Adverbs of frequency and time list

also                       already          always           ever            hardly          
hardly ever          never             often              rarely          soon          
sometimes           seldom           still                usually        yet

If there’s only one verb, all the above adverbs go before the verb:

We usually play poker on Thursday nights.  (See exception 1)
She sometimes feels a little depressed, especially on holidays. (See exception 2)
In Vancouver we often have rainy weather.
I seldom go to bed before eleven o’clock. (See exception 4)
I hardly ever see my old friends since I started university. (See exception 4)

If the verb is BE, all the above adverbs go after it.

We were never late for a meeting. (See exception 4)
He’s usually shy around women.
I ‘m not yet ready to tell you my secret. (See exception 3)
Are the children still awake?
You are often late for class. (See exception 1)

If there is a modal, all the above adverbs go after the modal and before the main verb:

She should always remember to lock the door.
My friends and I can often tell if she’s lying.  (See exception 1)
Would you ever lie to your best friend?
She may also be a member of the club. (See exception 1)
They could rarely stay away from a party. (See exception 4)

If there are two-word verb tenses, all the above adverbs go between the two:

He’s soon going to realize his mistake. (See exception 1)
I’ve already seen that movie twice. (see exception 3)
Have you ever met someone famous?
We had never seen a prettier sunset.  (See exception 4)
He hasn’t yet called the police. (See exception 3)
I will still take care of you when you’re old.

Exception 1:

Also, often, soon and usually are not only placed like all the others but are also used at the beginning or at the end of the clause:  

She also wants me to help her on Saturday.
Also, she wants me to help her on Saturday.
She wants me to help her on Saturday, also.

I often skip breakfast because I don’t have time to eat.
Often I skip breakfast because I don’t have time to eat.
I skip breakfast often because I don’t have time to eat.

He soon became the best player on the team. 
Soon he became the best player on the team.
He became the best player on the team soon.

She is usually in bed by this hour.
Usually, she‘s in bed at this hour.
She‘s in bed at this hour usually.

Exception 2:

Sometimes is not only placed like all the others but is also used at the beginning of the clause, end of the clause, or after the verb:

She sometimes feels a little depressed, especially on holidays. 
Sometimes she feels a little depressed, especially on holidays. 
She feels a little depressed sometimes, especially on holidays. 
She feels sometimes a little depressed, especially on holidays.

He sometimes worries about his sister all alone in New York.
Sometimes he worries about his sister all alone in New York.
He worries about his sister all alone in New York, sometimes.
He worries sometimes about his sister all alone in New York.

Exception 3:

Yet and already are not only placed like all the others but are also used at the end of the clause:

I’m not yet ready to tell you my secret.
(OR: I’m not ready yet to tell you my secret.)
I ‘m not ready to tell you my secret yet. 
He has already called the police.
He has called the police already. 

Exception 4:

In very formal English the negative adverbs – hardly ever, never, rarely, and seldom – can be at the beginning of a sentence.  Notice that the subject and verb are inverted.

Hardly ever do I see my old friends since I started university. 

Never were we late for a meeting.

Rarely could they stay away from a party.

Seldom do I go to bed before eleven o’clock.

 

Study this lesson, and when you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

 

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

My wife loves my chicken soup, and other people have asked me for the recipe, so here it is.

Ingredients:

4 boxes (about 4 liters) chicken stock
3 large potatoes
2 medium yams
5 medium carrots
2 medium white onions
3 big stalks of celery
1 tbsp. (15 ml.) sweet basil
1 tbsp. (15 ml.) thyme
2 tsp. (10 ml.) cumin
2 tsp. (10 ml.) ground pepper
1 roasted chicken
1/2 cup (125 ml.) rice

Directions:

In a large pot pour the chicken stock.
Peel the skin off the potatoes, yams, and carrots and cut into small pieces about the same size.
Cut the onion and celery into small pieces the same size.
Add all the chopped vegetables to the chicken stock.
Add the spices – basil, thyme, and cumin.
De-bone and de-skin a roasted chicken, and cut the meat into small pieces the same size as the vegetables.
Add the rice and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Click on the audio recording  below to hear the recipe.

