't go out". 0%

4. "Often I don't go out." 0%

My personal AmE usage would be.
 
My BrE would allow the last two for special occasions.
 
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