4 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
Many adverbs of manner and some adverbs of degree are formed by adding ly to the corresponding adjectives:
grave, gravely immediate, immediately slow, slowly
Spelling notes
(a) A final y changes to i: happy, happily.
(b) A final e is retained: extreme, extremely.
Exceptions: true, due, whole become truly, duly, wholly.
(c) Adjectives ending in able/able drop the finale and add y:
capable, capably sensible, sensibly
(d) Adjectives ending in a vowel + l follow the usual rule:
beautiful, beautifully final, finally
B Exceptions
The adverb of good is well.
kindly can be adjective or adverb, but other adjectives ending in ly, e.g. friendly, likely, lonely etc., cannot be used as adverbs and have no adverb form. To supply this deficiency we use a similar adverb or adverb phrase:
likely (adjective) friendly (adjective) probably (adverb) in a friendly way (adverb phrase)
C Some adverbs have a narrower meaning than their corresponding adjectives or differ from them. coldly, coolly, hotly, warmly are 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.
A Practical English Grammar 32
Used as adverbs: Used as adjectives:
Come back soon. the back door
You can dial Rome directly. 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 wrung. This is the wrong way.
B Starred words above also have ly forms. Note the meanings.
deeply is used chiefly of feelings:
He was deeply offended.
directly can be used of time or connection:
He'll be here directly, (very soon)
The new regulations will affect us directly/indirectly. (For hardly, see 44.)
highly is used only in an abstract sense:
He was a highly paid official. They spoke very highly of him.
justly corresponds to the adjective just (fair, right, lawful), but just can also be an adverb of degree. (See 41.)
lately = recently: Have you seen him lately?
mostly = chiefly
nearly = almost: I'm nearly ready.
prettily corresponds to the adjective pretty (attractive):
Her little girls are always prettily dressed.
But pretty can also be an adverb of degree meaning very:
The exam was pretty difficult.
rightly can 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.
wrongly can 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.
1 long
longer, longest can be used without restriction:
It took longer than I expected.
But long is 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 + enough is possible. Alternatively, a long time can be used:
I would take too long.
It would take a long time.
In conversation (for) a long time is often replaced by (for) ages:
I waited for ages.
It took us ages to get there.
2 near
nearer, nearest can be used without restriction:
Don't come any nearer.
But near in 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 near with noun, pronoun or adverb is more generally useful:
Don't go near the edge.
The ship sank near here.
D far and much also have a restricted use. See 32 and 33.
A Practical English Grammar 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 most before the positive form:
Positive Comparative Superlative
quickly more quickly most quickly
fortunately more fortunately must fortunately
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:
It 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 way is more usual than far, and a long way away is more usual than far away:
They sailed a long way. He lives a long way away.
But very far away is 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.
33 much, more, most
A more and most can be used fairly freely:
You should ride more. I use this room most.
But much, in the positive form, has a restricted use.
B much meaning a lot can modify negative verbs:
He doesn't ride much nowadays.
In the interrogative much is chiefly used with how. In questions without how, much is possible but a lot is more usual:
How much has he ridden? Has he ridden a lot/much?
In the affirmative as/so/too + much is possible. Otherwise a lot/ a good deal/a great deal is
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preferable:
He shouts so much that... I talk too much.
But He rides a lot/a great deal.
C very much meaning greatly can 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 much meaning a lot can modify comparative or superlative adjectives and adverbs:
much better much the best much more quickly
much too can be used with positive forms:
He spoke much too fast.
E most placed 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.)
34 Constructions 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 all can 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:
A Practical English Grammar 35
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, stupidly etc., 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 Raid 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 well can 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 organised.
badly as 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 well may 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.)
well can be placed after may/might and could to emphasise 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.
anyhow as an adverb of manner is not common. But it is often used to mean ‘in any case/anyway'. (See 327.)
36 Adverbs of place
away, everywhere, here, nowhere, somewhere, there etc.
A If there is no object, these adverbs are usually placed after the verb:
A Practical English Grammar 36
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, anywhere follow 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, there can be followed by be/come/go + noun subject:
Here's Tom. There's Ann. Here comes the train.
