Unit5 Adverbs of Frequency - The University of Michigan Press

22 Pages·2012·0.92 MB·English

CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 148
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
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Adverbs of Frequency r
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Discover the Grammar n
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Read the conversation between a university student hand a reporter who is talking about her job,
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and then answer the five questions. Mi

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1 Reporter: So, Lily, you’re mitajoring in journalism, right?
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2 Student: Yes, that’s correct. I’m graduating next June, and I’m looking for
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3 jobs nowU.

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4 Reporter: Well2, it’s never too early to do that!
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5 Student: I know! So I’d like to ask you a few questions about what it’s like to
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7 Rehporter: Sure, go ahead.
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8 rStudent: Well, my first question is a basic one. Do you pretty much do the
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10 Reporter: No, not really. I rarely do the same thing from one day to the next.
11 Student: Could you explain that a little bit more?
12 Reporter: Well, I mean that I always have a story that I’m working on, but the
13 stories are always different, so I never see the same people. I visit
14 different people, go to different places, and do many different things.
15 My job has a lot of variety.
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Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
5: Adverbs of Frequency 114499
16 Student: How often are you in your office?
17 Reporter: Well . . . some of the time . . . I mean, my computer is there, and
18 that’s where I write my stories, but sometimes I go interview people
19 in their homes or offices. Actually, I spend a lot of time in my car
20 going to and from interviews.

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21 Student: How do you stay in touch with the newspaper then? e
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22 Reporter: Oh, I always take my cell phone with me. e
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23 Student: Do you usually have a laptop with you, too?
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24 Reporter: No. I don’t like to use a laptop when I’m interviewingh.t I sometimes
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25 take notes on paper, but I usually use a little voice rriecorder. Then I

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26 type my stories as soon as I get back to the offiAce.

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27 Student: So you don’t use email much? s
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28 Reporter: Oh, yes, I do. I always check my emaiPl before I leave home in the

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29 morning, again when I get to thea office, before and after lunch, and
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30 again before I go home in thehi evening.
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31 Student: Wow, that’s a lot! Do youM check your email on weekends, too?

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32 Reporter: Yes, I usually check moy email on weekends. I will answer personal

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33 emails, but I haviet a rule that I never answer business emails on the
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34 weekend or a holiday.
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1. Look at the five2 underlined words in the conversation. These words are called
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adverbs of f0requency because they tell us how frequent an action is. Study the
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meaning of these frequency words, and then write these five words in the boxes.
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List th(em in order from the most frequent (all of the time) to the least frequent

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(noht at any time).
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p Most Frequent Least Frequent
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C  100% of the time ————— 50% of the time ————— 0% of the time 
CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 150
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
115500 Clear Grammar 2, 2nd Ed.
2. Locate the three sentences that include the word never. Write the line number of
those sentences. Then circle the order of the subject, verb, and never.
Line Word Order
a. ___________ S + V + never OR S + never + V
b. ___________ S + V + never OR S + never + V

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c. ___________ S + V + never OR S + never + V d
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3. Locate the four sentences that include the word always. Write the line neumber of
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those sentences. Then circle the order of the subject, verb, and alwasy s.
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Line Word Order i
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a. ___________ S + V + always OR S + always + V A

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b. ___________ S + V + always OR S + always + Vs
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c. ___________ S + V + always OR S + alwarys + V
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d. ___________ S + V + always OR S + anl ways + V
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4. Based on your answers for QuestionsM 2 and 3, where do you think these adverbs

of frequency usually appear in a sefntence? Does the verb matter?
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5. One of these fre2q.uency words can come before the subject. Can you find an
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example of t0he frequency word that can come before the subject?
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L(ine Frequency Word Subject Verb

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CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 151
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
5: Adverbs of Frequency 115511
Grammar Lesson
Adverbs of Frequency
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always 10x0 % all of the time d
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usually x most of the time r
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often x much of the time e
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sometimes x some of the timet
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hardly ever } x ri

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rarely x almost neAver

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seldom s
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never  nPot at any time

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Placement of Adverbosf of Frequency in a Sentence

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after be: be + frequency t before other verbs: frequency + VERB
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I am always hungry when I firset wake up. I always use a pencil in math class.
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Mohamed is usually late ton iclass. He usually goes to school by bike.
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You are often the first to arrive at work. My teacher often arrives early.

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I am sometimes shy a2round new people We sometimes play tennis at night.
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Carlos is rarely ab0sent from school. Carlos rarely misses school.
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Zeke and Ana a re seldom on time. They seldom fail a test.
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We are neve(r at school after 5 PM. I never eat a big breakfast.

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yr Questions with Adverbs of Frequency
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Ao: Do you ever take a bus to work? Meaning: Do you take a bus to work at
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B: Yes, but not usually. I prefer to drive any time? The answer is probably yes or
my own car when I can. no with an adverb of frequency.
A: How often do you take a bus to work? Meaning: How many times during a
B: Maybe once or twice a week. certain period of time do you take a bus?
The answer is probably a number with a
period of time.
CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 152
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
152 Clear Grammar 2, 2nd Ed.
Rule 1. Adverbs of frequency are words that tell how often something happens: always,
usually, often, sometimes, rarely, seldom, never.
Rule 2. In a sentence, an adverb of frequency usually comes after be but before other
verbs. When a verb has two parts (has eaten), the adverb of frequency occurs between
the two parts (has never eaten).
Rule 3. The word sometimes can occur in all three places: in front of a sentence, in the

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middle of a sentence, or at the end of a sentence.
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Sometimes we practice together. r
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We sometimes practice together. e
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We practice together sometimes. s
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Rule 4. To ask about the frequency of an action, use ever or How often: Do you ever
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play golf? How often do you play golf? l
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Rule 5. Negative adverbs of frequency such as rarely, seldom,.and never should be used
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with an affirmative verb. Double negatives are not possible.e
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BE CAREFUL! a
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Common Learner Errors i Explanation
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1. We usually are are usually the first Adverbs of frequency usually come after
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people to arrive at work each morn ing. the verb be.
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2. It takes usually usually takes msie only Adverbs of frequency usually come
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ten minutes to make a tuna esandwich. before verbs (other than be).
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3. The price of gas never hnas been has When a verb has two parts (is using, has
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never been as high a s it is now. used), adverbs of frequency usually come
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1 between the two parts.
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4. I don’t never2never text while driving. Double negatives are not possible.

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CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 153
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
5: Adverbs of Frequency 153
EXERCISE 1. The Meanings of Adverbs of Frequency
Fill in the blanks with the correct adverbs of frequency.
Adverb of Frequency Meanings
1. _______________ all of the time

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2. _______________ most of the time d
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3. _______________ much of the time r
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4. _______________ some of the time e
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5. _______________ almost never t
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6. _______________ almost never i
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7. _______________ almost never A

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8. _______________ not at anytime s
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EXERCISE 2. Understanding Adverbs ogf Frequency
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Read each situation, and then answer the question.
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1. Jorge usually does his homework. R aul always does his homework. Diego never
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does his homework. Who is the best student? ______________________________
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2. The weather in Florida is rasrely cold. It is sometimes cold in Mississippi. It is
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usually cold in Alaska. Ivf you don’t like cold weather, which state might be a
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good place for you ton live? ______________________________________________
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3. Nedra seldom w2.alks to work. Carol often walks to work. Betty walks to work
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sometimes. Who might drive to work more than walk there? _________________
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4. I usually) put sugar in my coffee. Rich sometimes puts sugar in his tea. Gabrielle
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always( puts sugar on her cereal. Who uses sugar the most frequently? __________

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5. Mgy grandmother sometimes takes a walk after dinner. My brother always runs five
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y miles every morning. I hardly ever exercise. Who gets the most exercise?
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6. Ramon rarely watches American television. Ivan usually listens to public radio in
English. Nadia seldom sees English movies. Nadine prefers to talk to her friends in
her native language. Who probably hears the most English in a day? _____________
7. Joe is seldom late to work. Adam is usually late to work. Steve is rarely late to
work. Who will the boss most likely give a warning to first? __________________
8. Maddie often spends three hours per day reading e-books on her e-reader. Her
dad is a professor, and he usually reads a chapter in his textbook two nights per
week. Her grandfather used to read the newspaper, but now he seldom does.
Who probably reads the most? ___________________________________________
CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 154
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
154 Clear Grammar 2, 2nd Ed.
EXERCISE 3. Writing Sentences with Adverbs of Frequency
Write a new sentence using an adverb of frequency word in place of the information in the
parentheses. Circle the verbs. Follow the example.
Breakfast at My House

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1. My family eats breakfast together. (This happens v
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every morning.) s
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_M_y_ _f_a_m_i_ly_ _a_lw_a__y_s_ e_a_t_s_ _b_r_e_a_k_fa_s_t_ _t_o_g_e_t_h_e_r_.__ r
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2. My sister Mariana makes scrambled eggs for
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breakfast. (This happens most of the time.) r

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3. She adds potatoes and green peppers to her eggs. (This happens much of the

