Tendencies & frequency
tend to, keep doing, and richer frequency language.
The rules
- General tendencies: "tend to + verb": "prices tend to rise".
- "Keep + -ing" = do repeatedly: "keeps making".
- "Always + continuous" adds emotional colour (usually irritation) to a habit.
- "Not so often" softens frequency, roughly "rarely".
- Frequency formula: "number of times + a + period": "twice a week".
- "Seldom" ≈ rarely ≈ hardly ever, low frequency.
Examples
- Prices tend to rise before the holidays.
- He keeps making the same mistake, no matter how often I explain.
- Both are grammatical, but the first sounds annoyed.
- We eat out not so often, maybe once a month.
- I swim twice a week.
- seldom
Quick check
Pick an answer to see the rule behind it.
1.Prices _____ to rise before the holidays.
2.He _____ making the same mistake, no matter how often I explain.
3.Which sentence expresses annoyance at a repeated habit?
4.We eat out _____ so often, maybe once a month.
5.Which word means "almost never"?