There goes our bus.
here and there used as above carry more stress than here/there placed 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 something follow 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, up etc. 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 of, round, up etc.) can be followed by verbs indicating position (crouch, hang. He, 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.
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But a participle could not be used with the last example unless the shower of stones lasted for some time.
37 Adverbs of time
A afterwards, eventually, lately, now, recently, soon, then, today, tomorrow etc. 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, soon can come after the auxiliary:
We 'II soon be there.
B before, early, immediately and late come 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 since are 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 since and ever since are 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, yet can be placed before the verb:
He hasn't yet applied 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,
still emphasizes 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, still and yet express 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, usually etc.
(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 Practical English Grammar 38
(a) used to and have to prefer 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 c 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:
I never 'can remember. She hardly ever 'has met him.
Similarly when do is added for emphasis:
I 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 starling.
B Adverbs in group (a) above can also be put at the beginning or end of a sentence or clause, Exceptions
always is 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, rarely etc. (but not ever alone), 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 seldom are not used with negative verbs.
D never, ever
never is 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/light. (For never + comparative, see 21 C.) never + affirmative can sometimes replace an ordinary negative:
I waited but he never fumed 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.
ever means 'at any time' and is chiefly used in the interrogative:
Has he ever marched in a demonstration? ~ No, he never has.
ever can 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 ever is 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 ever after how etc., seed, 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 there do 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 A Practical English Grammar 39
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.
definitely can be used in the above positions but is less usual at the beginning of a sentence.
perhaps and possibly are chiefly used in front position, though the end position is possible.
surely is 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 certain mean more or less the same, the adverbs differ in meaning. certainly - definitely:
He was certainly there; there is no doubt about it. But surely indicates 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 fee! almost sure that he was.)
B Other sentence adverbs
admittedly, (unfortunately, 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 geS 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, very etc.
For (a) little, see 5 D; for fairly and rather, see 42; for hardly, scarcely, barely, see 44; for quite, see 43.)
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. :y But enough follows its adjective or adverb:
The box isn't big enough. He didn't work quickly enough. (See also 252 B.)
far requires a comparative, or too + positive:
If is far better to say nothing. He drives far too fast.
could replace far here. It can also be used with a superlative:
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 much are 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 realty 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) I 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 only applies:
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 'hat/etc, is the same as (d) above-
E just, like only, should precede the word it qualifies:
I'll buy just one. I had just enough money. It can also be placed immediately before the
A Practical English Grammar 40
verb:
I'll 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.
fairly, rather, quite, hardly etc.
42 fairly and rather
A Both can mean 'moderately', but fairly is chiefly used with 'favourable adjectives and adverbs (.bravely, good, nice, well etc.}, while rather is chiefly used in this sense before 'unfavourable' adjectives and adverbs (bad, stupidly, ugly etc.):
Tom is fairly clever, but Peter is rather stupid.
I walk fairly fast but Ann walks rather slowly. Both can be used similarly with participles:
He was fairly relaxed; she was rather tense.
a fairly interesting film a rather boring book The indefinite article, if required, precedes fairly but can come before or after rather:
a fairly light box a rather heavy box/rather a heavy box With adjectives/adverbs such as fast, slow, thin, thick, hot, cold etc., which are not in themselves either 'favourable' or 'unfavourable', the speaker can express approval by using fairly and disapproval by using rather: This soup is fairly hot implies that the speaker likes hot soup, while This soup is rather hot implies that it is a little too hot for him.
it rather can be used before alike, like, similar, different etc. and before comparatives. It then means 'a little' or 'slightly':
Siamese cats are rather like dogs in some ways.
The weather was raiher worse than I had expected. rather a is possible with certain nouns: disappointment, disadvantage, nuisance, pity, shame and sometimes joke:
It's rather a nuisance (= a little inconvenient) that we can't
park here.
It's rather a shame (= a little unfair) that he has to work on
Sundays. fairly cannot be used in these ways.
