Signal words - for intermediate level
Signal words in the Present Simple Tense
Never, hardly ever, seldom and rarely have a negative
meaning.
You find the examples in the following tasks where you’ll learn where to put the signal
words in the sentences.
TASK 1 – 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 6.
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.
 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)
Task 2 – 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 1 and Task 2? Where do
we have to put the signal words?
Task 3 – 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 8.
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 do we have to put the signal words
used in Task 3?
Task 4 – Rewrite the sentences using the
signal word in the brackets.
1) You dance in the disco. (always)
_________________________________
2) The Browns have dinner. (at 6 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 5 – 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) 3 / 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 5 o’clock.
Task 6 – Which is the correct answer? Task 7 – Choose the most suitable signal
word for each sentence. You can use one
1) His brother buys this magazine ___. signal word only once. There can be more
A sometimes B weekly good answers.
C in Wednesday D never A every year B often
2) Matthew ___ rides a bike on the road. C generally D once in a while
A daily B on Tuesday E hardly ever F on Monday
C never D at four o’clock G normally H frequently
3) My father grows tomatoes in the garden I occasionally J 3 times a week
___.
A in the evenings B once in a while 1) Elisa watches NCIS ____.
C usually D in summer 2) Alex meets Amy ____.
4) I go to bed at eleven o’clock ___. 3) The children ____ answer back.
A in the evening B normally 4) ____ Emma loses her temper.
C rarely D at night 5) Gina ____ has a concert.
5) You ___ answer my question. 6) Our class ____ has a test on Physics.
A always B every other day 7) ____ we have dinner at 7 o’clock.
C monthly D not often 8) We travel to the Bahamas ____.
6) Joan’s husband shaves ___. 9) Anne’s sister ____ hides Anne’s favourite
A now B in every day doll.
C every other day D regularly 10) The writer ____ publishes a new book.
7) ___ I forget to lock the door.
A Never B Always
4) They have a course every fortnight.
C In a minute D Sometimes
(fortnightly)
8) Dora and Floyd dance in a disco ___.
__________________________________
A sometimes B in Mays
__________________________________
C every fortnight D usually
5) Mavis forgets to do the homework in half
9) I ___ say ‘No’ to Mr Jenkins.
of the cases. (sometimes)
A weekly B rarely
__________________________________
C at half past 3 D frequent
__________________________________
10) The writer doesn’t ___ give an interview.
6) He works from 6 am to 6 pm. (by day)
A regularly B daily
__________________________________
C rarely D never
__________________________________
Task 8 – Rewrite the sentences with the given 7) Sheila has got a business lunch weekly.
signal words / phrases. Underline the part of (every week)
__________________________________
the sentence which you’ll change.
__________________________________
1) We often follow the rules. (frequently) 8) The judge punishes the lawbreakers at all
____________________________________ times. (always)
____________________________________ __________________________________
2) You normally check the students work. __________________________________
(generally) 9) Jim doesn’t often eat a soup for lunch.
____________________________________ (seldom)
____________________________________ __________________________________
3) Simon isn’t interested in chemistry. (never) __________________________________
____________________________________ 10) I go camping on Saturdays. (once a week)
____________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________
Task 9 – Rewrite the sentences using a signal Task 10 – Find the similar meaning to
word with the similar meaning. Look at the the signal words, expressions from the
sentences in Task 8. This time you have only a lists.
list of the signal words from where you can
choose. Be careful because there is one EXTRA 1) seldom
signal word you do not need to use. 2) seven times a week
3) every month
A at all times B every other day 4) sometimes
C at night D every year 5) once in a while
E daily F hardly ever 6) often
G in half of the cases H once in a while 7) in the mornings
I never J seldom 8) at night
K normally L twice a week 9) always
10) fortnightly
1) Mr Stone uses the computer every day. 11) hardly ever
______________________________________ 12) once a week
______________________________________ 13) normally
2) Sometimes Justin and Robby play chess.
______________________________________ A every fortnight
______________________________________ B every morning
3) I rarely change my password. C generally
______________________________________ D almost never
______________________________________ E monthly
4) Every now and then I eat oyster. F on Tuesdays
______________________________________ G every day
______________________________________ H rarely
5) Emma goes by bus on Monday, Wednesday, I every now and then
Friday and on Sunday. J at all times
______________________________________ K daily
______________________________________ L in half of the cases
6) Jake and I almost never win on the lottery. M frequently
______________________________________ N not by day
______________________________________ O not often
7) Jane doesn’t sleep by day.
______________________________________ 1
______________________________________ 2
8) The Lees are always helpful. 3
______________________________________ 4
______________________________________ 5
9) Everyone has a birthday yearly. 6
______________________________________ 7
______________________________________ 8
10) You don’t take long walks with your dog.
9
______________________________________
10
______________________________________
11
11) We have history on Monday and on Tuesday.
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 2nd 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 4
1) You always dance in the disco.
2) The Browns have dinner at 6 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 5
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) 3 / to go / from / Mr Barnes / work / home / at / o’clock.
Mr Barnes goes home from work at 3 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 6
1) B 6) C
2) C 7) D
3) D 8) C
4) D 9) B
5) A 10) A

Task 7 (This is a sample solution only.)

1) Elisa watches NCIS __F__. on Monday
2) Alex meets Amy __ J __. 3 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 7 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 8
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
do 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 9
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) H, O 8) N
2) G, K 9) J
3) E 10) A
4) L 11) D
5) I 12) F
6) M 13) C
7) B