Adverbs of Frequency | Examples & List

Published on September 23, 2024 by Ryan Cove, BA. Revised on October 11, 2024.

We use adverbs of frequency to provide clarity about how often something happens.

For example, if you use the adverb of frequency “always,” that action occurs 100% of the time. If you use the adverb of frequency “never,” that action occurs 0% of the time.

Below is a table with the most common adverbs of frequency and corresponding percentages indicating how often something is done.

Adverbs of frequency examples
Frequency (%) Adverb of frequency Example sentence
100% always Sarah always has coffee in the morning.
90–99% usually Oliver usually eats a healthy dinner.
70–89% often We often visit our grandparents on the weekends.
50–69% sometimes She sometimes goes on vacation during the holidays.
30–49% occasionally I occasionally have a glass of wine with dinner.
10–29% seldom/rarely Pavel seldom/rarely watches television.
1–9% hardly ever She hardly ever eats fast food.
0% never Eric never enjoys going to the dentist.
Note
The above percentages are not exact. The above adverbs of frequency are also called adverbs of indefinite frequency and are meant to give a general idea of how often something occurs.

If you need to be exact when discussing how often something occurs, use adverbs of definite frequency (e.g., “daily,” “weekly”).

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Present Perfect Continuous | Examples & Exercises

Published on September 18, 2024 by Ryan Cove, BA. Revised on December 16, 2024.

The present perfect continuous (also called present perfect progressive) is a verb tense used to discuss an action that started in the past and continues in the present moment. It’s used to talk about ongoing actions and recent actions that have an effect on the present.

Present perfect continuous forms
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I have been cooking I haven’t been cooking Have I been cooking?
You (singular) have been cooking You haven’t been cooking Have you been cooking?
He/she/it has been cooking He/she/it hasn’t been cooking Has he/she/it been cooking?
We have been cooking We haven’t been cooking Have we been cooking?
You (plural) have been cooking You haven’t been cooking Have you been cooking?
They have been cooking They haven’t been cooking Have they been cooking?

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Singular They | History, Examples & Use

Published on September 12, 2024 by Ryan Cove, BA. Revised on November 5, 2024.

The “singular they” is a third-person plural pronoun used in the singular form. It’s used when referring to a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant or when referring to someone who uses “they” as a personal pronoun.

Historically, grammar sticklers have long argued that using “they” as singular was grammatically incorrect. However, many people use “they” as a singular pronoun in formal and informal writing and conversation.

Today, numerous style guides—including AP, APA, MLA, and Chicago—now accept and endorse the use of the singular they. Even dictionaries—including Merriam-Webster and Oxford—accept the use of the singular they as grammatically correct.

Singular they examples
When a person sets goals, they should be specific about them.

If anyone arrives early, tell them they can wait in the lobby.

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