C rather can be used before certain 'favourable' adjectives/adverbs such as amusing, clever, good, pretty, well but its meaning then changes; it becomes nearly equivalent to very, and the idea of disapproval vanishes: She is rather clever is nearly the same as She is very clever. rather used in this way is obviously much more complimentary than fairly. For example the expression If is a fairly good play would, if anything, discourage others from going to see it. But It is rather a good play is definitely a recommendation. Occasionally rather used in this way conveys the idea of surprise:
/ suppose the house was filthy. - No, as a matter a/fact it was
rather dean.
D rather can also be used before enjoy, like and sometimes before dislike, object and some similar verbs:
/ rather like the smell of petrol. He rather enjoys queueing. rather can be used in short answers to questions with the above verbs:
Do you like him? - Yes I do, rather.
rather + like/enjoy is often used to express a liking which is a surprise to others or to the speaker himself- But it can also be used to strengthen the verb: / rather like Tom implies more interest than .'. I like Tom.
(For would rather, see 297, 298.)
43 quite '„'•; This is a confusing word because it has two meanings.
;„» It means 'completely' when it is used with a word or phrase which can ,',,' express the idea of completeness (all right, certain, determined, empty.
/gin finished, full, ready, right, sure, wrong etc.) and when it is used 1'1'H ..i,^1" a very strong adjective/adverb such as amazing, extraordinary, •'.^' horrible, perfect:
The pottle was quite empty. You're quite wrong. It's quite extraordinary; I can't understand it at all.
B When used with other adjectives/adverbs, quite has a slightly weakening effect, so that quite good is normally less complimentary than good. quite used in this way has approximately the same meaning as fairly but its strength can vary very much according to the way it is stressed:
A Practical English Grammar 41
quite 'good (weak quite, strong good) is very little less than 'good'. 'quite ^good (equal stress) means 'moderately good'. 'quite good (strong quite, weak good) is much less than 'good'. The less quite is stressed the stronger the following adjective/adverb becomes. The more quite is stressed the weaker its adjective/ adverb becomes. Note the position of a/an:
quite a long walk quite an old castle
44 hardly, scarcely, barely
hardly, scarcely and barely are almost negative in meaning. hardly is chiefly used with any, ever, at all or the verb can:
He has hardly any money, (very little money)
I hardly ever go out. (I very seldom go out.)
It hardly rained at ail last summer.
Her case is so heavy that she can hardly lift if. But it can also be used with other verbs:
/ hardly know him. (I know him only very slightly.) Be careful not to confuse the adverbs hard and hardly:
He looked hard at it. (He stared at it.)
He hardly looked at it. (He gave it only a brief glance.) scarcely can mean 'almost not' and could replace hardly as used above: scarcely any/scarcely ever etc. But scarcely is chiefly used to mean 'not quite':
There were scarcely twenty people there, (probably fewer) (For hardly/scarcely with inversion, see 45 and 342 E.) barely means 'not more than/only just':
There were barely twenty people there, (only just twenty)
I can barely see if. (I can only just see it.)
Inversion of the verb
45 Inversion of the verb after certain adverbs
Certain adverbs and adverb phrases, mostly with a restrictive or negative sense, can for emphasis be placed first in a sentence or clause and are then followed by the inverted (i.e. interrogative) form of the verb. The most important of these are shown below. The numbers indicate paragraphs where an example will be found.
hardly ever (see 38 A, C) on no account
hardly . . . when (342 E) only by
in no circumstances only in this way
neither/nor (112 D) only then/when
never scarcely ever
no sooner . . . than (342 E) scarcely … when
not only seldom
not till so (112 A)
nowhere (36 B)
I haven't got a ticket. ~ Neither/Nor have I.
I had never before been asked to accept a bribe.
Never before had I been asked to accept a bribe.
They not only rob you, they smash everything too.
Not only do they rob you, they smash everything too.
'He didn't realize that he had lost it till he got home.
Not till he got home did he realize that he had lost it.
This switch must not be touched on any account.
On no account must this switch be touched.