Vocabulary:

stock:  water that tastes like chicken
tbsp.:  tablespoon (about 15 millilitres)
tsp.:  teaspoon (about 5 millilitres)
ground:  very tiny pieces
roasted:  cooked in an oven
peel:  take off, strip
chopped:  cut into small pieces
spices:  plants that add flavor to food
de-bone:  remove all bones
de-skin:  remove all skin
boil:  heat the water until there are bubbles
simmer:  cook at a very low temperature

Pronunciation Exercise:  Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

After go, students often make mistakes with to and to the.  Here is the rule with examples.

Go somewhere (no to, no to the)

You‘re going shopping. (or any other activity with an -ing)

I‘m going home.

They‘re going downtown.

He‘s going there.

She‘s going upstairs.

I‘m going downstairs.

We‘re going inside.

They‘re going outside.

You‘re going abroad. (= to another country)

He‘s going overseas.

I‘m going somewhere.

He‘s not going anywhere.

We‘re going nowhere.

Go to somewhere (no to the)

I‘m going to school.

They‘re going to college / university. (when being general and not naming the institution)

My kids are going to daycare.

We‘re going to work.

She‘s going to church.

You‘re going to bed.

I‘m going to lunch.

He‘s going to dinner.

He‘s going to town.

They‘re going to Stanley Park. (or any other names of places)

We‘re going to Vancouver. (or any other city)

She‘s going to Starbucks. (or any other names of business)

Go to the somewhere

He‘s going to the bank.

We‘re going to the store.

They‘re going to the restaurant.

She‘s going to the beach.

I‘m going to the movies.

You‘re going to the supermarket.

We‘re going to the library.

He‘s going to the hospital.

I‘m going to the dentist. (or any other professional person)

[And every other place not on the first 2 lists.]

You can also say go to a somewhere if it’s not the place you always go to but a place you don’t usually go to.

I’m going to a drug store.

We’re going to a coffee shop.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

PRESENT TENSES:

present simple:  I eat

Used for habitual actions (things you do all the time):

I eat bananas almost everyday.
We usually get up late on Saturdays.

Used for facts:

The sun rises early in the summer.
Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.

Used for opinions:

He is very shy with women.
You eat like a pig.

present continuous:   I am eating / I’m eating

Used for actions happening now:

Be quiet.  I am listening to the news.
Hurry!  I’m waiting for you.

Used for actions started in the past but not yet finished:

I’m reading a really good book.  
We’re painting all the bedrooms in the house.

Used for actions in the future (when the future is stated):

We are leaving for San Francisco tomorrow morning.
On Sunday they are playing a game against Vancouver. 

present perfect:  I have eaten / I’ve eaten

Used for past actions when the time is not stated:

We have seen that movie several times.
I’ve met you somewhere before.

Used for actions that happen a number of times:

We have eaten at that restaurant at least five times.
I’ve made that mistake many times.

Used for actions that started in the past and are still happening now:

I have known him since we were both children.
I’ve worked for that company for thirteen years.

Present perfect continuous:  I have been eating / I’ve been eating

Used for actions that started in the past and are still happening now:

(This is the same use for the last present perfect (above), so they are both correct in this situation.  However, I personally prefer the present perfect continuous for these kinds of actions.)

I’ve been thinking about moving to California.
She’s been spending a lot of time with her boyfriend.

PAST TENSES:

past simple:  I ate

Used for an action or actions that are finished in the past:

(There’s usually a time stated when these actions happened.)

I ate a banana for breakfast yesterday.
I saw him three times last week.

past continuous:  I was eating

Used for actions that were happening when another, shorter action happened:

(The shorter action is in the past simple.)

I was reading the newspaper when someone knocked on the door.
He was shoveling show when he hurt his back.

Used for actions that were happening at a certain time:

What were you doing at 3:00 in the afternoon?
At midnight I was getting ready for bed.

past perfect:  I had eaten / I’d eaten

Used for an action that happened before another action in the past:

(The word “already” is often used.)

His roommate had already gone to bed when he got back to his apartment
We had already eaten by the time the fireworks started.

Used for actions that happened before a certain time in the past:

I had already finished by dinner time last night.
She had gone to bed by that time.

past perfect continuous:  I had been eating / I’d been eating

Used for an action that was happening when another action happened:

(Most often used with “since” or “for”)

(The other action is in the simple past.)

