B2. Healthy living
adverbs of frequency
Lucy Williams worked in an office near the city centre . She usually went for a walk in the park during her lunch hour. Nearly every day she saw a very old man who was always in the park on the same bench. He had white hair and a long white beard and a very contented expression. She sometimes nodded to him or said hello and he always smiled back very happily. One day, she decided to stop and speak to him.
‘Excuse me,’ said Lucy, ‘I often see you here. You always seem very cheerful and you’re never sick! What’s your secret for a long and happy life?’
‘My secret?’ asked the old man, smiling at her ‘I don’t have a secret.’
‘But how often do you take exercise?’ asked Lucy.
‘I never take any exercise, young lady.’
‘What about your diet? How often do you eat fresh fruit and vegetables?’
‘I hardly ever eat vegetables.’ he replied, still smiling, ‘And I smoke almost all the time.’
‘That’s amazing!’ said Lucy. ‘How old are you?’
‘Thirty five,’ he replied
Grammar: adverbs of frequency
These are adverbs which describe how often you do something.
With most verbs put the
adverb before the verb: I hardly ever eat vegetables.
With the verb to be put the adverb after the verb: He was always on the bench.
With the verb to be put the adverb after the verb: He was always on the bench.
Choose the correct sentence, A or B.
1A.
I often see you here.
1B. I see often you here.
2A. Does he often get to work early?
2B. Does he get often to work early?
3A. I don’t usually take any exercise in the evening.
3B. I don’t take usually any exercise in the evening.
4A. He was happy always.
4B. He was always happy.
5A. Are you in the morning in a hurry usually?
5B. Are you usually in a hurry in the morning?
6A. I’m never late.
6B. I never am late.
7A. They go often to the park.
7B. They often go to the park.
8A. We get up always at eight o’clock.
8B. We always get up at eight o’clock.
9A. She’s always cheerful on Fridays.
9B. She always is cheerful on Fridays.
10A. How often you do eat vegetables?
10B. How often do you eat vegetables?
1B. I see often you here.
2A. Does he often get to work early?
2B. Does he get often to work early?
3A. I don’t usually take any exercise in the evening.
3B. I don’t take usually any exercise in the evening.
4A. He was happy always.
4B. He was always happy.
5A. Are you in the morning in a hurry usually?
5B. Are you usually in a hurry in the morning?
6A. I’m never late.
6B. I never am late.
7A. They go often to the park.
7B. They often go to the park.
8A. We get up always at eight o’clock.
8B. We always get up at eight o’clock.
9A. She’s always cheerful on Fridays.
9B. She always is cheerful on Fridays.
10A. How often you do eat vegetables?
10B. How often do you eat vegetables?
Vocabulary exercises
Match the definitions with the words from the joke.
1. a
diet 2.
a
beard
3. a
bench 4.
an
expression
5.
a secret
A. the look on
someone’s face that
shows how they are feeling
B. the kind of food that someone usually eats
C. a long seat usually for more than one person to sit on
D. something not known to other people
E. the hair on a man’s chin and cheeks
B. the kind of food that someone usually eats
C. a long seat usually for more than one person to sit on
D. something not known to other people
E. the hair on a man’s chin and cheeks
Choose the odd word out.
1.
smile laugh nod
grin
2. contented cheerful surprised happy
3. usually frequently often never
4. amazing surprising cheerful incredible
5. bench seat beard chair
2. contented cheerful surprised happy
3. usually frequently often never
4. amazing surprising cheerful incredible
5. bench seat beard chair