adv.經常；時常；屢次

I often take my children to play in the park. 我經常帶我的孩子們去公園玩。

My brother often scolds me without reason. 我哥哥經常無故責備我。

Judy goes to the movies as often as Sara does. 朱迪像莎拉一樣時常去看電影。

He was disappointed so often that he became hopeless. 他屢次失望, 以致變?yōu)榱私^望。

often的基本意思是“常常,經常”,主要修飾動詞,也可修飾其他副詞或形容詞,指某件事情在不同場合下屢次發(fā)生,具體的時間意味不強。有時often還表示“在許多場合下”。可用于一般時態(tài),也可用于完成體。

often一般位于實義動詞之前,而位于to be、情態(tài)動詞或(第一個)助動詞之后。有時為了加強語氣, often也可以放在系動詞之前,此時作謂語的系動詞要重讀。

often有時也可放在句末。如果句子相當短,可將often放在句末,為了加強語氣或對比,有時可以移至句首,這時常常引起主謂倒裝(非正式語體中也可不倒裝)。

用于疑問句或否定句中, often可以用作表語。

often在用于詢問“隔多長時間一次”或“多少次”時,常用于how often短語。

as often as not和more often than not同義,都作“往往,多半,再三,不時”解,且都是肯定的意思。例如:The motoring accidents happen in this section more often than not/as often as not.車禍不時在這一地段發(fā)生。

n.軟化劑；柔軟劑