A further, furthest

Adverbs

28 Kinds of adverbs

Manner: bravely, fast, happily, hard, quickly, well (see 35) Place: by, down, here, near, there, up (36) Time: now, soon, still, then, today, yet (37) Frequency: always, never, occasionally, often, twice (38) Sentence: certainly, definitely, luckily, surely (40) Degree -.fairly, hardly, rather, quite, too, very (41) Interrogative: when? where? why? (60) Relative: when, where, why (75 E)

Form and use

29 The formation of adverbs with ly

A Many adverbs of manner and some adverbs of degree are formed by adding ly to the corresponding adjectives:

final, finally immediate, immediately slow, slowly Spelling notes

(a) A final y changes to i: happy, happily.

(b) A final e is retained before ly: extreme, extremely. Exceptions: true, due, whole become truly, duly, wholly.

(c) Adjectives ending in a consonant + le drop the e and add y: gentle, gently simple, simply

Note that the adverb of goodis well.

B Adjectives ending in ly

daily, weekly, monthly etc., kindlyand sometimes leisurelycan be

adjectives or adverbs, but most other adjectives ending in ly,e.g.

friendly, likely, lonelyetc., cannot be used as adverbs and have no

adverb form. To supply this deficiency we use a similar adverb or

adverb phrase:

likely (adjective) probably (adverb)

friendly (adjective) in a friendly way (adverb phrase)

C Some adverbs have a narrower meaning than their corresponding adjectives or differ from them. coldly, coolly, hotly, warmlyare used mainly of feelings:

We received them coldly, (in an unfriendly way)

They denied the accusation hotly, (indignantly)

She welcomed us warmly, (in a friendly way)

But warmly dressed= wearing warm clothes.

coolly = calmly/courageously or calmly/impudently:

He behaved very coolly in this dangerous situation. presently = soon:He'll be here presently. (See also 30 B. For barely, scarcely,see 44. For surely,

see 40 A.)

30 Adverbs and adjectives with the same form

A back hard'" little right*

deep* high* long short*

direct* ill low still

early just* much/more/most* straight

enough kindly near* well

far late* pretty* wrong*

fast left *See B below.

Used as adverbs: Used as adjectives:

Come back soon. the back door

You can dial Rome direct the most direct route

The train went fast a fast train

They worked hard, (energetically) The work is hard

an ill-made road You look ill/well

Turn right here. the right answer

She went straight home a straight line

He led us wrong This is the wrong way.

B Starred words above also have ly forms. Note the meanings. deeplyis used chiefly of feelings:

He was deeply offended. directlycan be used of time or connection:

He 'II be here directly, (very soon)

The new regulations will affect us directly/indirectly. (For hardly,see 44.) highlyis used only in an abstract sense:

He was a highly paid official. They spoke very highly of him. justlycorresponds to the adjective just (fair, right, lawful), but justcan also be an adverb of degree. (See 41.) lately = recently:Have you seen him lately? mostly = chiefly nearly = almost:I'm nearly ready. prettilycorresponds to the adjective pretty(attractive):

Her little girls are always prettily dressed. But prettycan also be an adverb of degree meaning very:

The exam was pretty difficult. rightlycan be used with a past participle to mean justly or correctly:

He was rightly/justly punished.

I was rightly/correctly informed.

But in each case the second adverb would be more usual. shortly = soon, briefly or curtly, wronglycan be used with a past participle: You were wrongly (incorrectly) informed.

But He acted wrongly could mean that his action was either incorrect or morally wrong.

C long and near(adverbs) have a restricted use.

Long

longer, longestcan be used without restriction:

It took longer than I expected. But longis used mainly in the negative or interrogative:

How long will it take to get there? ~ It won't take long. In the affirmative too/so + long or long + enoughis possible. Alternatively a long timecan be used:

It would take too long.

It would take a long time. In conversation (for) a long timeis often replaced by (for) ages:

I waited for ages.

It took us ages to get there.

2near

nearer, nearestcan be used without restriction:

Don't come any nearer.

But nearin the positive form is usually qualified by very/quite/so/too or enough:

They live quite near. Don't come too near.

You're near enough.

The preposition nearwith noun, pronoun or adverb is more generally useful:

Don't go near the edge.

The ship sank near here.

D far and muchalso have a restricted use. See 32 and 33.