They had been waiting since noon when she finally arrived an hour later.
We had been dating for three months before I found out she smoked.

FUTURE TENSES:

future simple:  I will eat / I’ll eat

Used for a single action in the future:

I will call you as soon as I get home.
She says she’ll be here at 9:00.

future continuous:  I will be eating / I’ll be eating

Used for a future action that is already happening when another action happens:

(The other action is in the present simple.)

They will be waiting for you when you arrive at the airport.
We’ll be doing our homework when you get home.

Used for a future action that is already happening at a certain time:

At midnight on December 31, I’ll probably be sleeping.
What will you be doing at 8:00 tonight?

Used for long actions in the future:

We’ll be working in the lab all afternoon.
Don’t make any plans because you’ll be painting the house all weekend.

future perfect:  I will have eaten / I’ll have eaten

Used for a future action that happens before another future action:

(The other future action is in the present simple.)

By the time you arrive, I will have finished my work.
After we see Skyfall, we will have seen all the James Bond movies.

Used for a future action that happens before a future time:

At midnight I will have already arrived home.
She told me she will have finished all the preparations by 6:00 pm.

future perfect continuous:  I will have been eating / I’ll have been eating

Used for a future action that will have been happening for a certain time when another action happens:

(The other future action is in the present simple.)

(Most often used with “since” or “for”)

When you arrive, I will have been painting since morning.
She will have been seeing him for three years when you visit next Spring.

Used for a future action that will have been happening for a certain time at a future time:

By this time next year, I will have been working there for ten years.
They will have been living here for twenty years next September.

 

There are more verb tense exercises in the Exercise section of this website.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

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assistant:  a person whose job is to help another person.
Please call my assistant to make an appointment to see me.
My assistant does a very good job keeping me organized.

basement:  the underground part of a house.
Her exercise equipment is in the basement.
The last big rain storm flooded the basement of our house.

cage:  a box with bars to hold animals.
The children stood in front of the lions cage for a long time.
She keeps two lovebirds in a cage in the dining room

gift:  something one person gives to another.
We’re thinking about giving her a gift when she graduates.
Give me twenty dollars and the wine will be a gift from the two of us.

instructor:  teacher.
The man over there is my automotive shop instructor; I should say hi.
The instructor told us there would be a mid-term test next week.

juice:  liquid from fruit or vegetables.
Pineapple juice is too sweet for my taste.
With the apples all over the ground, they made apple juice.

locker:  a metal box with a door that locks.
I have to stop by my locker and get the books for my next class.
I paid for a locker at the gym so I could keep my workout clothes there.

neighbor:   a person who lives next to you.  [Also: neighbour]
I woke up when I heard my neighbor get home last night.
My neighbor and I built a fence between our houses.

product:  something that is made for sale.
That company makes electronic products.
The company’s most famous product is the iPhone.

reservation:  a hold on a table (restaurant), room (hotel), seat (airplane).
Did you make a reservation at that French restaurant for tomorrow night?
I have a reservation for tomorrow morning on flight 576 to Hawaii.

secretary:  an office worker who helps a boss.
When his secretary was sick, he had a hard time running the office alone.
She works as a secretary to the vice-president of the company.

teenager:  a young person between the ages of 13 and 19.
He started to play football when he was a teenager in high school.
Although she’s now a big movie star, she was very shy as a teenager.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

sung by Louis Armstrong

an American jazz musician and singer who is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  He recorded this song in 1967.  It was written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss.

Louis gives the following introduction to this song:

Some of you young folks (have) been saying to me, “Hey Pops.  What do you mean ‘what a wonderful world?’  How about all them wars all over the place?  You call them wonderful?  And how about hunger and pollution?  They ain’t so wonderful either.”  But how about listening to old Pops for a minute?  Seems to me it ain’t the world that’s so bad but what we’re doing to it, and all I’m saying is see what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance.  Love, baby, love.  That’s the secret.  Yeah.  If lots more of us loved each other, we’d solve lots more problems, and then this world would be a gasser.  That’s why old Pops keeps saying:

Pops:  a name for an old man
ain’t:  aren’t (slang)
gasser:  something extraordinarily pleasing (old slang)

 

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white,
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky.
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands, saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying, “I love you.”

