Position of adverbs of frequency

   Share on Facebook  
Lembo  #223990  Tue, 09 May 06 03:59 PM

Which is correct, "Write about something you do often" or ...often do" ?

  
Not Ranked
Joined on Tue, May 9 2006
New Member (01)
Sextus  #224022  Tue, 09 May 06 06:06 PM
I think that both are acceptable. At least, both are used.
  
Top 100 Contributor
Joined on Sat, Nov 6 2004
Buenos Aires
Regular Member (731)
Yahyacan  #224058  Tue, 09 May 06 09:26 PM

We generally use frequency adverbs before the "main verb" or after verb "be".

She often comes late.

She is often late.

  
Not Ranked
Joined on Thu, Jan 26 2006
turkey
New Member (35)
Who sees positively thinks positively, who thinks positively takes pleasure from his life
Sextus  #224062  Tue, 09 May 06 09:41 PM

Personally, I prefer "you often do" to "you do often", but (as I said) the latter form is also used.

  
Welkins2139  #224112  Wed, 10 May 06 04:46 AM
 Yahyacan wrote:

We generally use frequency adverbs before the "main verb" or after verb "be".

She often comes late.

She is often late.

I agree with you.

  
Top 150 Contributor
Joined on Sun, Oct 9 2005
Full Member (414)
Determination, Dedication and Devotion!
Sextus  #224120  Wed, 10 May 06 05:38 AM

Of course, the rule says what Yahyacan explained. In any case, I've googled the expressions "sth. you do often" and "sth. you often do".

For the former, there are 606 results.

For the latter, there are 76 results.

I'm not saying that googling a word or phrasing proves that it is correct, but it certainly tells us a lot about how people use it.

  
Anonymous  #226813  Fri, 19 May 06 10:35 AM

HELLO

Are these sentences correct?

I often don't see my children; I usually don't go to parties.

When can we use an adverb before don't? These sentences seem fine to me, but they don't apply to the rule and I'm a bit confused.

  
Mister Micawber  #226829  Fri, 19 May 06 11:10 AM

These adverbs of frequency can shift about quite readily (I often/usually don't see; I don't often/usually see; Often/Usually, I don't see; I don't see my children often/usually), but the standard place for a single-word adverb relative to a verb phrase is after the operator (here, don't -- I don't usually go).

Other adverbs are not so flexible, like adverbs of time, which usually come at the end:  I don't see my children TuesdaysTuesdays can only go at one end or the other of this sentence, not in the middle.  Adverbs of manner also do not precede the operator:  I don't willingly go to parties; I don't go to parties willingly.
.
  
Top 10 Contributor
Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004
Yokohama
Veteran Member (22,610)
SystemAdministratorTeachers
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'
AddThis Feed Button RSS Feed: ESL General English Grammar Questions
© 2008 MediaCET Ltd.
Terms and Conditions & Terms of Service