He was able to make himself heard only by shouting.
Only by shouting was he able to make himself heard.
He became so suspicious that …
So suspicious did he become that …
Note also that a second negative verb in a sentence can sometimes be expressed by nor with inversion:
He had no money and didn't know anyone he could borrow from.
He had no money, nor did he know anyone he could borrow from.
(neither would be less usual here.)
(For adverbs and adverb phrases followed by inversion of verb and noun subject, e.g. Up
A Practical English Grammar 42
went the rocket; By the door stood an armed guard, see36C, E, F.)
A Practical English Grammar 43
5 all, each, every, both, neither, either, some, any, no, none
46 all, each, every, everyone, everybody, everything (for all and each, see also 48)
A all compared to every
Technically, all means a number of people or things considered as a group while every means a number of people or things considered individually. But in practice every and its compounds are often used when we are thinking of a group.
B each (adjective and pronoun) and every (adjective)
each means a number of persons or things considered individually. every can have this meaning but with every there is less emphasis on the individual.
Every man had a weapon means 'All the men had weapons', and implies that the speaker counted the men and the weapons and found that he had the same number of each. Each man had a weapon implies that the speaker went to each man in turn and checked that he had a weapon.
each is a pronoun and adjective: Each (man) knows what to do.
every is an adjective only: Every man knows . . .
each can be used of two or more persons or things, and is normally used of small numbers, every is not normally used of very small numbers.
Both take a singular verb. The possessive adjective is his/her/its.
(For the reciprocal pronoun each other, see 53 C, 70 B.)
C everyone/everybody and everything (pronouns)
everyone/everybody + singular verb is normally preferred to all (the) people + plural verb, i.e. we say Everyone is ready instead of All the people are ready. There is no difference between everyone and everybody.
everything is similarly preferred to all (the) things, i.e. we say Everything has been wasted instead of All the things have been wasted. The expressions all (the) people, all (the) things are possible when followed by a phrase or clause:
All the people in the room clapped.
I got all the things you asked/or. Otherwise they are rarely used.
(For pronouns and possessive adjectives with everyone/everybody, see 51 C, 69.)
47 both
both means 'one and the other'. It takes a plural verb.
both can be used alone or followed by a noun:
Both (doors) were open
or by (of) + the/these/those or possessives:
both (of) the wheels both (of) your wheels
or by of + us/you/them:
Both of us knew him.
A personal pronoun + both is also possible:
We both knew him. (See 48.)
both . . . and . . . can be used to emphasize a combination of two adjectives, nouns, verbs etc.:
It was both cold and wet.
He is both an actor and a director.
He both acts and directs.
48 all/both/each + of and alternative constructions
A all (pronoun) can be followed by of + the/this/these/that/those/ possessives and proper nouns.
both (pronoun) + of can be used similarly but with plural forms only. The of here is often omitted especially with all + a singular noun/pronoun -
all the town all (oft Tom's boys
all his life both (of) the towns
all (of) these both (of) his parents
B With all/both + of + personal pronoun the of cannot be omitted:
A Practical English Grammar 44
all of it both of them
But there is an alternative construction, personal pronoun + all/both:
all of it is replaceable by it all.
all of us = we all (subject), us all (object).
all of you is replaceable by you all.
all of them = they all (subject), them all (object).
Similarly:
both of us = we both or us both
both of you = you both
both of them = they both or them both
All of them were broken = They were all broken.
All/Both of us went = We all/both went.
We ate all/both the cakes.
We ate all/both of them.
We ate them all/both.
C When one of these pronoun + all/both combinations is the subject of a compound tense the auxiliary verb usually precedes all/both:
We are all waiting. You must both help me.
be is also placed before all/both except when it is used in short answers etc.:
We are all/both ready but
Who is ready? ~ We at! are/We both are. Other auxiliaries used alone and simple tenses of ordinary verbs follow
all/both:
You all have maps. They both knew where to go.
