- Adverbs of time describe when, for how long, or how often something happens.
- Examples of adverbs of time include now, soon, rarely, and yesterday.
- When you’re using adverbs of time with adverbs of place and/or manner in a single clause, they should be arranged in the following order: manner, place, and time.
- Adverbs of time can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.
Imagine you’re telling a friend about your day. Do you start with what happened yesterday, what you’re doing now, or what’s planned for tomorrow? In English, adverbs of time help us organize and communicate these details clearly.
What are adverbs of time?
An adverb of time tells us when, for how long, or how often something happens. It can be a single word or an adverbial phrase. These adverbs provide essential details to help others understand the timing of events.
- When did it happen? → I met her yesterday.
- For how long? → He stayed in Paris for a year.
- How often? → She always arrives on time.
Adverbs of time can refer to:
The past—yesterday, last week, when I arrived
The present—now, today
The future—soon, tomorrow
They can also describe duration (for hours, since 2015) and frequency (always, sometimes, rarely).
Common adverbs of time and their usage
Here are some frequently used adverbs of time, along with example sentences:
| Adverb | Example Sentence |
| Today | I have an important exam today. |
| Yesterday | We watched a great movie yesterday. |
| Now | They are leaving now. |
| Soon | The train will arrive soon. |
| Already | I have already finished my homework. |
| Still | He is still waiting for your reply. |
| Yet | They haven’t decided yet. |
| Tomorrow | We are going on a trip tomorrow. |
| Tonight | I will call you tonight. |
| Earlier | She arrived earlier than expected. |
| Later | I will finish my work later. |
| Afterward | We had dinner and went to a movie afterward. |
| Then | She finished her assignment and then took a break. |
| Next | What should we do next? |
| Before | Finish your homework before dinner. |
| After | We’ll go shopping after lunch. |
| By then | He should be home by then. |
| By the time | By the time we arrived, the show had already started. |
| Recently | I recently started learning Spanish. |
| Lately | She has been feeling tired lately. |
| Previously | We met previously at a conference. |
| Eventually | He will eventually achieve his goal. |
| Immediately | Please call me immediately. |
| Instantly | The lights went out instantly when the power failed. |
| Thereafter | He moved to France and settled there thereafter. |
| Nowadays | Nowadays, people rely on technology more than ever. |
| Long ago | Long ago, people traveled by horse and carriage. |
| In the past | In the past, communication was much slower. |
| At once | Stop what you’re doing and come here at once. |
| At last | At last, we reached our destination. |
| At the moment | I can’t talk at the moment; I’m busy. |
Placement of adverbs of time
Adverbs of time can appear in different positions in a sentence depending on what is being emphasized:
- At the beginning: Tomorrow, we have a big test. (emphasizes time)
- At the end: We have a big test tomorrow. (most common position)
- Between the subject and verb: She often reads before bed. (for frequency adverbs)
Incorrect: She goes every weekend to the market.
Correct: She goes to the market every weekend.
Order of adverbs of time with adverbs of manner and place
When adverbs of time appear alongside adverbs of place and/or manner, they typically come last. The correct order is usually manner, then place, then time:
Manner → Place → Time
She studied quietly [manner] in the library [place] yesterday [time].
