ADVERBS OF TIME
What is an adverb of time?
Adverbs that change or qualify the
meaning of a sentence by telling us when things happen are defined as adverbs
of time.
An adverb of time is just what you
might expect it to be – a word that describes when, for how long, or how often
a certain action happened. You will notice that many adverbs of time are the
same as adverbs of frequency. There is quite a bit of overlap between these two
types of adverbs – so much so that some instructors choose to mention one or
the other but not both.
These simple rules for adverbs of
time will help you to use them the right way:
1: Adverbs of time
often work best when placed at the end of sentences.
For example:
Robin Hood swindled the Sheriff of Nottingham yesterday.
I’m sick of living in chaos, so I’m going to clean my
house tomorrow.
2: You can change the
position of an adverb of time to lend emphasis to a certain aspect of a
sentence.
For example:
Later Robin Hood stole the
king’s crown. (The time is the most important element here.)
Robin Hood later stole the
king’s crown. (This is a formal way to use the adverb later. Notice how
the statement sounds like it belongs in a police report.)
Robin Hood stole the king’s crown
later. (This is a neutral, standard way to use the adverb later.)
3: Adverbs of time
describing for how long an action occurred usually work best at the end of a
sentence.
For example:
She stayed at her grandmother’s house all day.
My father was up with heartburn for hours.
4: Adverbs of time that
express an exact number of times the action happens usually work best at the
end of a sentence. For example:
The newspaper arrives daily.
They go out to dinner weekly.
Our family goes on an outing monthly.
5:When using more than
one adverb of time in a sentence, use them in the following order:
1. How long
2. How often
3. When
For example:
She volunteered at the hospital (1) for three days (2) every
month (3) last year.
6: Examples of Adverbs
of Time
Each sentence contains an example of
an adverb of time; the examples are italicized for easy identification.
For example:
Are you coming to work tomorrow?
I’d like to go to the movies later.
Jim was so sick he spent four weeks in the
hospital.
7: Adverbs of Time List
After reading this list of adverbs of time, you may be able
to come up with several more on your own. Remember that adverbs of time always
tell us when, how long, and how often something happens.
WHEN:
Yesterday
Today
Tomorrow
Later
Last year
Now
HOW LONG:
All morning
For hours
Since last week
How often:
Frequently
Never
Sometimes
Often
Annually
Hello, my name is Saren Chem. I'm a 40 years. I have been a teacher of English for nearly twenty years. Through my teaching, I discover that most of my students do not understand well about my English lesson because the time for them to study is very short. That is why I create this website for them to study more by themselves when they are free from school.
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