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Is it always windy on Mount Washington? Adverbs of frequency and where they go

Adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, never) and where they go in a sentence are the focus of this A1 ESL lesson plan.

Grammar
Frequency adverbs from always (100%) to never (0%), before the main verb or after be (It usually snows in October. It's often foggy.), and never without not.
Topic
Cold weather and habits at the weather station on top of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, often in fog, with words such as summit, ice, freeze and wind speed.
Activities
A page about the observers' week, a dialogue and a summit weather report, self-checking drills, a chat about winter habits, open-box questions and a post to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, Mount Washington!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock
    • Study the words: weather at the topVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: a week at the top

    • Look at the photo: the top of Mount WashingtonPictureUnlock
    • Read the page: a week at the topReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: wind and fog

    • Look at the photo: Emma's videoPictureUnlock
    • Listen to Emma and KofiListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Listen to the summit weather reportListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: It's often foggy

    • Study the scheme: always, usually, often, sometimes, neverGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right word: look at the %Choose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: put the words in the right orderFill in the gapsTry it
    • Fill in the table: add usually and neverFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: winter habits

    • Choose the right replies: winter with MiaChatTry it
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Match the words and their meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Write a post: winter in my townWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record yourself: my winter weekSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

26 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • summit
  • fog
  • ice
  • tower
  • weather station
  • wind speed
  • observer

Grammar: adverbs of frequency and their place

Adverbs of frequency say how often something happens, on a scale from always to never. A summit weather station, in fog about 60% of the time and very windy in winter, gives learners plenty to describe: they put each adverb before the main verb or after be, keep the -s in it snows, and use never without not.

Always, usually, often, sometimes, never

Words from 100% to 0% of the time, and their place in a sentence.

From always to never: 100% to 0%

Five adverbs cover the scale: always (100%), usually, often, sometimes and never (0%). Each one stands for a rough share of the time: fog about 60% of the time makes It's often foggy on the summit, and a cool July makes It's never hot.

Word%Example
always100%It's always cold on the summit in January.
usually80–90%It usually snows there in October.
often60–70%It's often foggy on the summit.
sometimes30–50%In summer, it's sometimes calm.
never0%It's never hot on the summit.

Before the main verb, after be

The adverb goes before a main verb, which keeps its -s: It usually snows in October. He often climbs the tower. With am, is or are, it comes after: It's often foggy. I'm usually at home on Sunday. So He climbs often the tower is wrong.

Before the main verb, after be

adverb + main verb

  • It usually snows in October.
  • They always work for about a week.
  • He often climbs the tower.

be (am, is, are) + adverb

  • It's often foggy.
  • It's never hot.
  • I'm usually at home on Sunday.

Every person

Whoadverb + verbbe + adverb
II always get up at six.I am never late.
youYou often walk to school.You are usually at home on Sunday.
he, she, itShe sometimes measures the snow.It is often foggy.
weWe usually eat breakfast at seven.We are never cold at home.
theyThey always work for about a week.They are often in the fog.

Is it always windy? Questions and answers

In a question, the adverb follows the subject: Is it always windy on the mountain? Does it usually snow there in October? Do you often walk in the snow? No, not always is a full answer, and so is No, I never walk in the snow.

QuestionAnswer
Is it always windy on the mountain?No, not always.
Does it usually snow there in October?Yes, it does.
Do you often walk in the snow?Yes, I do. / No, I never walk in the snow.

Never means not ever

Never is already negative, so it takes no not, don't or doesn't: She never drinks coffee, not She doesn't never drink coffee; It's never hot, not It isn't never hot. Not always is fine, though: It isn't always windy.

never = not ever

never already means not. Don't add not, don't or doesn't: She never drinks coffee. (Not: She doesn't never drink coffee.) But not always is fine: It isn't always windy.

Common mistakes

  • They work always for about a week.

    They always work for about a week.

    always before the main verb

  • Always it's cold in January.

    It's always cold in January.

    always and never: not at the start of the sentence

  • It isn't never hot.

    It's never hot.

    never: no not, don't or doesn't

  • He climbs often the tower.

    He often climbs the tower.

    before the verb, not after it

More lessons on this grammar: Present simple lessons and exercises

Try the adverbs of frequency exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 11 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 3 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • say how often something happens, from always to never: It's always cold in January. It sometimes snows.
  • put the adverb before the main verb: It usually snows in October. They always work for about a week.
  • put the adverb after be: It's often foggy. I'm never late.
  • use never with no not, and answer Is it always windy? with No, not always.

Lesson 8 closes Weather and seasons, the second unit of English A1.2 · Out and About. It builds on lesson 1's present simple with he, she and it (She wears a red shirt.), since the -s stays when an adverb comes in: It usually snows. Lesson 18 later asks How often…? and answers with once, twice or three times a week. Fog about 60% of the time on Mount Washington gives often a number students can check.

Students spin a wheel of questions about cold weather and mountains, then learn ten words, from freeze and measure to weather station and observer, with pictures and audio. The reading is the observatory's page about a week at the top, with hourly weather checks, ice on the tower and the 231 mph gust of April 12, 1934, followed by true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. Emma then shows Kofi a video from the summit (an AI-voiced dialogue), and an observer gives a foggy morning's weather report. Four self-checking drills follow the scheme: picking an adverb by its percentage, a gap-fill that puts the adverb and verb in order, a table and a choice of the right sentence. In the speaking chapter, students answer Mia's questions about winter in a chat and open boxes about their own habits.

For homework, a word-order game and a word-matching game check themselves. Then students write a post about winter in their town with all five adverbs and record a voice message about their winter week for the teacher.

Grammar:
adverbs of frequency · always, usually, often, sometimes, never · adverb + verb · be + adverb
Topic:
Mount Washington · weather observers · New Hampshire · cold weather · habits

Teaching tips

  • Draw a line from 100% to 0% on the board and have students place the five adverbs on it, then say one true sentence about the class for each.
  • Color the two positions: underline main verbs in one color and am, is and are in another, so students see the adverb land before snows but after is.
  • Ask the title question before the reading: Is it always windy on Mount Washington? Collect guesses, then let the dialogue settle it: It's usually windy in winter. In summer, it's sometimes calm.
  • Make the open boxes a conversation: after each answer, the partner asks one follow-up with Do you often…? or Are you always…?, and the student replies with a short answer and an adverb.

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The whole course: English A1.2 · Out and About

32 lessons that pick up where English A1.1 ends, in simple American English, from the present simple with he and she to was and were. Eight units cover shopping, the weather, getting around, celebrations, health, animals and nature, jobs and weekends. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Shopping

    clothes and colors, he and she in the present simple, sizes and prices, paying in a store

    1. Lesson 1What does she wear on Aloha Friday?Present simple with he, she and it
    2. Lesson 2A basket on wheels?Present simple negatives with don't and doesn't
    3. Lesson 3What size are these boots?What questions and a pair of
    4. Lesson 4Can I try it on? The Santa Fe Indian MarketRequests and permission with Can I and Can you

  2. Unit 2 Weather and seasons

    the weather, seasons and months, the present continuous, how often it rains or snows

    1. Lesson 5Is the Windy City windy?Weather adjectives with It's
    2. Lesson 6Does it rain in the desert?Yes/no questions with does
    3. Lesson 7Baseball at midnight?The present continuous for now
    4. Lesson 8 · you're hereIs it always windy on Mount Washington?Adverbs of frequency and their place

  3. Unit 3 Getting around

    transport, timetables, where places are, tickets with want and need

    1. Lesson 9How do you get to work?By + transport, take the bus and on foot
    2. Lesson 10What time does the ferry leave?Wh- questions with does
    3. Lesson 11Where's the streetcar stop?Between, behind, in front of and across from
    4. Lesson 12Do you need a ticket?Want and need with a noun

  4. Unit 4 Celebrations

    dates and holidays, in and on, party invitations, object pronouns

    1. Lesson 13Why is it called Juneteenth?Ordinal numbers for saying dates
    2. Lesson 14Never on a Sunday? The Rose ParadeIn, on and at for dates and times
    3. Lesson 15Come to our Lunar New Year party!Some and any with plural nouns
    4. Lesson 16Thank you, teacher!Object pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them

  5. Unit 5 Healthy me

    the body, how often, at the pharmacy, steps with first and then

    1. Lesson 17Does your back hurt?Hurt and hurts with parts of the body
    2. Lesson 18How often do you walk?How often questions and expressions of frequency
    3. Lesson 19What's the matter?Have and has for health problems
    4. Lesson 20Clean hands in five stepsSequence words with imperatives

  6. Unit 6 Animals and nature

    there is and there are, what animals are doing, parks, a, an and the

    1. Lesson 21Which frog sings its name?There is and there are for what's in a place
    2. Lesson 22What's the bear doing now?Present continuous questions and negatives
    3. Lesson 23Are there any horses on the beach?Questions with is there and are there any
    4. Lesson 24Where do the baby turtles go?A, an and the for first and second mention

  7. Unit 7 Jobs people do

    jobs and workplaces, the present simple and continuous, job interviews, possessive pronouns

