How do I use adverbs of time in sentences? #EnglishHelp

Ever wondered how to talk about when something happens in English? You probably use words like yesterday or later all the time without even realizing they're called adverbs of time!

Figure out how to use them like a pro! Learn when to use adverbs of time and where to place them in a sentence, making it easier to express yourself and understand others better.

Adverbs of time tell you when an action happens. Words like yesterday, today, and tomorrow answer the question, "When?"

Take a look at the following sentences of time adverbs:

• I saw John at the park yesterday.

• I read a book today.

• I will play soccer tomorrow.

Image by storyset on Freepik

Types of adverbs of time

There are different kinds of adverbs of time, with different reasons to use them, but they still answer the question, "When?"

• yesterday, today, tomorrow: tells you the specific point in time

• sometimes, never, always, later: tells you a general idea of time

• weekly, every day, twice a month: tells you how often an action happens

• all day, for a week, since 2023: tells you for how long an action happens (duration)

Adverbs of time are flexible. They can move around, allowing you to change the focus or flow of your sentence!

You can find them:

• at the end of a sentence: I played soccer yesterday.

• at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize the adverb of time: Yesterday, I played soccer. (Use a comma after the adverb when it's at the beginning of a sentence.)

An exception is adverbs of time that tell us how often/frequency. Some of them usually go before the main verb.

For example: I never eat bread. I rarely cook dinner.

But others can go at the beginning, middle, or end!

• I often eat bread.

• Often, I eat bread.

• I eat bread often.

Order of adverbs of time

If you're writing a sentence with more than one adverb of time, pay attention to the order!

1. how long

2. how often

3. when

Examples:

• I study (1) for 3 hours (2) every day.

• I traveled to Italy (2) monthly (3) last year.

• I ate salad (1) for 2 months (3) last year.

Real-life dialogue

Read the dialogue below to see how adverbs of time are used in everyday conversations!

Jane: Yesterday, I went to the library to study. Do you go often?

Ryan: Yeah, I often go to the library to study for 2 hours.

Jane: I try to go every day, but sometimes I skip a day if I'm tired.

Ryan: Yeah, I get that. Yesterday, I didn't study at all because I was tired. So, I'll have to study for 3-4 hours later.

Jane: Oh, I see. Tomorrow, I'll go to the library to study early, so I can rest in the evening.

Use adverbs of time to make it clear when something happens.

Ryan: I watched a movie last week.

Jane: That's great! I'll be watching a movie later.

Ryan: Nice! What are you doing right now?

Jane: Just listening to music. Want to join me?

These words give you a hint about the timing of an action.

They can talk about the...

• Past: what's already happened = yesterday, last week

• Present: what's happening right now = today, now

• Future: what's going to happen = tomorrow, later

Using the picture below as an example, you can make the following sentences with adverbs of time:

Photo by Kevin Woblick on Unsplash

I watched a movie yesterday. (past)

Today, I'm watching a movie. (present)

I will watch a movie tomorrow. (future)

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

Here are some things you can do to practice with adverbs of time!