5.4 adjuncts of duration and frequency

Some verb forms are used to say that an event takes place continuously over a period of time, or is repeated several times. You may also want to say how long something lasts, or how often it happens. To do this, adjuncts of duration and adjuncts of frequency are used.

• America has always been highly influential.
• People who come in with enquiries are often very shy about making them.
• 1,000 dogs are put down daily, according to R.S.P.C.A. figures.
• They would go on talking for hours.

Adverbs of frequency are explained and listed in paragraphs 5.114 to 5.122. Adverbs of duration are explained and listed in paragraphs 5.123 to 5.144.

5.5

The following paragraphs describe the ways in which you can refer to the present, the past, and the future. After each of these, there is a section on the ways in which you use adjuncts with each tense.

There are some adjuncts which are used mainly with the past tenses. These are explained in paragraph 5.41. Adjuncts which are used with future tenses can be found in paragraphs 5.60 to 5.62.