The adverb of frequency is not in its usual position in “We eat lunch at the cafeteria always.” The natural correction is: We always eat lunch at the cafeteria. With an ordinary main verb such as eat, a one-word frequency adverb normally goes after the subject and before the verb.
Why the correction works
The sentence has four main parts: subject we, frequency adverb always, verb phrase eat lunch, and place phrase at the cafeteria. Standard neutral order places always in the middle position:
We + always + eat lunch + at the cafeteria.
The British Council frequency guide says common one-word adverbials such as always, often, usually and never generally come before the main verb but after the verb be.
The basic placement rules
| Verb structure | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary main verb | Before main verb | We always eat lunch there. |
| Main verb be | After be | We are always ready. |
| Modal + verb | After modal | We can always eat later. |
| Auxiliary + verb | After first auxiliary | We have always eaten early. |
Cambridge Grammar’s entry for always gives the same mid-position pattern.
Why always at the end sounds marked
English sometimes puts frequency expressions at the end: “We eat there often” or “We eat there every Friday.” But always strongly prefers mid position in a neutral statement. End position can sound literary, emphatic or incomplete, especially after a long place phrase.
A speaker might use “I will love you always” for deliberate emotional emphasis. That does not make “We eat lunch at the cafeteria always” the best answer in a grammar exercise.
Always versus other frequency expressions
One-word adverbs such as always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never commonly use mid position. Longer expressions such as every day, twice a week and on Mondays normally go at the end:
- We usually eat at the cafeteria.
- We eat at the cafeteria every day.
- We sometimes bring lunch from home.
- We bring lunch from home twice a week.
Sometimes is more flexible and may appear at the beginning: “Sometimes we eat outside.” Always does not usually begin a normal statement.
Do not put the adverb between verb and object
In “eat lunch,” lunch is the object. English normally keeps a verb and its object together. “We eat always lunch” is therefore incorrect in ordinary usage. Put always before the verb: “We always eat lunch.” The place phrase follows the object.
Negative sentences and questions
With do, place the frequency adverb after the subject and auxiliary:
- We do not always eat at the cafeteria.
- Do you always eat at the cafeteria?
- She does not usually buy lunch.
“Not always” means “sometimes not,” which is different from “never.” Word order changes meaning, so avoid replacing one with the other automatically.
A reliable editing method
- Find the subject.
- Find the complete verb phrase.
- Decide whether the main verb is be.
- If it is an ordinary verb, move the one-word frequency adverb before it.
- If there is a modal or auxiliary, put the adverb after the first one.
- Keep the verb and object together.
Apply it to the target sentence: subject we; main verb eat; object lunch; place at the cafeteria. The result is “We always eat lunch at the cafeteria.”
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Mid position is a slot, not one fixed place
Grammar books call the normal location of always “mid position,” but that position moves with the verb phrase. With a simple lexical verb, it is before the verb: “We always eat.” With be, it is after the verb: “We are always hungry.” With an auxiliary or modal, it comes after the first auxiliary: “We have always eaten there” and “We can always leave early.”
Thinking in terms of the verb phrase is more reliable than memorizing “put it before the verb.” That shorter rule would incorrectly produce “They always are ready” in a neutral exercise, even though speakers may use that order for special contrast.
Frequency scale and meaning
| Adverb | Typical idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| always | on every relevant occasion | We always eat lunch at noon. |
| usually | on most occasions | We usually use the cafeteria. |
| often | many times | We often sit by the window. |
| sometimes | on some occasions | We sometimes bring lunch. |
| rarely | not often | We rarely eat outside. |
| never | on no occasion | We never skip lunch. |
The scale is approximate, not a set of exact percentages. Context decides what counts as an occasion. “I always lock the door” means every relevant time, not every second of the day.
Position with longer verb phrases
- We have always eaten lunch together.
- We will always remember the cafeteria.
- Lunch has always been served at noon.
- We may not always have enough time.
Place the adverb after the first auxiliary. In a negative phrase, not always expresses an important limit: “We do not always eat there” means that we eat there sometimes but not every time. “We never eat there” has a stronger meaning.
Beginning and end position for emphasis
Some frequency adverbs are mobile. Sometimes, usually and often may begin a sentence when the writer wants to frame the whole statement: “Sometimes, we eat outside.” A comma is common after a longer introductory expression, though a one-word adverb may appear without one in simple prose.
Always at the end is possible in marked phrases such as “I will remember you always.” The order sounds emphatic, literary or emotionally deliberate. A school exercise asking for neutral word order normally expects mid position, so the target sentence should not use that special pattern.
Frequency adverbs versus frequency phrases
Single-word adverbs usually take mid position. Noun phrases that answer “how often,” such as every day, once a week and on Fridays, usually go at the beginning or end: “We eat at the cafeteria every day” or “On Fridays, we eat outside.” Do not force those phrases into the mid-position slot.
Compare “We always eat lunch there” with “We eat lunch there five days a week.” Both describe frequency, but their grammar differs. This is why replacing one expression with another may require moving it.
Practice corrections
- “She drinks usually tea at lunch.” → “She usually drinks tea at lunch.”
- “They always are polite.” → “They are always polite.”
- “We have eaten often here.” → “We have often eaten here.”
- “He goes to the library every day usually.” → Choose either “He usually goes to the library” or “He goes to the library every day,” depending on the intended meaning.
- “Do always you buy lunch?” → “Do you always buy lunch?”
When correcting a sentence, preserve its meaning before improving style. Moving not, changing always to usually, or replacing an adverb with a time phrase can change the claim.
A short test for editing your own sentence
Underline the subject once and the entire verb phrase twice. If the verb is a simple form other than be, put always before it. If the verb is be, put the adverb after it. If the phrase begins with a modal or auxiliary, put the adverb after that first helper. Then keep the verb and its object together and place ordinary location information afterward.
For the original example, the structure is subject we + adverb always + verb eat + object lunch + place at the cafeteria. That gives the natural corrected sentence without changing any vocabulary.
Neutral order and contrastive order
Writers sometimes move an adverb to contrast one part of a sentence. “They always are polite when the manager visits” can place stress on are or on the claim’s persistence, but the neutral form is “They are always polite.” Grammar exercises normally test the neutral pattern unless italics, speech context or a contrast makes the marked order necessary.
Spoken stress also affects interpretation. “We do not always eat there” limits the frequency, while “We always eat there” makes an absolute habit claim. Correct word order cannot compensate for an adverb that is too strong for the facts.
Editing formal and conversational English
In conversation, a trailing “always” may appear after a pause as an afterthought: “We eat at the cafeteria – always.” That punctuation and intonation are different from the unmarked written sentence in the question. In edited prose, move the adverb into the verb phrase unless the afterthought is intentional and the voice of the speaker matters.
Frequently asked questions
What is the corrected sentence?
We always eat lunch at the cafeteria.
Can always go at the end?
It can for special emphasis or literary style, but mid position is standard in this exercise.
Where does always go with be?
After be: “They are always hungry.”
Where does always go with can?
After the modal: “They can always eat later.”
Is “We eat always lunch” correct?
No. Do not normally separate the verb eat from its object lunch.
Can sometimes begin a sentence?
Yes. “Sometimes we eat outside” is natural; always is less flexible.
