1) always > usually > often > sometimes> never
always-經常
often-常常,時常
usually-慣常
sometimes-有時
never-永不
常常is more than慣常
Always - All 7 days in a week
Usually - About 5-6 days out of 7 days in a week
Often - About 4 days in a week
Sometimes - About 2-3 days in a week
Seldom -About 1-2 days in a week
Never - 0 days in a week
We use these adverbs to show how often something is done. I find it easier to think of the percentage of chance that something could happen. ‘Always’ is 100%. It happens every time. ‘Usually’ means you do something about 80% of the time. ‘Often’ is about 70%.
We can also put ‘almost’ in front of an adverb if it is slightly less likely.
Here are some examples with the percentage of time that an event will happen. For the examples, imagine an elderly person who is told by his doctor not to eat fatty foods.
Adverbs of frequency
Adverb Percentage of time it happens Example
1 always 100% I always read the newspaper after breakfast.
2 almost always about 95% I almost always do exercise in the morning but not if there is a typhoon.
3 usually about 80% My daughter usually visits me on Sunday.
4 often about 70% I often go to the library to read history books.
5 sometimes about 40% I sometimes go for dim sum with my friends but can’t have too much fried food.
6 occasionally about 30% I occasionally buy an ice cream but don’t tell my daughter!
7 seldom about 20% I seldom talk on the phone because my hearing is not so good these days.
8 rarely about 10% I rarely see my sister because lives on Lamma Island.
9 almost never / hardly ever 5% I hardly ever eat fast food because my doctor told me it’s bad for my health.
10 never 0% I’ve never been to Australia.