Position rules · The double negative trap · Questions & tenses
Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. The position in the sentence is fixed — you cannot move them freely like in Bulgarian.
| Rule | Formula | Correct ✅ | Wrong ❌ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main verb | Subject + adverb + main verb | I always eat fruit. | |
| To be | Subject + to be + adverb | She is usually hungry. | |
| Auxiliary verb | Subject + aux + adverb + main verb | I have never eaten sushi. | |
| Questions | Do/Does + subject + adverb + verb? | Do you often cook? |
Intensity scale · TOO vs VERY · ENOUGH position
Adverbs of degree say how strongly an adjective is true. They almost always come before the adjective — with one important exception: enough comes after.
| Strength | Word(s) | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme | Extremely / Incredibly | "The food is extremely spicy." | Only use with non-gradable or strong adjectives |
| Strong | Very / Really | "It is very tasty." | Neutral — works with almost any adjective |
| Medium | Quite / Rather | "It is quite good." | "Quite" in British English = fairly, not amazing |
| Small | A bit / A little / Slightly | "It is a bit cold." | Usually with negative/neutral adjectives |
| Problematic | Too | "It is too hot to eat." | Means excessive — a problem. NOT the same as "very"! |
| Sufficient | Enough | "It is warm enough." | Comes AFTER the adjective — not before! |
Use "a bit" and "not very" to soften criticism — being too direct is considered rude
In British culture, saying exactly what you think about food — especially at someone's home — is considered very impolite. Instead, English speakers use soft words to say something negative in a polite way.
More precise than adverbs — say exactly how many times
Single adverbs like always or often give a rough idea. When you need to be precise — on a medicine label, a diet plan, or a gym schedule — use these expressions instead. They go at the end of the sentence.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| once a ___ | one time per period | "Take this tablet once a day." |
| twice a ___ | two times per period | "I go to the gym twice a week." |
| three times a ___ | three times per period (and beyond — use numbers) | "She eats fish three times a month." |
| every day / week… | without exception, every single one | "He takes vitamins every morning." |
| every other ___ | alternate — one yes, one no, one yes… | "I run every other day to rest my legs." |
| every few ___ | approximately every 2–4 periods | "I visit my GP every few months." |
| from time to time | occasionally — no fixed schedule | "I eat takeaway from time to time." |
My university opened a new canteen last month. They said it would be extremely healthy, with organic vegetables and fresh fruit every day. I was quite excited because I usually eat junk food.
On Monday, I tried the grilled chicken with steamed broccoli. It was not very tasty, if I am honest. The chicken was a bit dry and the broccoli was too soft. My friend said the food was bland, but I think she is hardly ever satisfied with anything!
I wanted chips, but they don't sell them anymore. The manager says fried food has too many calories and not enough nutrients. I suppose he is right, but I still miss my old greasy chips!
1. What did the writer think about the grilled chicken?
2. Why doesn't the canteen sell chips anymore?
3. How does the writer describe his friend?
4. What does the writer miss about the old canteen?
When I moved to London, I discovered something shocking: British people are obsessed with biscuits. They never just drink tea alone — they always have biscuits with it. My colleague brings biscuits to work every single day.
Last week, I tried a Digestive biscuit. I expected something sweet, but it was quite bland. I said to my friend, "These are a bit boring, aren't they?" She looked shocked! "Boring? Digestives are incredibly popular! Maybe you just don't have sweet enough taste."
I learned my lesson. British people are extremely proud of their biscuits. If you don't like them, you should never say so directly. Just say, "They are not very sweet," and move on!
1. How often do British people drink tea with biscuits?
2. What did the writer think about Digestive biscuits?
3. What lesson did the writer learn?
4. How does the text say you should politely say you don't like the biscuits?
Last Saturday, I invited my British flatmate for dinner. I wanted to cook something traditional, so I made Shopska salad and grilled meat. I rarely cook for other people, so I was quite nervous.
Everything went wrong! I chopped the vegetables too small. The cheese was not fresh enough because I bought it three weeks ago. The meat was a bit burnt because I forgot about it while I was chopping.
My flatmate tried a bite and smiled. "This is very interesting!" he said. I knew immediately that he hated it. British people never say "interesting" when they like food — they say it when they want to be polite. Next time, I will definitely order takeaway instead!
1. How often does the writer cook for other people?
2. What three things went wrong with the dinner?
3. What does "This is very interesting!" mean in British culture when said about food?
4. What does the writer decide to do next time?
Last week, I went to a new restaurant in Bristol. The menu looked (1) interesting, so I decided to try it. I (2) eat Italian food, but this time I wanted something different.
The waiter was (3) polite, but the food took (4) long to arrive. When it finally came, the soup was (5) hot (6). It was almost cold!
The main course was grilled fish with vegetables. The fish was cooked perfectly, but the vegetables were (7) mushy for my taste. I wanted to complain, but in British culture, you should (8) be rude to the staff.
Instead, when the waiter asked "How is everything?", I smiled and said, "It is (9) good, thank you." This is the polite British way. You say "quite good" when something is (10) good, but you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I will (11) go back to that restaurant again!