Adverbs : Adverb of Time for Class 3 English

Adverbs of time are used to indicate how frequently something happens. This concept elucidates the adverb of time definition with examples and how to use it.

In this learning concept, the students will know about the following:

• Order of words while using words that show time
• Usage of these words in a sentence.
• Common mistakes that occur while using such words.
• Exceptions associated with them.

Adverb of Time Definition

1. Words that denote time of an action, the duration of the action, and the number of times the action repeats are known as adverbs of time.

     2. Adverbs of time are usually used at the end of a sentence.

     3. Time is important when adverbs oftimeare used at the beginning of a sentence.

          Example:

          Now, I will go to the park.

Usage of Adverbs of Time

Various adverbs of time are used to show when, for how long, and how often an action takes place.

1. Time Period of an Action (When?)

          These words show when an activity took place or will take place. These adverbs are                     usually placed at the end of the sentence.

          Examples:

1. I completed my project last night.
2. I am going to visit my grand mother tomorrow.

No	To show	Some Adverbs that Indicate When
1.	Specific day	Tomorrow	Today
2.	●Unspecified duration ●During a future time.	Next Month	Next week
3.	the completed action of the past	Last month	Last week
4.	Specific time of the day in the past	Last night	Then

     

     b. Duration of Action (How long?)

          This indicates how much time or duration an activity takes.These adverbs are usually                  placed at the end of the sentence and before the verb as well. They are also known as                adverbs of duration.

          Examples:

1. I watched movies all afternoon.
2. I went for two days on a trip to the beach.
3. My brother has been singing since he was six.

No	To show	Some Adverbs that Indicate Duration
1.	A short period of time.	briefly	shortly
2.	A lasting or permanent action.	forever	permanently
3.	A length of time during a day.	all day	long

 

       c. Frequency (How often?)

           Adverbs of time can also tell us how often something happens. These adverbs help to                 identify the frequency of the action that’s being described. These words are called                         adverbs of frequency.

           Examples:

1. My sister never keeps her room clean.
2. I often visit my native place during the summer vacations.
3. Usually, I eat rice for lunch.
4. I go for a walk twice a week.
5. We go on a long trip once a year.

 

SomeAdverbs that Shows Frequency
a) hourly	b) daily
c) weekly	d) monthly
e) yearly	f) twice a year
g) once	h) twice

 

      d. Yet

           The adverb indicates something that is expected to happen. It is usually used at the end               of a sentenceor after ‘not’ in negative sentences.

           Examples:

1. The truth is notyet proven.
2. She has not yet reached.

     e. Still

         This adverb of time shows that something is happening and not yet stopped. It is usually             placed before the main verb and after auxiliary verbs.

        Examples:

1. I’m still waiting for him.
2. Are you stillcompleting your homework?

Common Mistakes:

1. Adverbs of time are usually placed after the verb or the object which is at the end of the sentence. However, you can also place the adverb of time at the beginning of a sentence too . The position depends on your purpose.
• If you want to focus on an action, then use the order:

Example:

Priya went to the mall yesterday.

• If you want to focus on the time of the action, place the adverb of time at the beginning of the sentence:

Example:

Yesterday, Priya went to the cinema.

     2.  In a sentence, using more than one adverb of time can get confusingwhen writing the                  words in the correct order.

          Follow the order: How long + How often +When

Example:

 

    3. The word ‘for’ is followed by duration.

Examples:

1. I have been walking for half an hour.
2. We lived in Kolkata for thirty years.

    4. The word‘since’ is followed by a point in time. This point in time is always written in                         numbers.

Examples:

1. I have loved dancing since I was four years old.
2. She has been waiting since 9am.

     5. The word ‘yet’ is a conjunction and an adverb of time depending on its usage in the                       sentence. Do not confuse its usage with conjunction.

Examples:

1. He’s obese, yet he continues to eat junk food.(In this sentence, yet is used as a conjunction which also means ‘but’)
2. He has not yet completed the task. (In this sentence,yet is used to refer to a time that starts in the past and continues tillthe present.)

Exceptions

1. Adverbs of frequency are usually placed at the end of a sentence. However, for adverbs like later, yet, and still, these rules change sometimes. The adverb later can also be placed directly before or sometimes after the main verb.

Examples:

1. Later, she apologised. (Emphasises when she told him, sorry, adverb of time is before the main verb.)
2. She later told him sorry. (Somewhat formal tone, used by somebody narrating the order of events to another person. Adverb of time immediately before the main verb.)

              c. She arrived laterthan everybody else here. (After the main verb ‘arrived’)

    2. The word ‘yet’ can also be used in positive sentences after helping verbs and before the              main verb to show a future option.

Examples:

1. I have yet to decide if I will shift.
2. Things could yet improve in your next exam.

Look at the mind map below for quick revision: