Signal words - for intermediate level Signal words in the Present Simple Tense Never, hardly ever, seldom and rarely have a negative meaning every (day, other day, week, fortnight, month, year …) o every day = daily o every week = weekly o every month = monthly o every year = yearly o every fortnight = fortnightly in the morning(s), in the afternoon(s), evening(s) … at night, by day on Monday(s), on Tuesday(s) … once a week, twice a week in January, … at … o’clock (daily routine) You find the examples in the following tasks where you’ll learn where to put the signal words in the sentences TASK – Translate the following sentences into your mother tongue With these sentences you can learn how to use and where to put these signal words 1) We often / frequently visit our grandparents 2) You always get up at half past 3) Tom rarely / seldom washes up 4) Sometimes Bruce forgets the homework / Bruce sometimes forgets the homework 5) They usually have P.E on Wednesday 6) The teacher hardly ever shouts at the students 7) Jeremy generally / normally borrows a book from the library 8) Phil can occasionally translate books 9) I never watch TV in the morning 10) The Frisks regularly tidy their house 11) Once in a while Christine writes an e-mail to Heidi Task – Translate the following sentences into your mother tongue With these sentences you can learn how to use and where to put these signal words Now there are sentences with the verb to be 1) You are sometimes unhappy / Sometimes you are unhappy 2) He is never late 3) They are generally / normally nice people 4) You are always good friends 5) Once in a while Max is really angry 6) I am frequently / often tired 7) Kelly is rarely / seldom in time 8) We are usually good children 9) Louise is occasionally an actors 10) Jim and Greg are regularly polite 11) He is hardly ever boring What is the difference between the sentences in Task and Task 2? Where we have to put the signal words? Task – Translate the following sentences into your mother tongue With these sentences you can learn how to use and where to put these signal words 1) Mary listens to a fairy tale every day / daily 2) The tortoise eats once a week 3) We go on holiday in July 4) I am at school in the morning 5) Sarah and her family don’t eat meat on Friday 6) Daniel has breakfast at quarter to 7) Tim plays soccer four times a week 8) I buy some bread every other day 9) Bats sleep by day 10) The owl hunts its prey at night 11) We take an exam in every four year 12) You have history on Tuesdays 13) Tom has a shower in the evenings 14) There are usually Champion League matches every fortnight / fortnightly in a soccer season Where we have to put the signal words used in Task 3? Task – Rewrite the sentences using the signal word in the brackets 1) You dance in the disco (always) _ 2) The Browns have dinner (at o’clock) _ 3) The school begins (in September) _ 4) My mum buys apples (in the afternoons) _ 5) Mandy has dance lessons (on Mondays) _ 6) I tell lies (never) _ 7) We go to the cinema (twice a month) _ 8) You lose your way (sometimes) _ 9) Nick goes to a football match (usually) _ 10) They eat fish (rarely) _ Task – Write correct sentences using the words given You must use the correct form of the verb 1) a / the / Sam / of / only / to drink / morning / cup / in / coffee 2) skiing / year / we / a / to go / once 3) and / seldom / Mavis / a / Evelyn / cigarette / to smoke 4) the / Monday / bed / Kevin / on / not to make 5) in / generally / not to eat / a / Patrick / restaurant 6) in / on / in / to be / Hawaii / Jane / June / holiday 7) a / Mrs Gruber / pizza / to order / sometimes 8) / to go / from / Mr Barnes / work / home / at / o’clock 9) of / to think / David / Emily / always 10) my / every / tortoise / I / week / to feed Some adverbs of frequency can be in front of the sentences These are the following: usually, normally, frequently, often, sometimes, once in a while and occasionally e.g Normally I go home at o’clock Task – Which is the correct answer? 1) His brother buys this magazine _ A sometimes B weekly C in Wednesday D never 2) Matthew _ rides a bike on the road A daily B on Tuesday C never D at four o’clock 3) My father grows tomatoes in the garden _ A in the evenings B once in a while C usually D in summer 4) I go to bed at eleven o’clock _ A in the evening B normally C rarely D at night 5) You _ answer my question A always B every other day C monthly D not often 6) Joan’s husband shaves _ A now B in every day C every other day D regularly 7) _ I forget to lock the door A Never B Always C In a minute D Sometimes 8) Dora and Floyd dance in a disco _ A sometimes B in Mays C every fortnight D usually 9) I _ say ‘No’ to Mr Jenkins A weekly B rarely C at half past D frequent 10) The writer doesn’t _ give an interview A regularly B daily C rarely D never Task – Rewrite the sentences with the given signal words / phrases Underline the part of the sentence which you’ll change 1) We often follow the rules (frequently) 2) You normally check the students work (generally) 3) Simon isn’t interested in chemistry (never) Task – Choose the most suitable signal word for each sentence You can use one signal word only once There can be more good A C E G I answers every year generally hardly ever normally occasionally B D F H J often once in a while on Monday frequently times a week 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) Elisa watches NCIS Alex meets Amy The children answer back Emma loses her temper Gina has a concert Our class has a test on Physics we have dinner at o’clock We travel to the Bahamas Anne’s sister hides Anne’s favourite doll 10) The writer publishes a new book 4) They have a course every fortnight (fortnightly) 5) Mavis forgets to the homework in half of the cases (sometimes) 6) He works from am to pm (by day) 7) Sheila has got a business lunch weekly (every week) 8) The judge punishes the lawbreakers at all times (always) 9) Jim doesn’t often eat a soup for lunch (seldom) 10) I go camping on Saturdays (once a week) Task – Rewrite the sentences using a signal word with the similar meaning Look at the sentences in Task This time you have only a list of the signal words from where you can choose Be careful because there is one EXTRA signal word you not need to use A C E G at all times at night daily in half of cases I never K normally the B D F H every other day every year hardly ever once in a while J seldom L twice a week 1) Mr Stone uses the computer every day _ _ 2) Sometimes Justin and Robby play chess _ _ 3) I rarely change my password _ _ 4) Every now and then I eat oyster _ _ 5) Emma goes by bus on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and on Sunday _ _ 6) Jake and I almost never win on the lottery _ _ 7) Jane doesn’t sleep by day _ _ 8) The Lees are always helpful _ _ 9) Everyone has a birthday yearly _ _ 10) You don’t take long walks with your dog _ _ 11) We have history on Monday and on Tuesday _ _ Task 10 – Find the similar meaning to the signal words, expressions from the lists 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) seldom seven times a week every month sometimes once in a while often in the mornings at night always fortnightly hardly ever once a week normally A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O every fortnight every morning generally almost never monthly on Tuesdays every day rarely every now and then at all times daily in half of the cases frequently not by day not often 10 11 12 13 Created by Susan V Toth SOLUTION Task 1-3 The solution depends on your mother tongue The answer to the question after the nd task: If you use the verb to be, the adverb of frequency has to be before ‘am, are, is’ If you use other verbs, the adverb of frequency has to be before the main verb The answer to the question after the 3rd task: If you use every day, in the morning, once a day, etc., you have to write them at the end of the sentences (You can explain: if you want to emphasize the signal word, you can write it at the beginning of the sentence.) Task 1) You always dance in the disco 2) The Browns have dinner at o’clock 3) The school begins in September 4) My mum buys apples in the afternoons 5) Mandy has dance lessons on Mondays 6) I never tell lies 7) We go to the cinema twice a month 8) You sometimes lose your way Or Sometimes you lose your way 9) Nick usually goes to a football match Or Usually Nick goes to a football match 10) They rarely eat fish Task 1) a / the / Sam / of / only / to drink / morning / cup / in / coffee Sam only drinks (only) a cup of coffee in the morning 2) skiing / year / we / a / to go / once We go skiing once a year 3) and / seldom / Mavis / a / Evelyn / cigarette / to smoke Evelyn and Mavis seldom smoke a cigarette 4) the / Monday / bed / Kevin / on / not to make Kevin doesn’t make the bed on Monday 5) in / generally / not to eat / a / Patrick / restaurant Patrick doesn’t generally eat in a restaurant 6) in / on / in / to be / Hawaii / Jane / June / holiday Jane is on holiday in Hawaii in June 7) a / Mrs Gruber / pizza / to order / sometimes Mrs Gruber sometimes orders a pizza Or Sometimes Mrs Gruber orders a pizza 8) / to go / from / Mr Barnes / work / home / at / o’clock Mr Barnes goes home from work at o’clock 9) of / to think / David / Emily / always David always thinks of Emily (you can change the names) 10) my / every / tortoise / I / week / to feed I feed my tortoise every week Task 1) B 2) C 3) D 4) D 5) A 6) C 7) D 8) C 9) B 10) A Task (This is a sample solution only.) 1) Elisa watches NCIS F on Monday 2) Alex meets Amy J times a week 3) The children E answer back hardly ever 4) D Emma loses her temper once in a while 5) Gina I has a concert occasionally 6) Our class B has a test on Physics often 7) G we have dinner at o’clock normally 8) We travel to the Bahamas A every year 9) Anne’s sister C hides Anne’s favourite doll generally 10) The writer H publishes a new book frequently Task 1) We frequently follow the rules 2) You normally check the students work 3) Simon is never interested in chemistry 4) They have a course fortnightly 5) Sometimes Mavis (sometimes) forgets to the homework 6) He works by day 7) Sheila has got a business lunch every week 8) The judge always punishes the lawbreakers 9) Jim seldom eats a soup for lunch 10) I go camping once a week Task 1) Mr Stone uses the computer daily (E) 2) Justin and Robby play chess in half of the cases (G) 3) I seldom change my password (J) 4) Once in a while I eat oyster (H) 5) Emma goes by bus every other day (B) 6) Jake and I hardly ever win on the lottery (F) 7) Jane sleeps at night (C) 8) The Lees are helpful at all times (A) 9) Everyone has a birthday every year (D) 10) You never take long walks with your dog (I) 11) We have history twice a week (L) Task 10 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) H, O G, K E L I M B 8) N 9) J 10) A 11) D 12) F 13) C