Learning English

Will 
Hello and welcome to today’s Grammar Gameshow! I’m your host, Will! But I’m no instant decision! And of course let’s not forget Leslie, our all-knowing voice in the sky.

Leslie
Hello everyone!

Will
Tonight we’re going to ask you three questions about…

Leslie
Adverbs of frequency. Yes, those short words like always and sometimes that tell us how often people do things!

Will
OK! Now, let’s meet our contestants!

Mike
Hi everyone. I’m Mike!

Will
Contestant number 2?

Sarah
Hi, Will. My name’s Sarah!

Will
Welcome back, Sarah! OK! Let’s get going. And don’t forget you can play along at home too. Our first question is a sorting question. Listen to these sentences and put them in the correct order from most often to least often. Here we go:

a)         I always ride my bike to school

b)         He never sleeps before nine

c)         She sometimes misses breakfast

d)         You often go on holiday

e)         It rarely rains here

Mike
A, D, C, E, B. Always, often, sometimes, rarely, never

Will
Leslie?

Leslie
Well done! As you said, from most often to least often: I always ride. You often go. She sometimes misses. It rarely rains. He never sleeps. Good job, Mike.

Will
You know sometimes a contestant will come along and really dazzle me with their intelligence and knowledge. Not today. One point for you!

Will
Question two. What must you remember about the form of the main verb when using adverbs ‘never’ and ‘rarely’?

Mike
The verb must be positive not negative.

Will
Leslie?

Leslie
Superb! Never and rarely must take a positive verb. I never study. I rarely go. 

Will
Good job Mike. Have 16 and a half points. You don’t never need to worry with an answer like that.

Mike
Yeah….wait, what?

Will
Now for our final question. Look at this sentence and tell me where the adverb of frequency should go.

Sarah
Position B! Just before the main verb!

Will
Leslie?

Leslie
Yes, Sarah. That’s right.

Will
Good job Sarah – you aren’t asleep after all. You can have 5 points, or you can gamble and go for 150 points. What would you like to do?

Sarah
…gamble?

Will
Everyone loves an entertaining fool. Here’s your question. Look at this sentence and tell me where the adverb of frequency should go.

Sarah
Ha! Nice try! It’s position B again! 

Will
Leslie?

Leslie
Wrong, I’m afraid. You were right in the first case. The adverb of frequency goes before the main verb. Unless, like in the second case, the main verb is the verb be. Then the adverb of frequency goes after.

Will
I’m sorry Sarah. That was wrong! Minus 12 points. Well, that brings us to the end of today’s Grammar Gameshow. Let’s count out the points. And the winner is…. Mike with 412. Well done! Here’s what you’ve won!

Leslie
It’s a pen!

Will
You can finally practice your spelling! And how did you do at home? We’ll see you again next week, where you can play for an even bigger prize. And Sarah? You barely got in the game at all! Why?

Sarah
Erm….I think it’s because…

Will
Fascinating! Feed her to the sharks. It looks like we’ll need another contestant. Thanks for joining us. Say goodbye Leslie

Leslie
Goodbye Leslie

Will
See you next time!