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow.
They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know.
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself,
What a wonderful world.
Oh, yeah!

Vocabulary:

bloom – open, become flowers
blessed – special
sacred – special

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only 

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alarm:    a device that wakes you up in the morning.  A sound that warns you of danger.
The alarm on my clock didn’t go off this morning, so I got up late.
We were in the middle of a test when the fire alarm went off.

bandage:    a material covering for a wound.
The nurse is coming to change the bandage on your stomach.
You need to put a bandage on that cut to keep it clean.

chapter:   one part of a piece of writing.
I really enjoyed the book, especially the last chapter.
The teacher wants us to read a chapter of our book every day.

corner:    the place where two walls or streets meet.  The pointy edge of something square or rectangular.
I think we should put a lamp in that dark corner of the room.
The child hit his head on the corner of the table.

desert:   an area that has very little rain.
The world’s largest desert is the Sahara in northern Africa.
You can get water in the desert from cactus plants.

expert:   someone who knows a lot about something.
When my computer isn’t working properly, I call an expert for help.
My friend is an expert in 19th century European paintings.

garbage:   unneeded things that you throw away.
Every Wednesday the garbage is collected in our neighborhood.
The puppy destroyed her shoes and now they’re garbage.

illness:   a period of sickness.
The doctors aren’t sure what is causing her illness.
Because of the treatment for his illness, he has lost all his hair.

laundry:   clothing that needs washing.
Get  all your dirty clothes together; I’m doing laundry.
Separate the white clothes from the colored before you do laundry.

package:   a box of something that’s delivered.
I need to go to the post office to send this package.
A package was delivered to her home a day before her birthday.

shelf:   a flat board where you put books, etc.
 all his photo albums were on a shelf in the office.
The detergent is on the shelf next to the washing machine.

wallet: a small leather folder that holds your money.
I have to go back to the restaurant.  I think I left my wallet there.
I keep my bus pass in my wallet so I always have it with me.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

 

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

These words are often confused by students.  Here’s an explanation to help you.

Another is used when there is more than one other.
Another means “one of many others.”
It can be a noun or an adjective and it is followed by a singular noun.

Examples:
One shade of blue is called navy blue, and another is called sky blue.
(…and another shade of blue is called sky blue.)
[There are many other shades of blue.]

This path takes you through the park.  Another takes you to the zoo.
(Another path takes you to the zoo.)
[There are many other paths.]

A customer in the store was on his cell phone.  Another was buying gum.
(Another customer was buying gum.)
[There are many other customers in the store.]

Other is always an adjective and can modify plural nouns or non-count nouns.
Other means “one that is different than this one.”

Examples:
There are other reasons I wanted to talk to you.
[I’ve already told you one reason and now I’ll tell you more reasons]

That’s probably true for other people but not for me.
[It’s true for people who are not me.]

There is other furniture that would look better in this room.
[This furniture doesn’t look good.]

No other is an adjective and means “this is the only one” or “these are the only ones.”
It can modify a singular noun, a plural noun or a non-count noun.

Examples:
There’s no other way to get downtown at this hour.
[This way is the only way to get downtown.]

There are no other possibilities I can think of.
[You can only think of these possibilities.]

There’s no other water for miles.
[This is the only water in this area.]

No other can also be used as a noun.

Example:
I love only you.  There’s no other.
[There’s no other person that I love.]

Others is a noun and is used to replace other + plural noun.
It’s used when there are many others.

Examples:
Although some people know what they want to do, others have no idea.
(…, other people have no idea)

Some excuses are believable, but others are not.
(…, but other excuses are not.)

A few of the exercises were easy, but others were impossible.
(…, but other exercises were impossible.)

The other is an adjective or a noun and is used when there is only one other.

Examples:
One brother is a lawyer, and the other is a doctor.
(…, and the other brother is a doctor.)
[There are only 2 brothers.]

One team played very well, but the other played poorly.
(…, but the other team played poorly.
[There are only 2 teams.]

One path led up the mountain, and the other led to the village.
(…, and the other path led to the village.)
[There are only 2 paths.]

The others is a noun and means all the other ones.

