Adverbs of frequency: beginning a sentence

Where special emphasis or contrast is required, the following can begin a sentence: frequently, generally normally, occasionally, ordinarily, sometimes and usually:

Sometimes we get a lot of rain in August Often is generally preceded by quite or very when it is used for emphasis at the beginning of a sentence:

Quite/Very often the phone rings when I'm in the bath

Adverbs of degree

Always and never can be used at the beginning in imperatives:

Always pay your debts Never borrow money [> 9.52n.6] When negative adverbs (never, seldom, etc.) are used to begin sentences, they affect the word order that follows [> 7.59.3].

7.40.5 Adverbs of frequency: 'ever' and 'never'

Ever, meaning 'at any time', is used in questions:

Have you ever thought of applying for a job abroad? We can use ever after any- and no- indefinite pronouns [> 4.37]:

Does anyone ever visit them? Nothing ever bothers Howard Ever can occur in affirmative If-sentences:

// you ever need any help, you know where to find me and after hardly scarcely and barely [> 7.39].

Never is used in negative sentences and frequently replaces not when we wish to strengthen a negative [> 13.8], Compare:

/ don't smoke I never smoke The negative not ever may be used in preference to never for extra emphasis in e.g. promises, warnings, etc.:

/ promise you, he won't ever trouble you again'

Adverbs of frequency before auxiliaries

Adverbs of indefinite frequency can be used before auxiliaries (be, have, do, can, must, etc.) when we want to place special emphasis on the verb, which is usually heavily stressed in speech:

It's just like Philip He always 'is late when we have an important

meeting You never can rely on him

We often use this word order in short responses, especially to agree with or contradict something that has just been said:

Philip is late again - Yes, he always 'is

Note this use when do, does and did replace a full verb:

Your son never helps you - No, he never 'does

or: But he always 'does A response of this kind can be part of a single statement:

Joan promised to keep her room tidy but she never did The same kind of emphasis can be made with more than one verb:

George never should have joined the army

Adverbs of degree