    1. Lesson 25Who makes the sounds in movies?Present simple vs present continuous
    2. Lesson 26Nurses on horses?At, in and on with workplaces
    3. Lesson 27Can you be a lifeguard?Verbs with prepositions
    4. Lesson 28Whose hat is this?Possessive pronouns from mine to theirs

  8. Unit 8 Weekend stories and plans

    was and were, how long and how tall, and, but and or, camping food

    1. Lesson 29Why do we have two days off?Was and were, the past of be
    2. Lesson 30How long is a blue whale?How + adjective questions about size
    3. Lesson 31A cow made of butter?And, but and or for joining ideas
    4. Lesson 32What do you need for s'mores?Containers and quantities with of

Questions about this lesson

What are adverbs of frequency?
Adverbs of frequency are words that say how often something happens, such as always, usually, often, sometimes and never. They go before a main verb (It usually snows in October.) but after be (It's often foggy.). The A1 lesson Is it always windy on Mount Washington? on edio.ai teaches them at a mountain weather station where observers check the wind, the temperature and the ice every hour.
Where do frequency adverbs go in a sentence?
Frequency adverbs go just before the main verb: They always work for about a week. He often climbs the tower. With be, they follow it instead (It's never hot), and in questions they come after the subject: Is it always windy? Avoid two places: always or never at the start (Always it's cold), and between a verb and its object (He climbs often the tower).
What do always, usually, often, sometimes and never mean?
These five adverbs are points on a scale from 100% to 0% of the time: always means every time, usually about 80–90%, often about 60–70%, sometimes about 30–50% and never not at all. So fog about 60% of the time is often (It's often foggy), and cold every January is always (It's always cold in January). The numbers are a guide, not a strict rule.
Do adverbs of frequency go before or after be?
Adverbs of frequency go after am, is or are: It's often foggy. I'm never late. They are usually at home on Sunday. Other verbs work the opposite way, with the adverb first: It often snows. In short: be + adverb, but adverb + verb. A table in Is it always windy on Mount Washington?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, adds usually and never to both kinds of sentence.
Is it "I always wear" or "I wear always"?
Say I always wear, with always before the verb: I always wear a hat and a big coat. Every main verb works the same way, whoever the subject is: She usually drinks coffee, not She drinks usually coffee. The chat in the A1 lesson Is it always windy on Mount Washington? on edio.ai offers I wear always a hat and a big coat as a trap.
Is it "It isn't never hot" or "It's never hot"?
Say It's never hot, because never is already negative. Adding not, don't or doesn't makes a double negative, which standard English avoids: My mom never goes out in the snow, not My mom doesn't never go out. To soften a statement instead, use not always: It isn't always windy. Is it always cold? No, not always.
How do you say how often it rains or snows?
Put a frequency adverb before rains or snows, and keep the -s: It often rains in spring. It usually snows in October. It never snows here in July. With a weather adjective, the adverb follows is: It's often foggy. It's sometimes calm in summer. Add a month or a season with in: It's always cold on the summit in January.
How do I teach adverbs of frequency to beginners?
Start with a line from 100% to 0% and true sentences about your own week (I always drink coffee in the morning), then let students add theirs. Teach the two positions next: before most verbs, after be. In Is it always windy on Mount Washington?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, learners meet the adverbs in a page and a dialogue, then choose them by percentage and put them in order.
What are good adverbs of frequency activities?
Good activities tie each adverb to a real habit: students say three things about their week with always, sometimes and never, interview a partner with Do you often…?, or sort weather sentences by percentage. This lesson's open boxes include What do you never eat? and Are you often late? When?, and its chat asks about winter habits: What do you usually wear in winter?
What's a good game for practicing frequency adverbs?
A box game with frequency questions works well: a student opens a box and answers in a full sentence, such as What do you usually wear in winter? I usually wear a big coat. The last box asks for three sentences, with always, sometimes and never. In Is it always windy on Mount Washington?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, these boxes close the speaking chapter.
What's good homework for practicing adverbs of frequency?
A short post about winter where you live is good homework, since weather and habits both need the adverbs: It's always cold in January, and it often snows. I usually drink hot chocolate at home. A voice message about a winter week adds speaking. The A1 lesson Is it always windy on Mount Washington? on edio.ai asks for all five adverbs in that post, after a self-checking word-order game.
Are there interactive exercises for adverbs of frequency?
Yes: word-order gap-fills and chats that check themselves suit them well. The page for Is it always windy on Mount Washington?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, plays four parts with no account: the page about a week at the top, a dialogue about a video from the summit, a gap-fill that puts the adverb and verb in order, and a chat about winter habits. The other drills are locked.
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