Grammar: Word classes: Adverbs

Expressing how / when / where

Adverbs of time

Adverbs can be used to indicate point in time (‘at what point?’), frequency (‘how often?’), and duration (‘for how long?).

Point in time 

When we want to locate an action in a particular point in time, we can use an adverb:

Come here now!
I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
He left yesterday for Shanghai.

Sometimes we use adverbs to relate one point in time to another (eg the present to the past). This is also called 'relative time':

I haven’t seen the movie yet.
We haven't heard from him since.
I still receive letters from him.

Here is a list of common adverbs indicating 'point in time' or 'relative time':

Don't forget that sometimes a group of words can be used to express a particular time:

at once, last year, next week, this morning

If you would like some practice in using time adverbs, click here.

Frequency 

We can also use adverbs to indicate how often an action takes place:

They would visit us often.
She never phoned.
I go to Macau frequently.

Here is a list of some common adverbs of frequency:

For an activity involving frequency adverbs, click here.

For PrimeTeach teaching activities which provide KS2 students with practice in using adverbs to describe frequency, see:

Food bingo
An interview with a fireman

Duration

Adverbs also tell us how long an action lasts (duration):

She hasn’t been in Hong Kong long.
They’ll move here permanently next year.
The concert seemed to last forever.

Here is a list of some common adverbs indicating duration in time:

Sometimes we use a group of words to indicate duration:

They stayed three hours.
He waited five minutes and then he left.
The concert seemed to last a lifetime.

Don't forget that 'time' can also be expressed by using prepositional phrases:

They'll be here at ten o'clock. [point in time]
They would visit us on Sundays. [frequency]
The concert seemed to last for a long time. [duration]

And sometimes we even use noun groups to express time:

We meet every Monday.
We met last month.
We'll meet again this evening.

For more information on using adverb groups to describe time, see 

Grammar: Groups & phrases: Adverb group: Expressing how / when / where

For more information on using prepositional phrases to describe time, see 

Grammar: Groups & phrases: Prepositional phrases: Expressing how / when / where / why: Expressing ' time'