Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Adverbs of Frequency: The Missing Manual

In the previous post about Adverbs of Frequency we learned about the basics; always, usually, sometimes, rarely, never.

Now let's at some lesser known frequency adverbs but almost probably used just as much as the others.

The Grammar
Noun (pronoun) + adverb + verb

Almost - Very closely completed but not completely.
She almost made the winning goal.
The pie almost got burnt.

Probably - Seems true, likely to happen  or expected.
They probably got lost.
Books probably make the best presents for students.

Just - Very recently or by a small amount of time.
I just ate.
He just missed the the bus.

Other Usage
After a 'special' verb; Noun (pronoun) + 'special' verb + adverb + verb
A 'special' verb is a verb that can be combined with 'not', can make a question by coming before the subject or makes a question tag. Please read this great post at MyEnglishBook for more details on 'special' verbs.

Be
He's just completed the exam.
You're probably walking home tonight.
The cake is almost done.

Have
I have just arrived.
It has probably closed.
They have almost finished.

Can
I can just imagine.
We can probably go now.
It can almost start.

Could
The police could just arrest you for suspicion. 
She could probably use my bike.
Fried cheese could almost be the worst food to eat.

Need
The team needs just one more point.
We need almost everyone.
*need probably doesn't work

Might
It might just be the perfect gift.
They might probably need a doctor.
I might almost finish on time.

Will
They will just take a taxi from the airport.
My parents will probably call on Friday.
The pizza will almost be here.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments or contact me by email. Also, please share your own examples in the comments as well.

Happy learning!

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