Adverbs of Time in English with Examples

Adverbs of time are words that describe when an action occurs. They provide information about the timing or frequency of an action in a sentence. In this article, we are providing a complete lesson about adverbs of time.

What Are the Adverbs of Time?

An adverb of time is a word that modifies or describes a verb, indicating when an action or event occurs. In other words, it provides information about the timing, frequency, duration, or sequence of an action in relation to time. Adverbs of time help answer questions such as “when,” “how often,” or “how long.” These adverbs add temporal context to a sentence, enabling the reader or listener to understand the temporal aspect of the action being described.

For example, in the sentence “She will arrive soon,” the adverb “soon” is an adverb of time, indicating the time at which she will arrive. Similarly, in the sentence “I always go to the gym in the morning,” the adverb “always” is an adverb of time, specifying the frequency of going to the gym.

Adverbs of time can include words like now, today, tomorrow, yesterday, soon, later, always, often, sometimes, usually, rarely, never, etc. These adverbs play a crucial role in providing a comprehensive understanding of the temporal context of actions or events in language.

Types of Adverbs of Time:

1: Definite Adverbs: Definite adverbs of time are words that tell us exactly when an action happens. Here are some examples explained in simpler terms:

• Today: This means on the same day as now.
  • Example: I will finish my homework today.
• Now: This means at this very moment.
  • Example: We are eating dinner now.
• Yesterday: This means on the day before today.
  • Example: I saw a movie yesterday.
• Tomorrow: This means on the day after today.
  • Example: We have a meeting tomorrow.
• Soon: This means in a short time from now.
  • Example: She will be here soon.
• Later: This means at a time in the future, but not immediately.
  • Example: I will call you later.

2: Indefinite Adverbs: Indefinite adverbs of time are words that give a more general idea of when an action happens. Let me break it down in simpler terms:

• Always: This means at all times or every time.
  • Example: She always helps me with my homework.
• Often: This means many times or frequently.
  • Example: We often go to the park on weekends.
• Sometimes: This means on certain occasions but not always.
  • Example: Sometimes I eat ice cream for dessert.
• Usually: This means most of the time or generally.
  • Example: I usually wake up early in the morning.
• Seldom: This means rarely or not very often.
  • Example: He seldom forgets his keys.
• Never: This means not at any time or not once.
  • Example: I never skip breakfast.

Placement of Adverbs of Time:

Adverbs of time can be placed in different parts of a sentence, and their placement can affect the meaning and emphasis. Here are the common positions for placing adverbs of time:

• At the Beginning of the Sentence

Placing the adverb at the beginning can emphasize the time when the action occurred.

• • Yesterday, I went to the market.
  • In the morning, the sun rises.

• At the End of the Sentence:

Placing the adverb at the end is a common and neutral position.

• • I went to the market yesterday.
  • She will call you later.

• Before the Main Verb:

Placing the adverb before the main verb is common in present simple and past simple tenses.

• • She always finishes her work on time.
  • They usually play soccer after school.

• Between the Auxiliary Verb and Main Verb:

When there is an auxiliary verb (e.g., has, will), the adverb is placed between the auxiliary and the main verb.

• • He has always wanted to visit Paris.
  • They will soon complete the project.

• With the Present Perfect Tense:

Adverbs often come between the auxiliary verb (have/has) and the past participle in the present perfect tense.

• • I have already seen that movie.
  • They haven’t yet arrived.

List of Adverbs of Time

• Now
• Today
• Tomorrow
• Yesterday
• Soon
• Later
• Early
• Late
• Always
• Never
• Often
• Sometimes
• Usually
• Seldom
• Frequently
• Rarely
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Yearly
• Afterwards
• Before
• After
• Already
• Still
• Yet
• Recently
• Presently
• Shortly
• Immediately
• Finally
• In the meantime
• Last
• Next
• Now and then
• Occasionally
• Eventually
• Suddenly
• Meanwhile
• Always

Examples of Adverbs of Time

Here are examples of sentences using various adverbs of time:

1. Now:
   • I am busy right now.
2. Today:
   • We have a meeting today.
3. Tomorrow:
   • They are leaving for vacation tomorrow.
4. Yesterday:
   • I finished reading the book yesterday.
5. Soon:
   • She will arrive soon.
6. Later:
   • Let’s discuss this later.
7. Always:
   • He always remembers my birthday.
8. Never:
   • She never eats meat.
9. Often:
   • We often go for a walk in the evening.
10. Sometimes:
    • Sometimes, I like to sleep in.
11. Usually:
    • I usually take the bus to work.
12. Seldom:
    • He seldom visits his relatives.
13. Frequently:
    • They frequently travel for work.
14. Daily:
    • I exercise daily.
15. Weekly:
    • We meet for coffee weekly.
16. Monthly:
    • The magazine is published monthly.
17. Yearly:
    • We celebrate our anniversary yearly.
18. Afterwards:
    • She studied for the exam, and afterward, she took a break.
19. Before:
    • Please finish your homework before dinner.
20. After:
    • We’ll go for a walk after lunch.
21. Already:
    • I have already finished my homework.
22. Still:
    • The sun is still shining.
23. Yet:
    • Have you finished your assignment yet?
24. Recently:
    • I visited my grandparents recently.
25. Presently:
    • He is presently working on a new project.
26. Shortly:
    • We’ll be there shortly.
27. Immediately:
    • The fire alarm rang, and we immediately evacuated the building.
28. Finally:
    • Finally, she found the missing key.
29. Eventually:
    • With hard work, you will eventually succeed.
30. Suddenly:
    • She called me suddenly in the middle of the night.

Exercise Of Adverb of Time

Let’s create a few sentences and turn them into an exercise. We will provide sentences with blanks, and you can fill in the blanks with an appropriate adverb of time. After that, We will provide the completed sentences for comparison.

Exercise:

1. I will call you __________.
2. The train is arriving __________.
3. We go for a family picnic __________.
4. He has been practicing the piano __________.
5. They visit their grandparents __________.

Completed Sentences:

1. I will call you later.
2. The train is arriving soon.
3. We go for a family picnic monthly.
4. He has been practicing the piano daily.
5. They visit their grandparents frequently.

---

 

You May Also Like

• Adverbs of Degree
• Adverbs of Manner 
• Adverbs of Frequency
• List of  Adverbs 
• List of Adverbs that don’t end in LY