Sometimes and always leave a big gap in the middle. Hardly ever, rarely, constantly, straight away, gradually — these words say how often something happens and how it happens, and they change the whole sentence.
1. Do You Ever Go?
Wren: Do you use the gym downstairs?
Alp: I hardly ever go. Twice this year.
Wren: It's free, though.
Alp: That's why I feel bad about it.
Wren: Come with me Tuesday.
Alp: All right. Tuesday.
2. Not Very Often
Cass: You cook a lot, don't you?
Deniz: I rarely eat out, so yes.
Cass: Never fancy a takeaway?
Deniz: Rarely. Maybe once a month.
Cass: You're better than me.
3. The Phone Won't Stop
Bo: Your phone is constantly buzzing.
Lin: Work group. Forty people in it.
Bo: Can you mute it?
Lin: I'm scared I'll miss something.
Bo: You'll miss nothing. Mute it.
Lin: Muted. That's better.
4. Right Now, Please
Farah: There's water under the sink.
Theo: I'll look at it tonight.
Farah: Look at it straight away, please.
Theo: That bad?
Farah: It's reached the wall.
Theo: Straight away it is.
5. Little by Little
Jonas: Is your English improving?
Mei: Gradually. Not overnight.
Jonas: How do you notice?
Mei: Films. I need fewer subtitles.
Jonas: That's real progress.
Mei: Slow, but real.
6. Handle With Care
Rita: That box says fragile.
Ade: I'm carrying it carefully.
Rita: Carefully means two hands.
Ade: Two hands. Happy?
Rita: Much happier.
7. Keep It Down
Lars: The baby's just gone down.
Nia: I'll shut the door quietly.
Lars: And talk quietly for an hour.
Nia: An hour of whispering.
Lars: Worth it.
Nia: It always is.
8. It Wasn't an Accident
Vik: Who left the window open?
Sara: I did. On purpose.
Vik: In November?
Sara: The paint smell. Ten minutes and I'll shut it.
Vik: Fine. Ten minutes.
Words to know
| hardly ever | almost never I hardly ever go. Twice this year. |
| rarely | not often I rarely eat out, so yes. |
| constantly | all the time, without stopping Your phone is constantly buzzing. |
| straight away | immediately, with no delay Look at it straight away, please. |
| gradually | slowly, over a period of time Gradually. Not overnight. |
| carefully | with attention, so nothing goes wrong I'm carrying it carefully. |
| quietly | without making noise I'll shut the door quietly. |
| on purpose | deliberately, not by accident I did. On purpose. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: Do you use the gym downstairs?
B: I ________ go. Twice this year.
2. A: Never fancy a takeaway?
B: ________. Maybe once a month.
3. A: Your phone is ________ buzzing.
B: Work group. Forty people in it.
4. A: I'll look at it tonight.
B: Look at it ________, please.
5. A: Is your English improving?
B: ________. Not overnight.
6. A: Who left the window open?
B: I did. ________.
Show the answers
1. hardly ever 2. Rarely 3. constantly 4. straight away 5. Gradually 6. On purpose
Common mistakes
Not: I broke it in purpose.
Say: I broke it on purpose.
The phrase is on purpose. In purpose does not exist in English.
Not: Could you speak more quiet?
Say: Could you speak more quietly?
To describe how someone does something, use the -ly form. Quiet describes a thing: a quiet room.
Not: I'll do it straight way.
Say: I'll do it straight away.
The word is away. Straight way sounds like a road, not a time.
Your turn
Think about your normal week. Say these five things aloud, using the words from this lesson.
- Name one thing you hardly ever do, and one you do constantly.
- Say something you rarely eat, and something you eat most days.
- Finish out loud: If the fire alarm goes, I'll... using straight away.
- Say one skill of yours that is improving gradually.
- Describe one thing you do carefully and one you do quietly.
Quick review
Line up your frequency words from least to most: hardly ever, rarely, sometimes, often, constantly. Then say one true sentence about yourself at each level. Five sentences, one minute, and the middle of the scale stops being a gap.