31 Comparative and superlative adverb forms

A With adverbs of two or more syllables we form the comparative and superlative by putting more and mostbefore the positive form:

Single-syllable adverbs, however, and early, add er, est:

hard harder hardest

early earlier earliest (note the y becomes i)

B Irregular comparisons:

well better best

badly worse worst

little less least

much more most

far farther farthest (of distance only)

further furthest (used more widely; see 32 A)

32 far, farther/farthest and further/furthest

A further, furthest

These, like farther/farthest,can be used as adverbs of place/distance:

// isn 't safe to go any further/farther in this fog.. But they can also be used in an abstract sense:

Mr A said that these toy pistols should not be on sale.

Mr B went further and said that no toy pistols should be sold.

Mr C went furthest of all and said that no guns of any kind should

be sold.

B far: restrictions on use

far in the comparative and superlative can be used quite freely:

He travelled further than we expected. far in the positive form is used chiefly in the negative and interrogative:

How far can you see? ~ I can't see far.

In the affirmative a long wayis more usual than far,and a long way awayis more usual than far away:

They sailed a long way. He lives a long way away. But very far awayis possible, and so is so/quite/too + far and far + enough:

They walked so far that. . . They walked too far.

We 've gone far enough. far can be used with an abstract meaning:

The new law doesn 't go far enough.

You've gone too far! (You've been too insulting/overbearing/

insolent etc.)

far, adverb of degree, is used with comparatives or with too/so+ positive forms:

She swims far better than I do. He drinks far too much.

Much, more, most

A more and mostcan be used fairly freely:

You should ride more. I use this room most. But much,in the positive form, has a restricted use.

B muchmeaning a lot can modify negative verbs: He doesn't ride much nowadays.

In the interrogative muchis chiefly used with how. In questions without how, muchis possible but a lot is more usual:

How much has he ridden? Has he ridden a lot/much? In the affirmative as/so/too + muchis possible. Otherwise a lot/ a good deal/a great dealis preferable:

He shouts so much that... / talk too much. But He rides a lot/a great deal.

C very muchmeaning greatlycan be used more widely in the

affirmative. We can use it with blame, praise, thank and with a number of verbs concerned with feelings: admire, amuse, approve, dislike, distress, enjoy, impress, like, object, shock, surprise etc.:

Thank you very much. They admired him very much.

She objects very much to the noise they make. much(= greatly),with or without very,can be used with the participles admired, amused, disliked, distressed, impressed, liked, shocked, struck, upset'.

He was (very) much admired.

She was (very) much impressed by their good manners.

D muchmeaning a lot can modify comparative or superlative adjectives and adverbs:

much better much the best much more quickly much toocan be used with positive forms: He spoke much too fast.

E mostplaced before an adjective or adverb can mean very.It is mainly used here with adjectives/adverbs of two or more syllables: He was most apologetic. She behaved most generously. (See 21 C.)

34Constructions with comparisons (see also 341)

When the same verb is required in both clauses we normally use an auxiliary for the second verb (see 22).

A With the positive form we use as ... as with an affirmative verb, and as/so ... as with a negative verb: He worked as slowly as he dared. He doesn't snore as/so loudly as you do. It didn 't take as/so long as I expected.

B With the comparative form we use than:

He eats more quickly than I do/than me. He played better than he had ever played. They arrived earlier than I expected.

the + comparative . . . the + comparative is also possible: The earlier you start the sooner you'll be back.

C With the superlative it is possible to use of + noun:

He went (the) furthest of the explorers.

But this construction is not very common and such a sentence would normally be expressed by a comparative, as shown above. A superlative (without the) + of all is quite common, but all here often refers to other actions by the same subject:

He likes swimming best of all. (better than he likes anything else) of allcan then be omitted.

D For comparisons with like and as,see 21 H, I.

Position

35 Adverbs of manner

A Adverbs of manner come after the verb:

She danced beautifully or after the object when there is one:

He gave her the money reluctantly. They speak English well. Do not put an adverb between verb and object.

B When we have verb + preposition + object, the adverb can be either before the preposition or after the object:

He looked at me suspiciously or He looked suspiciously at me. But if the object contains a number of words we put the adverb before the preposition:

He looked suspiciously at everyone who got off the plane.

C Similarly with verb + object sentences the length of the object affects the position of the adverb. If the object is short, we have verb + object + adverb, as shown in B above. But if the object is long we usually put the adverb before the verb:

She carefully picked up all the bits of broken glass.

He angrily denied that he had stolen the documents.

They secretly decided to leave the town.