Examples:
Most of the lights on the tree were blue.  The others were green and yellow.
(The other lights were green and yellow.)
[The tree had three different colors – blue, green and yellow]

Half the cupcakes had white icing, and the others had pink icing.
(…, and the other cupcakes had pink icing.

I wanted to leave, but the others wanted to stay longer.
(…, but the other people wanted to stay longer.

by Katy Perry

an American singer-songwriter who wrote this song with Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm and Ester Dean.  It’s from her 2010 album, Teenage Dream.

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag,
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards,
One blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep?
6 feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
‘Cause there’s a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on, show ’em what you’re worth
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you’re a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh”
You’re gonna leave ’em all in awe, awe, awe

You don’t have to feel like a wasted space
You’re original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe your reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it’s time, you’ll know

You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on, show ’em what you’re worth
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you’re a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, Oh, Oh”
You’re gonna leave ’em all in awe, awe, awe“

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It’s always been inside of you, you, you
And now it’s time to let it through-ough-ough

‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on, show ’em what you’re worth
Make ’em go “Oh, Oh, Oh”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you’re a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make ’em go “Oh, Oh, Oh”
You’re gonna leave ’em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon 

Vocabulary:

plastic –  a thin clear material
drifting – moving slowl
paper thin – very thin, thin as paper
house of cards – playing cards stacked to look like a house
caving in – falling down
buried – put under the ground
screams – loud yells
spark –  a small piece of fire
gotta – got to
ignite – set on fire
4th of July – U.S. celebration of independence
you’re worth – you deserve
shoot – fly fast
burst – explode
gonna – going to
in awe – very surprised
wasted space – someone who shouldn’t be here
original – the only one like you
replaced – put someone in your place
holds – will be
hurricane – strong windy storm
rainbow – beautiful arc of light
lightning bolt – electricity shooting across the sky
glow – shine brightly
brighter – with more light
boom – the sound of fireworks exploding

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only

 

The history of the English language really started with the arrival into Britain of three Germanic tribes who invaded the islands during the 5th century CE. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what is today Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. Most of these Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from “Englaland” and their language was called “Englisc”, which is where the words “England” and “English” come from.  This is the beginning of the period we call Old English, also sometimes called Anglo-Saxon.  Old English did not sound or look like English today.  It would sound like a foreign language to a modern speaker of English.  Even though this is true, about half of the most commonly used words today have Old English roots.  Words like cow, house, oaf, pig, and woman, as well as Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday come from the Anglo-Saxons.  There were other influences, however.   “Martyr, bishop and font” came from Catholic missionaries of the time, and the Vikings gave us the words ransack, thrust, drag, die, give and take.

Middle English starts with the arrival of the Normans from north-west France in 1066 CE.  These people spoke an old form of French called Old Norman.  This is when a major change started to happen to the English language.  The inflectional speech (high-voiced syllables and low-voiced syllables) spoken by speakers of Old English started to break down.   At the same time the Royal Court and the business class didn’t speak English at all, but spoke their form of French.  Only the lower classes continued to speak English.  In the 14th century English became dominant again but with many French words added.  This language would also be very difficult for anyone to understand today.  An example of words from Old Norman are judge, jury, evidence, justice, beef, and pork.  In all, there are about 10,000 words that came from this language.

Towards the end of Middle English around 1500 CE, a sudden change in pronunciation happened.  People started pronouncing their vowels shorter and shorter.  This was the beginning of Modern English.  The Renaissance introduced the Greek and Roman cultures bringing vocabulary from their languages into the English language.  The invention of the printing press meant that the language in print had to be understood by everyone, which meant standardization.  Spelling, for example, was standardized in the first dictionary in 1604.  Not only spelling but grammar also became fixed.  Books became cheaper and more and more people learned to read.  The English of London, where most of the publishing houses were, became standard English.  Around 1800 a lot of vocabulary was added to the language from the Industrial Revolution and technology.  Because the British Empire was worldwide, the language adopted many words from other languages.  Even today new words continue to enter the English dictionary when the need arises.  Currently there are over 600,000 words in English.  Don’t worry about that, though.  The average university-educated person in North America only knows less than ten percent, or between 40,000 and 60,000 words.

Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.

Vocabulary: