hardly or hardly ever?

[Lxguy]

Again about the following multiple choice which is chosen from a test paper:
1. ---I didn't know you take a bus to school.
---Oh, I ____ take a bus,but it is snowing today.
A. hardly B. never C.sometimes D. usually
(The right answer given is A.hardly)

As we know,hardly means only just and equates with barely and scarely.'Hardly ever' describes how frequently or regulary something happens.

Can we say 'I hardly take a bus,but it is snowing today.' is a wrong sentence?Should we change this sentence to 'hardly ever'?

A dictionary says:The ever in these expressions, first recorded in 1694, serves as an intensifier.

[Lxguy]

Does 'I hardly take a bus,but it is snowing today." is exactly the same meaning as 'I hardly ever take a bus, but it is snowing today."?

[Alan]

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Hi Lxguy,

You have to look at the word that 'hardly' qualifies. By itself the adverb suggests 'almost not at all'. The sentence: 'I hardly take a bus' doesn't really make sense because you can't almost take a bus - you either take the bus or you don't take the bus. 'I hardly ever take a bus' does make sense because 'hardly' qualifies 'ever' and suggests that you rarely or almost never take a bus.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A Rhapsody of Words

[Lxguy]

Thank you so much,Alan.