D Note that if an adverb is placed after a clause or a phrase, it is normally considered to modify the verb in that clause/phrase. If, therefore, we move secretly to the end of the last example above, we change the meaning:

They secretly decided . . . (The decision was secret.) They decided to leave the town secretly. (The departure was to be secret.)

E Adverbs concerned with character and intelligence, foolishly, generously, kindly, stupidlyetc., when placed before a verb, indicate that the action was foolish/kind/generous etc.:

I foolishly forgot my passport. He generously paid for us all.

He kindly waited for me. Would you kindly wait?

Note that we could also express such ideas by:

It was foolish of me to forget.

It was kind of him to wait.

Would you be kind enough to wait? (See 252.) The adverb can come after the verb or after verb + object, but the meaning then changes:

He spoke kindly = His voice and words were kind is not the same as It was kind of him to speak to us.

He paid us generously = He paid more than the usual rate is not the same as It was generous of him to pay us. Note the difference between:

He answered the questions foolishly (His answers were foolish) and

He foolishly answered the questions. (Answering was foolish./It was

foolish of him to answer at all.)

F badly and wellcan be used as adverbs of manner or degree. As adverbs of manner they come after an active verb, after the object or before the past participle in a passive verb:

He behaved badly. He read well.

He paid her badly. She speaks French well.

She was badly paid. The trip was well organized. badlyas an adverb of degree usually comes after the object or before the verb or past participle:

The door needs a coat of paint badly/The door badly needs a coat

of paint.

He was badly injured in the last match. well(degree) and well(manner) have the same position rules:

I'd like the steak well done.

He knows the town well.

Shake the bottle well.

The children were well wrapped up.

The meaning of wellmay depend on its position. Note the difference between:

You know well that I can't drive (There can be no doubt in your

mind about this) and

You know that I can't drive well. (I'm not a good driver.) wellcan be placed after may/might and couldto emphasize the probability of an action:

He may well refuse = It is quite likely that he will refuse. (For may/might as well,see 288.)

G somehow, anyhow

somehow(= in some way or other) can be placed in the front position or after a verb without object or after the object:

Somehow they managed. They managed somehow. They raised the money somehow.

anyhowas an adverb of manner is not common. But it is often used to mean 'in any case/anyway'. (See 327.)

C With the superlative it is possible to use of + noun:

He went (the) furthest of the explorers.

But this construction is not very common and such a sentence would normally be expressed by a comparative, as shown above. A superlative (without the)+ of allis quite common, but all here often refers to other actions by the same subject:

He likes swimming best of all. (better than he likes anything else) of allcan then be omitted.

D For comparisons with like and as,see 21 H, I.

Position

35 Adverbs of manner

A Adverbs of manner come after the verb:

She danced beautifully or after the object when there is one:

He gave her the money reluctantly. They speak English well. Do not put an adverb between verb and object.

B When we have verb + preposition + object, the adverb can be either before the preposition or after the object:

He looked at me suspiciously or He looked suspiciously at me. But if the object contains a number of words we put the adverb before the preposition:

He looked suspiciously at everyone who got off the plane.

C Similarly with verb + object sentences the length of the object affects the position of the adverb. If the object is short, we have verb + object + adverb, as shown in B above. But if the object is long we usually put the adverb before the verb:

She carefully picked up all the bits of broken glass.

He angrily denied that he had stolen the documents.

They secretly decided to leave the town.

D Note that if an adverb is placed after a clause or a phrase, it is normally considered to modify the verb in that clause/phrase. If, therefore, we move secretly to the end of the last example above, we change the meaning:

They secretly decided . . . (The decision was secret.) They decided to leave the town secretly. (The departure was to be secret.)

E Adverbs concerned with character and intelligence, foolishly, generously, kindly, stupidlyetc., when placed before a verb, indicate that the action was foolish/kind/generous etc.:

I foolishly forgot my passport. He generously paid for us all.

He kindly waited for me. Would you kindly wait?

Note that we could also express such ideas by:

It was foolish of me to forget.

It was kind of him to wait.

Would you be kind enough to wait? (See 252.) The adverb can come after the verb or after verb + object, but the meaning then changes:

He spoke kindly = His voice and words were kind is not the same as It was kind of him to speak to us.

He paid us generously = He paid more than the usual rate is not the same as It was generous of him to pay us. Note the difference between:

He answered the questions foolishly (His answers were foolish) and

He foolishly answered the questions. (Answering was foolish./It was

foolish of him to answer at all.)

F badlyand wellcan be used as adverbs of manner or degree. As adverbs of manner they come after an active verb, after the object or before the past participle in a passive verb:

He behaved badly. He read well.

He paid her badly. She speaks French well.

She was badly paid. The trip was well organized. badlyas an adverb of degree usually comes after the object or before the verb or past participle:

The door needs a coat of paint badly/The door badly needs a coat

of paint.

He was badly injured in the last match. well(degree) and well(manner) have the same position rules:

I'd like the steak well done.

He knows the town well.

Shake the bottle well.

The children were well wrapped up.

The meaning of wellmay depend on its position. Note the difference between:

You know well that I can't drive (There can be no doubt in your

mind about this) and

You know that I can't drive well. (I'm not a good driver.) wellcan be placed after may/mightand couldto emphasize the probability of an action:

He may well refuse = It is quite likely that he will refuse. (For may/might as well,see 288.)

G somehow, anyhow

somehow(= in some way or other) can be placed in the front position or after a verb without object or after the object:

Somehow they managed. They managed somehow.

They raised the money somehow.

anyhowas an adverb of manner is not common. But it is often used to mean 'in any case/anyway'. (See 327.)

36Adverbs of place

away, everywhere, here, nowhere, somewhere, thereetc.

A If there is no object, these adverbs are usually placed after the verb:

She went away. He lives abroad. Bill is upstairs. But they come after verb + object or verb + preposition + object:

She sent him away. I looked for it everywhere.

(But see chapter 38 for verb + adverb combinations such as pick up, put down etc.)

Adverb phrases, formed of preposition + noun/pronoun/adverb, follow the above position rules:

The parrot sat on a perch. He stood in the doorway.

He lives near me. But see also E below.

B somewhere, anywherefollow the same basic rules as some and any:

I've seen that man somewhere.

Can you see my key anywhere? ~ No, I can't see it anywhere.

Are you going anywhere? (ordinary question) but

Are you going somewhere? (I assume that you are.) nowhere,however, is not normally used in this position except in the expression to get nowhere(= to achieve nothing/to make no progress):

Threatening people will get you nowhere. (You'll gain no advantage

by threatening people.) But it can be used in short answers:

Where are you going? ~ Nowhere. (I'm not going anywhere.) It can also, in formal English, be placed at the beginning of a sentence and is then followed by an inverted verb:

Nowhere will you find better roses than these. (See 45.)

C here, therecan be followed by be/come/go+ noun subject:

Here's Tom. There's Ann. Here comes the train.

There goes our bus.

here and thereused as above carry more stress than here/thereplaced after the verb. There is also usually a difference in meaning. Tom is here means he is in this room/building/town etc. But Here's Tom implies that he has just appeared or that we have just found him. Tom comes here means that it is his habit to come to this place, but Here comes Tom implies that he is just arriving/has just arrived. If the subject is a personal pronoun, it precedes the verb in the usual way:

There he is. Here I am. Here it comes. But someone and somethingfollow the verb:

There's someone who can help you.

Note that the same sentence, spoken without stress on There, would mean that a potential helper exists. (See 117.)

D Someone phoning a friend may introduce himself/herself by name + here:

ANN (on phone): Is that you, Tom? Ann here or This is Ann. She must not say Ann is here or Here is Ann.

E The adverbs away(= off), down, in, off, out, over, round, upetc. can be followed by a verb of motion + a noun subject:

Away went the runners.

Down fell a dozen apples.

Out sprang the cuckoo.

Round and round flew the plane. But if the subject is a pronoun it is placed before the verb:

Away they went. Round and round it flew.

There is more drama in this order than in subject + verb + adverb but no difference in meaning.

F In written English adverb phrases introduced by prepositions (down, from, in, on, over, out_t of, round, up etc.) can be followed by verbs indicating position (crouch, hang, lie, sit, stand etc.), by verbs of motion, by be born, die, live and sometimes other verbs:

From the rafters hung strings of onions.

In the doorway stood a man with a gun.

On a perch beside him sat a blue parrot.

Over the wall came a shower of stones.

The first three of these examples could also be expressed by a participle and the verb be:

Hanging from the rafters were strings of onions.

Standing in the doorway was a man with a gun.

Sitting on a perch beside him was a blue parrot. But a participle could not be used with the last example unless the shower of stones lasted for some time.

37Adverbs of time

A afterwards, eventually, lately, now, recently, soon, then, today, tomorrowetc. and adverb phrases of time: at once, since then, till(6.00 etc.)

These are usually placed at the very beginning or at the very end of the clause, i.e. in front position or end position. End position is usual with imperatives and phrases with till:

Eventually he came/He came eventually.

Then we went home/We went home then.

Write today. I'll wait till tomorrow. (For lately, recently,see also 185.)

With compound tenses, afterwards, eventually, lately, now, recently, sooncan come after the auxiliary:

We'll soon be there.

B before, early, immediately and latecome at the end of the clause:

He came late. I'll go immediately.

But before and immediately,used as conjunctions, are placed at the beginning of the clause:

Immediately the rain stops we'll set out.

C since and ever sinceare used with perfect tenses (see 187 D).

since can come after the auxiliary or in end position after a negative or interrogative verb; ever since(adverb) in end position. Phrases and clauses with sinceand ever sinceare usually in end position, though front position is possible:

He's been in bed since his accident/since he broke his leg.

D yet and still(adverbs of time)

yet is normally placed after verb or after verb + object:

He hasn't finished (his breakfast) yet.

But if the object consists of a large number of words, yetcan be placed before or after the verb:

He hasn 't yet applied/applied yet for the job we told him about. still is placed after the verb be but before other verbs:

She is still in bed.

yet means 'up to the time of speaking'. It is chiefly used with the negative or interrogative.

stillemphasizes that the action continues. It is chiefly used with the affirmative or interrogative, but can be used with the negative to emphasize the continuance of a negative action:

He still doesn't understand. (The negative action of 'not

understanding' continues.)

He doesn't understand yet. (The positive action of 'understanding'

hasn't yet started.)

When stressed, stilland yetexpress surprise, irritation or impatience. Both words can also be conjunctions (see 327).

E just,as an adverb of time, is used with compound tenses:

I'm just coming. (See also 183.) (For just as an adverb of degree, see 41.)

38 Adverbs of frequency

(a) always, continually, frequently, occasionally, often, once, twice, periodically, repeatedly, sometimes, usuallyetc.

(b) ever, hardly ever, never, rarely, scarcely ever, seldom

A Adverbs in both the above groups are normally placed:

1 After the simple tenses of to be:

He is always in time for meals.

2 Before the simple tenses of all other verbs:

They sometimes stay up all night.

3 With compound tenses, they are placed after the first auxiliary, or, with interrogative verbs, after auxiliary + subject: He can never understand. You have often been told not to do that. Have you ever ridden a camel? Exceptions

(a) used to and have toprefer the adverb in front of them:

You hardly ever have to remind him; he always remembers.

(b) Frequency adverbs are often placed before auxiliaries when these are used alone, in additions to remarks or in answers to questions:

Can you park your car near the shops? ~ Yes, I usually can.

I know I should take exercise, but I never do. and when, in a compound verb, the auxiliary is stressed:

/ never can remember. She hardly ever \has met him. Similarly when dois added for emphasis:

/ always do arrive in time!

But emphasis can also be given by stressing the frequency adverb and leaving it in its usual position after the auxiliary:

You should always check your oil before starting.

B Adverbs in group (a) above can also be put at the beginning or end of a sentence or clause. Exceptions

alwaysis rarely found at the beginning of a sentence/clause except with imperatives.

often,if put at the end, normally requires very or quite:Often he walked. He walked quite often.

C Adverbs in group (b) above, hardly ever, never, rarelyetc. (but not everalone), can also be put at the beginning of a sentence, but inversion of the following main verb then becomes necessary: Hardly/Scarcely ever did they manage to meet unobserved. (For hardly, barely, scarcely,see 44.)

hardly/scarcely ever, never, rarely and seldomare not used with negative verbs.

D never, ever

neveris chiefly used with an affirmative verb, never with a negative. It normally means 'at no time':

He never saw her again. I've never eaten snails.

They never eat meat, (habit)

I've never had a better flight. (For never+ comparative, see 21 C.) never+ affirmative can sometimes replace an ordinary negative:

I waited but he never turned up. (He didn't turn up.) never+ interrogative can be used to express the speaker's surprise at the non-performance of an action:

Has he never been to Japan? I'm surprised, because his wife is

Japanese.

evermeans 'at any time' and is chiefly used in the interrogative: Has he ever marched in a demonstration? ~ No, he never has.

evercan be used with a negative verb and, especially with compound

tenses, can often replace never+ affirmative: I haven't ever eaten snails.

This use of everis less common with simple tenses.

ever+ affirmative is possible in comparisons (see 21 C) and with

suppositions and expressions of doubt:

/ don't suppose he ever writes to his mother.

(For hardly/scarcely + ever,see A-C above. For everafter how

etc., see 61, 85.)

39 Order of adverbs and adverb phrases of manner, place and time when they occur in the same sentence

Expressions of manner usually precede expressions of place:

He climbed awkwardly out of the window.

He 'd study happily anywhere. But away, back, down, forward, home, in, off, on, out, round

and up usually precede adverbs of manner:

He walked away sadly. She looked back anxiously.

They went home quietly. They rode on confidently. (See also 36 E.)

here and theredo the same except with the adverbs hard, well, badly:He stood there silently but They work harder here. Time expressions can follow expressions of manner and place:

They worked hard in the garden today.

He lived there happily for a year. But they can also be in front position:

Every day he queued patiently at the bus stop.

40 Sentence adverbs

These modify the whole sentence/clause and normally express the speaker's/narrator's opinion.

A Adverbs expressing degrees of certainty

(a) actually (= in fact/really), apparently, certainly, clearly, evidently, obviously, presumably, probably, undoubtedly

(b) definitely

(c) perhaps, possibly, surely

Adverbs in group (a) above can be placed after be:

He is obviously intelligent. before simple tenses of other verbs:

They certainly work hard. He actually lives next door. after the first auxiliary in a compound verb:

They have presumably sold their house.

at the beginning or at the end of a sentence or clause:

Apparently he knew the town well.

He knew the town well apparently.

definitelycan be used in the above positions but is less usual at the beginning of a sentence.

perhaps and possiblyare chiefly used in front position, though the end position is possible.

surelyis normally placed at the beginning or end, though it can also be next to the verb. It is used chiefly in questions:

Surely you could pay £1? You could pay £1, surely? Note that though the adjectives sure and certainmean more or less the same, the adverbs differ in meaning. certainly = definitely:

He was certainly there; there is no doubt about it. But surelyindicates that the speaker is not quite sure that the statement which follows is true. He thinks it is, but wants reassurance.

Surely he was there? (I feel almost sure that he was.)

B Other sentence adverbs

admittedly, (un)fortunately, frankly, honestly*, (un)luckily, naturally*, officially*etc. are usually in the front position though the end position is possible. They are normally separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Starred adverbs can also be adverbs of manner.

Honestly, Tom didn't get the money. (Sentence adverb, honestly

here means 'truthfully'. The speaker is assuring us that Tom didn't

get the money.)

Tom didn 't get the money honestly (adverb of manner) = Tom got

the money dishonestly.

41 Adverbs of degree

absolutely, almost, barely, completely, enough, entirely, extremely, fairly, far, hardly, just, much, nearly, only, quite, rather, really, scarcely, so, too, veryetc. (For (a) little,see 5 D; for fairly and rather,see 42; for hardly, scarcely, barely,see 44; for quite,see 43.)

A An adverb of degree modifies an adjective or another adverb. It is placed before the adjective or adverb:

You are absolutely right. I'm almost ready. But enoughfollows its adjective or adverb:

The box isn 't big enough.

He didn't work quickly enough. (See also 252 B.)

B far requires a comparative, or too + positive:

It is far better to say nothing. He drives far too fast. muchcould replace far here. It can also be used with a superlative: This solution is much the best.

C The following adverbs of degree can also modify verbs:

almost, barely, enough, hardly, just, (a) little, much, nearly, quite, rather, really and scarcely.All except muchare then placed before the main verb, like adverbs of frequency (see 38). He almost/nearly fell. I am just going. Tom didn 't like it much but I really enjoyed it. (For much,see 33. For (a) little, see 5 D.)

D only can also modify verbs. In theory it is placed next to the word to which it applies, preceding verbs, adjectives and adverbs and preceding or following nouns and pronouns:

(a) He had only six apples, (not more than six)

(b) He only lent the car. (He didn't give it.)

(c) He lent the car to me only, (not to anyone else)

(d) / believe only half of what he said.

But in spoken English people usually put it before the verb, obtaining the required meaning by stressing the word to which the onlyapplies:

He only had six apples is the same as (a) above.

He only lent the car to me is the same as (c) above.

/ only believe half etc. is the same as (d) above.

E just, like only,should precede the word it qualifies:

/'// buy just one. I had just enough money. It can also be placed immediately before the verb:

/'// just buy one. I just had enough money. But sometimes this change of order would change the meaning:

Just sign here means This is all you have to do.

Sign just here means Sign in this particular spot.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 898