Adverbs of Time and Frequency: English Vocabulary List

for a limited period of time

"The road is temporarily closed for repairs."

"The road is temporarily closed for repairs so please use the alternate route indicated on the signs."

in a way that lasts or remains unchanged for a very long time

"He permanently moved to another country."

"He permanently moved to another country after retiring because he wanted to enjoy a warmer climate and a slower pace of life."

before the present moment or a specific time

"I previously worked at a bank."

"I previously worked at a bank for five years before I decided to change careers and become a teacher."

at the present time

"She is currently studying at university."

"She is currently studying at university and hopes to graduate next year with a degree in economics and finance."

in a manner related to or characteristic of a particular season

"The restaurant closes seasonally in winter."

"The restaurant closes seasonally in winter because there are not enough tourists during the cold and rainy months."

happening the whole year

"The store is open year-round."

"The pool is open year-round because it is heated and covered so people can swim even in the winter months."

once every two years

"The festival occurs biannually."

"The conference happens biannually in spring and fall so mark your calendars for the upcoming events."

once every six months

"The interest is calculated semiannually."

"The interest is calculated semiannually which means you will receive payments twice a year from your investment account."

in a way that happens once every year

"We take a vacation annually."

"We take a vacation annually to recharge our batteries and spend quality time together as a family."

now and then or from time to time

"Check your smoke detector periodically."

"Check your smoke detector periodically to make sure the batteries are working and it will alert you in case of fire."

almost not; only just enough

"There was scarcely any food left."

"There was scarcely any food left in the refrigerator so we had to order pizza for dinner that night."

at infrequent intervals

"I drink wine on occasion."

"I drink wine on occasion but I am not a heavy drinker and I know my limits very well."

in a manner that almost does not occur or happen

"He hardly ever eats junk food."

"He hardly ever eats junk food because he is very health conscious and prefers to cook fresh meals at home."

to a very small degree or extent

"I can hardly hear you."

"I can hardly hear you because of the noise from the construction site next door."

in a regular or habitual manner, often following a fixed procedure or schedule

"She routinely checks her email."

"She routinely checks her email every morning before starting her work to make sure she does not miss any important messages."

at irregular and unpredictable intervals of time

"It rains sporadically during the summer."

"It rains sporadically during the summer which makes it difficult to plan outdoor activities like picnics and sports events."

in every case without exception

"He invariably arrives late to meetings."

"He invariably arrives late to meetings and his colleagues are getting very tired of waiting for him every single time."

on many occasions

"Oftentimes I forget my keys."

"Oftentimes I forget my keys at home and have to call my roommate to let me inside the apartment."

in a manner characterized by short, irregular bursts or intervals

"The machine worked spasmodically all day."

"The machine worked spasmodically all day and we had to call a technician to fix the problem with the motor."

in a manner characterized by repeated occurrence at regular intervals or in a pattern

"The problem occurs recurrently every few months."

"The problem occurs recurrently every few months and we still have not found a permanent solution to fix it completely."

after a particular event or time

"He quit his job and subsequently started his own business."

"He quit his job and subsequently started his own business which became very successful within just a few years."

with no delay and at once

"He instantly recognized her face."

"He instantly recognized her face even though they had not seen each other for over twenty years."

once every two weeks

"I get paid biweekly on Fridays."

"I get paid biweekly on Fridays which helps me budget my expenses and plan for the upcoming two weeks."

almost immediately before something else happened

"He scarcely arrived."

"The relief pitcher had scarcely entered the game when he was called upon to face the bases-loaded situation."

barely at a particular time in the past

"I hardly saw him."

"She had hardly begun her speech when the fire alarm sounded loudly."

after a particular event or time

"He quit his job and subsequently moved away."

"He quit his job and subsequently started his own business which became very successful within a few years."