usual
- usually
‘usual’
Usual is used to describe the thing that happens most often, or that is done or used most often, in a particular situation.
They are not taking the usual amount of exercise.
He sat in his usual chair.
Be careful
Usual normally comes after the or a possessive such as my or his. Don't use it after ‘a’. Don't say, for example, ‘They are not taking a usual amount of exercise’.
Usual normally comes after the or a possessive such as my or his. Don't use it after ‘a’. Don't say, for example, ‘They are not taking a usual amount of exercise’.
You can say that it is usual for a person or animal to do something.
It is usual for staff to meet regularly.
It was quite usual for the horses to wander short distances.
Be careful
Don't use ‘that’. Don't say, for example, ‘It is usual that staff meet regularly’.
Don't use ‘that’. Don't say, for example, ‘It is usual that staff meet regularly’.
‘ordinary’
Don't use ‘usual’ to say that something is not of a special kind. Don't say, for example, ‘I haven’t got any chocolate biscuits, only usual ones'. You say ‘I haven’t got any chocolate biscuits, only ordinary ones'.
These children should be educated in an ordinary school.
It was furnished with ordinary office furniture.
‘usually’
You use the adverb usually when you are mentioning the thing that most often happens in a particular situation.
She usually found it easy to go to sleep at night.
We usually eat in the kitchen.
‘as usual’
When something happens on a particular occasion and it is the thing that most often happens in that situation, you can say that it happens as usual.
Nina was late, as usual.
She wore, as usual, her black dress.
Be careful
Don't say that something happens ‘as usually’.
Don't say that something happens ‘as usually’.