October 30, 2025

[Lindsey Lange-Abramowitz, M.A.](https://blog.duolingo.com/author/lindsey/)

# English adverbs of time: what they are and how to use them

*Now* is the time to learn all about English adverbs of time!

Ever tell a story? Or make plans with a friend? If so, you know how important it is to be able to describe _when_ things happened or will happen. This is where adverbs of time come in!

* * *

### In this post:

- [Adverbs of time in English: basics and word order](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#what-are-adverbs-of-time-and-where-do-they-go-in-a-sentence)
- [What are the different types of adverbs of time?](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#types-of-adverbs-of-time-in-english)
  - [Present adverbs](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#present-adverbs)
  - [Past adverbs](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#past-adverbs)
  - [Future adverbs](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#future-adverbs)
  - [Adverbs of immediacy](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#adverbs-of-immediacy)
  - [Adverbs of simultaneity](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#adverbs-of-simultaneity)
  - [Adverbs of duration](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#adverbs-of-duration)
  - [How to use _still_](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#how-to-use-still)
  - [How to use _yet_](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#how-to-use-yet)

## What are adverbs of time, and where do they go in a sentence?

Adverbs of time give information about _when_ an action takes place. They include words such as today, now, or later and can appear in different positions in a sentence:

| POSITION | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| at the end of a sentence<br>(most common position for most adverbs of time) | I bought a new car yesterday. |
| at the start of a sentence<br>(emphasizes the time the action happened or will happen) | Tomorrow, we’ll go to the store. |
| before the main verb | They still love each other. |

## Types of adverbs of time in English

In English, adverbs of time can tell us whether an action is happening in the [present](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#present-adverbs), has happened in the [past](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#past-adverbs), or will happen in the [future](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#future-adverbs). They can also indicate if an action is [about to happen](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#adverbs-of-immediacy), [how long it lasts](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#adverbs-of-duration), and whether two or more actions happen [at the same time](https://blog.duolingo.com/time-adverbs/#adverbs-of-simultaneity).

### Present adverbs

These adverbs describe actions that are happening **in the moment**. Common present adverbs include:

| ADVERB | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| at the moment | I don’t have a job at the moment. |
| currently | Currently, I am writing a book. |
| now | I live in Texas now. |
| presently | I am presently working at a law firm. |

### Past adverbs

Past adverbs describe actions that have **already happened**. Some frequently used examples are:

| ADVERB | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| ___ ago<br> <br>- two days ago<br>  <br>- six weeks ago<br>  <br>- three months ago<br>  <br>- one year ago | Two days ago, he broke his leg.<br>We met six weeks ago.<br>Three months ago, I was in Spain.<br>That was one year ago. |
| just | They’ve just arrived! |
| last ___<br> <br>- last week<br>  <br>- last month<br>  <br>- last year | We went to the zoo last week.<br>Last month, I visited my grandparents.<br>I read that book last year. |
| previously | She previously worked at a bank. |
| yesterday | I saw Junior yesterday. |

### Future adverbs

These adverbs describe actions that will happen **at a later point** in time. Common adverbs in this category include:

| ADVERB | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| by then | You’ll be gone by then! |
| later | We’ll see you later! |
| next ___<br> <br>- next week<br>  <br>- next month<br>  <br>- next year | Next week, she’s starting a new job.<br>They’re moving to Japan next month.<br>Junior is planning to clean his room next year. |
| soon | The kids need to go to bed soon. |
| tomorrow | I leave for Spain tomorrow. |

### Adverbs of immediacy

Actions that are happening with **little or no delay** can be described by adverbs of immediacy. For example:

| ADVERB | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| at once | Stop this car at once! |
| immediately | Please sit down immediately! |
| instantly | The ice instantly melted. |
| promptly | She promptly returned the keys. |
| right away | They went to bed right away. |

### Adverbs of simultaneity

Adverbs of simultaneity describe two or more actions happening **at the same time**. Some common ones are:

| ADVERB | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| all the while | I was cleaning the house. All the while, you were taking a nap. |
| at the same time | He gave both kids a bath at the same time. |
| concurrently | Both departments will work on this project concurrently. |
| meanwhile | Joe cooked dinner. Meanwhile, Amy set the table. |
| simultaneously | The two weddings will happen simultaneously. |

### Adverbs of duration

These adverbs describe **how long** actions last. Adverbs of duration include:

| ADVERB | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| awhile | They’ll stay awhile. |
| briefly | We worked together briefly. |
| forever | I will love you forever. |
| permanently | The store is permanently closed. |
| temporarily | They’re temporarily living with their mom. |

### How to use _still_

One very common adverb of time is _still_.

_Still_ is used to describe an action that started in the past and is continuing.

For example:

You still love ice cream.

They still want to leave.

I still live in New Jersey.

Notice that the position of the adverb _still_ is a little different from many other adverbs of time. While the most common position for most adverbs of time is at the end of a sentence, _still_ is frequently placed right before the main verb:

| POSITION | EXAMPLE |
| --- | --- |
| before the main verb<br>(most common position) | Lin still calls her grandma every day. |
| at the start of the sentence<br>(emphasizes the time element) | Still, he wants to move. |
| at the end of the sentence<br>(less common and more informal) | Are you hungry still? |

### How to use _yet_

The adverb _yet_ means “up until this time.” Unlike most other adverbs of time, it is typically only used in questions and negative sentences:

| TYPE OF SENTENCE | FUNCTION OF _YET_ | EXAMPLES |
| --- | --- | --- |
| negative sentence | describes an action that has not occurred up to this moment but may occur in the future | I haven’t eaten lunch yet.<br>They don’t have children yet.<br>We haven’t been to Mexico yet. |
| question | asks if an action has occurred any time up to this moment | Are you home yet?<br>Have you taken a shower yet?<br>Is Lucy here yet? |

## _Now_ you’re ready to use adverbs of time!

While it might not be possible to _instantly_ learn everything about adverbs of time, with a little bit of practice, you’ll be an expert very _soon_! 😉