Grammar: Adverbs of Frequency

siempre – always
casi siempre – almost always
normalmente – usually, normally
a menudo – often
a veces – sometimes
raramente – rarely
casi nunca – hardly ever
nunca – never

We usually put adverbs of frequency BEFORE the main verb (antes del verbo principal): “I usually get up at 8.” – Usualmente me levanto a las 8.
This is also true if there is an auxiliary verb: “I have often thought of emigrating.” – He pensado muchas veces en emigrar.
But, we put adverbs of frequency AFTER the verb TO BE: (después del verbo “to be”): “Reza is never late” – Reza nunca llega tarde. (Reza is occasionally late – occasionally = ocasionalmente)
Sometimes, adverbs of frequency can be put at the beginning or at the end (en posición final o inicial): “Normally, I get up at 8.” – “I get up at 8, normally.”

Expressions of frequency:

una vez a la semana – once a week
dos veces al día – twice a day
tres o cuatro veces al mes – three or four times a month
todos los viernes – every Friday
cada dos horas – every two hours
todos los días – every day

How often do you…

…go back to Belfast? – 3 or 4 times a year
How often do you visit your family in Moraira? – about twice a month / every 2 weeks
….have a fried English breakfast? – I hardly ever have on these days
…drink Guinness? – I often drink Guinness when I’m in Ireland, but I almost never drink Guinness when I’m in Spain
…speak Valencian? – rarely, 3 times a year
…watch football – very rarely
…go to bed before 11pm – not often, about once a week
…wear socks with sandles – now, never!
…swear (decir palabrotas, soltar tacos) – once or twice a day
….record a podcast – about once a fortnight, once overy 2 or 3 weeks
….get your haircut – about once every 2 or 3 months

Vocabulary: Strong collocations

Sometimes in English you might come across two words joined together with “and”.
The order of these words is a very strong collocation and it’s usually fixed. For example, fish and chips (no se dice Xchips and fishX).

Here are some more examples:

neat and tidy
pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages)
gin and tonic
rock and roll
trial and error
peace and quiet
toast and marmalade
stocks and shares
black and white
thunder and lightening
Ladies and gentlemen
boys and girls
life and death
right and wrong
black and blue
thick and thin
in sickness and in health
for better and for worse

Craig and Reza’s Weekly wind-ups (to wind up = annoy, irritate, bother: fastidiar, disgustar, molestar)
Reza: People who ask a question and then don’t listen to what you say.
Craig: The number of messages, alerts or “things you have to deal with” on apps – Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, always that small number, in a circle, on your phone (more than your PC) it signifies “there’s something I haven’t done.”

 

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