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time.) a
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4. There isn’t any meat in her scrambled eggs. (She is a vegetarian.) (Hint: You can

use the word because if you want.o)f

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5. My brother Lucas eats a couple of pieces of toast with butter and jam. (He does
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this every day.) n
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_______________.______________________________________________________
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6. He has a hug0e cup of black coffee with his toast. (He does this about half the
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time.)
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____ _________________________________________________________________
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7. iHe is a quiet guy, so he doesn’t talk much at the breakfast table. (He is quiet
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8. My family doesn’t start the day without having breakfast together. (This does not
happen at any time.)
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Do Online Exercise 5.1. My score: _____/10. _____% correct.
CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 155
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
5: Adverbs of Frequency 155
EXERCISE 4. Word Order with Adverbs of Frequency
Read these sentences, and then circle the most common word order.
My Classmate Yvonne

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1. Yvonne amazes me. She (never is, is never) sad. She (always seems, d
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seems always) so happy. v
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2. She (always eats, eats always) with a small group of friends.
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3. They (always meet up, meet up always) to study together. s
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4. She (sometimes picks up, picks up sometimes) her friends and tgakes them to
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class. l
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5. She (always arrives, arrives always) on time when she m.akes plans with her
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friends.
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6. Yvonne (always is, is always) available to give very good advice to people.

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7. She (seldom says, says seldom) anything bad about anyone.
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8. She (never gossips, gossips never). c
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9. Yvonne (never goes, goes never) t o parties on a school night.
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10. She and her friends (seldom ayre, are seldom) late to class.
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11. Her answers in English crlass (usually are, are usually) right. She is great at
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12. In addition to being great at English, Yvonne (always has, has always) her books

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with her in cla2ss. She is very prepared!
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CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 156
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
156 Clear Grammar 2, 2nd Ed.
EXERCISE 5. Speaking Practice: How Often Do You . . . ?
Step 1. You will interview another student. Choose someone. Write that person’s name here:
___________________________________________
Step 2. Read the ten statements labeled a – j. Without talking to your partner, guess how often
your partner does these things. Write your guesses as adverbs of frequency in the column My
Guess: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom/rarely, never. .
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My Guess My Partner’s Aenswer
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a. How often do you check your email r

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on Saturday? ______________ ____t__________
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b. How often are you late for class? ______________ i______________
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c. Do you ever use social media sites? ______________A ______________

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d. How often do you call your parents? __________s____ ______________
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in the morning? ____n__________ ______________
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f. How often do you exercise? i______________ ______________
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g. How often do you see your best frienMdi? ______________ ______________

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h. Do you ever skip breakfast? o ______________ ______________

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i. How often do you drink cofiftee? ______________ ______________
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j. How often do you stay up late? ______________ ______________
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Step 3. Now interview you r partner. Write your partner’s answers in the column on the right. Did
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you guess correctly? Gi1ve yourself one point for every correct guess. Which of you had the most
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points? 2

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Correct guets ses ____________
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C ONE-MINUTE LESSON
Make sure you understand the grammar of making questions that begin with How
often, like How often do you call your parents? This is a very useful tool in
speaking fluency.
Do Online Exercise 5.2. My score: _____/10. _____% correct.
CG2-1-12 12/19/11 9:42 AM Page 157
Clear Grammar 2, 2nd edition: Keys to Grammar for English Language Learners
Keith S. Folse
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=273336
Michigan ELT, 2012
5: Adverbs of Frequency 157
EXERCISE 6. Adverbs of Frequency in Context
Circle the correct word order in this paragraph. Sometimes more than one answer is correct.
Our Garden

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At our house, we have a great urban garden.
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My husband (wakes usually up, usually e
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wakes up, wakes up usually) at 7 AM every day. r
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(Sometimes he, He sometimes) goes for a run,
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but ) (usually he, he usually) waters the garden. ll
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He * (asks never, never asks) us to help him that s.
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early because we + (usually are, are usually) getting rPerady for school. Our kids

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(seldom are, are seldom) late for school and (often are, are often) there
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pretty early. h
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(Sometimes it, It sometimes) rains in the afternoon. In the summer, it
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/ (usually storms, storms usually)y between 2 PM and 4 PM in the afternoon. It
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Lk (rains rarely, rarely rains) inr the wintertime, so my husband or our children
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will have to water the ganriden then. In the fall, we Ll (have usually, usually have)
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lots of big pumpkin2.s that we Lm (always carve, carve always) to get the seeds for
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roasting. In th2e spring, we Ln (sometimes have, have sometimes) cucumbers that

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we pickle( icn jars. In early summer, we Lo (have often, often have) beautiful red

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strawgberries that we pick and turn into jam. It Lp (sometimes is, is sometimes) a
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plot of hard work, but we don’t have to make as many trips to the grocery store.
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 ONE-MINUTE LESSON
Many words can work as a noun and as a verb. Their meanings are connected. You
waterthe garden with water.You plant a plant. Leaves fall in the fall.However,
sometimes the meanings are not connected. For example, you take a trip, but you
tripon a rock.