Adverb of Time - A Must-Read Guide

 

An adverb of time is defined as a word that talks about when an action takes place and answers the questions "when?", "how frequently?" and "how long?". A few examples of adverbs of time include: yesterday, today, now, often, always, usually, soon, later, early, sometimes, never, ever, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.

Give this article a full reading in order to master the chapter of adverbs of time, learning the definition of adverbs of time, types and example sentences.

This article covers:

• Adverb of Time - Definition and Meaning 
• Adverb of Time Examples 
• Adverb of Time Examples in Sentences 
• How to Recognize Adverbs of Time? 
• Adverb of Time List
• Adverb of Time Exercises 
• FAQs - Adverb of Time 

Adverb of Time - Definition and Meaning 

Cambridge Dictionary defines adverb of time as "Time adverbs can tell us about when an action happens, (now, soon, etc.) or how frequently an action happens (usually, always, etc.)" 

British Council defines adverb of time as "We use adverbials of time to describe when, how long or how often/frequently something happens." 

According to the definitions above, we can define time adverb in points as follows:

• 1. an adverb of time can be a single word, (usually) or a combination of words or phrase (all day).
• 2. an adverb of time is one of the many types of the part of speech, adverb.
• 3. an adverb of time is also known as time adverb or adverbial of time.
• 4. the main function of an adverb of time is to tell us about when, how often or how long an action happens.

(Also read: adverb of place)

Adverb of Time Examples 

Here are a few examples of adverbs of time in words: yesterday, today, now, often, always, all day, usually, soon, later, early, sometimes, never, ever, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.

Adverb of Time Examples in Sentences 

1. They waited all day.

2. I'll talk to you soon.

3. Call me later.

4. We usually visit the park.

5. The journal is published weekly.

6. We'll never talk about the matter.

7. We should always speak the truth.

8. Come here now.

9. I'll phone you today.

How to Identify Adverbs of Time? 

Identifying an adverb of time can be a little tricky, but you can recognize an adverb of time by following the below-given steps. Here are the 3 tips and steps to identify an adverb of time:

Step 1: Learn what an adverb of time is. An adverb of time is a word or phrase that talks about the time when an action occurs.

Step 2: Learn the function of an adverb of time. The function of adverb of time is to answer the questions "when?," "how long?," or "how often/frequently?".

Step 3: Ask yourself when an action happened. The word or phrase in a sentence that answers your when-question will be the adverb of time.

Types of Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time can be categorized into three main categories. The categories or types of adverbs of time are as follows:

1. Adverbs of time answering the question "when?": The adverbs of time under this category give answer to the question "when?".

Examples:

a. The accident took place yesterday. (yesterday answers "when?")

b. I'll call you later. (later answers "when?")

c. Call me now. (now answers "when?")

2. Adverbs of time answering the question "how long?": The adverbs of time of this category give answer to the question "how long?". 

Examples:

a. I waited all day. (all day answers "how long?")

b. They have lived in India since 1995. (since 1995 answers "how long?")

3. Adverbs of time answering "how often/frequently?": This type of adverbs of time gives answer to the question "how often/frequently?".

Examples:

a. I sometimes think. (sometimes answers "how often/frequently?")

b. I've always told the truth. (always answers "how often/frequently?")

Adverb of Time List

There are many adverbs of time present in English, but we give below a list of the most common adverbs of time. Here's the list:

• Now
• Then
• Today
• Tomorrow
• Yesterday
• Sometimes
• Always
• Never
• Usually
• Generally
• Soon
• Later
• Early
• Ever
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Yearly
• Quarterly
• annually
• Often
• Tonight

FAQs - Adverb of Time 

What is an adverb of time? 

An adverb of time is a word or phrase that tells us about when, how long or how often/frequently an action happens. Adverbs of time answer the questions "when?," "how long?," or "how often/frequently?". Examples of adverbs of time are: yesterday, today, now, often, always, usually, soon, later, early, sometimes, never, ever, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.

  

10 examples of adverb of time

1. They waited all day.

2. I'll talk to you soon.

3. Call me later.

4. We usually visit the park.

5. The journal is published weekly.

6. We'll never talk about the matter.

7. We should always speak the truth.

8. Come here now.

9. I'll phone you today.

10. He was with his father yesterday.

Is already an adverb of time 

Yes "already" is an adverb of time and is used to convey the fact that something expected has happened before speaking.

Is everyday adverb of time 

Yes, "everyday" is an adverb of time according to the above-mentioned definition given by Cambridge Dictionary.

Is finally an adverb of time

Yes, "finally" is an adverb of time and is used to indicate that something has happened after a long time or with some difficulty.

 

Is early an adverb of time

Yes, "early" is an adverb of time and is used to express that something has happened before the expected time.

Is once an adverb of time 

Yes, "once" is an adverb of time or frequency and is used to express that something has happened only one time.

Is usually an adverb of time 

Yes, "usually" is an adverb of time and is used to convey that something happens "in the way that most often happens".