D each, like both, can be followed by of + these/those etc. (plural forms only). The of here cannot be omitted:
each of the boys each of these each of us/you/them can, however, be replaced by pronoun + each;
each of you = you each
each of us = we each (subject), us each (indirect object)
each of them •= they each (subject), them each (indirect object)
We each sent in a report.
They gave us each a form to fill in. Note that each of us/you/them is singular:
Each of us has a map. But we/you/they each is plural:
We each have a map.
Verbs used with we/you/they each follow the patterns given in C above for all and both:
They have each been questioned.
49 neither, either
A 1 neither means 'not one and not the other'. It takes an affirmative
singular verb. It can be used by itself or followed by a noun or by of -+• the/these/those/possessives or personal pronouns:
(a) I fried both keys but neither (of them) worked.
(b) Neither of them knew the way/Neither boy knew . . .
(c) I've read neither of these (books).
2 either means 'any one of two'. It takes a singular verb and, like
neither, can be used by itself or followed by a noun/pronoun or by of + the/these/those etc.
3 either + negative verb can replace neither + affirmative except when neither is the subject of a verb. So either could not be used in (a) or (b) above but could in (c):
I haven't read either of these (books). Though either cannot be the subject of a negative verb, it can be subject or object of an affirmative or interrogative verb:
Either (of these) would do.
Would you like either of these?
4 Pronouns and possessive adjectives with neither/either used of people should technically be he/him, she/her and his/her, but in
colloquial English the plural forms are generally used:
Neither of them knows the way, do they? Neither of them had brought their passports.
B neither . . . nor, either ... or
neither . . . nor + affirmative verb is an emphatic way of combining two negatives:
A Practical English Grammar 45
(a) Neither threats nor arguments had any affect on him.
(b) They said the room was large and bright but it was neither large nor bright.
(c) He neither wrote nor phoned.
either ... or + negative verb can replace neither . . . nor except when neither . . nor is the subject of a verb, as in (a) above. So:
(b) . . . but it wasn 't either large or bright and
(c) He didn 't either write or phone.
either ... or cannot be the subject of a negative verb but can be the subject or object of affirmative or interrogative verbs and is used in this way to express alternatives emphatically:
You can have either soup or fruit juice, (not both)
You fnusi either go at once or wait fill tomorrow.
It's urgent, so could, you either phone or telex?
(For either used in additions to remarks, see 112. For neither/nor followed by inversion, see 45,112.)
50 some, any, no and none (adjectives and pronouns)
A1 some and any mean ‘a certain number or amount'. They are used with :;^' or instead of plural or uncountable nouns. (For some/any with singular nouns, see C below.)
some is a possible plural form of a/an and one:
Have a biscuit/some biscuits. I ate a date/some dates.
some, any and none can be used with of + the/this/these/those/ possessives/personal pronouns:
Some of the staff can speak Japanese.
Did any of your photos come out well?
2 some is used:
With affirmative verbs:
They bought some honey.
In questions where the answer 'yes' is expected:
Did some of you sleep on the floor? (I expect so.)
In offers and requests:
Would you like some wine?
Could you do some typing for me?
(See also C.)
any is used:
With negative verbs:
haven't any matches.
With hardly, barely, scarcely (which are almost negatives):
/ have hardly any spare time. With without when without any . . . = with no . . . :
He crossed the/rentier without any difficulty/with no difficulty. With questions except the types noted above:
Have you got any money?
Did he catch any fish? After if/whether and in expressions of doubt:
I/you need any more money, please let me know.
! don't think there is any petrol in the tank. (See also C.)
B no (adjective) and none (pronoun)
no and none can be used with affirmative verbs to express a negative:
/ have no apples. I had some last year but I have none this year. no + noun can be the subject of a sentence:
No work was done.
No letterfs) arrived. none as the subject is possible but not very usual:
We expected letters, but none came. none + of, however, is quite usual as subject:
None of the tourists wanted to climb the mountain.
C some or any used with singular, countable nouns
some here usually means 'an unspecified or unknown':
Some idiol parked his car outside my garage. or other can be added to emphasize that the speaker isn't very
interested:
He doesn't believe in conventional medicine; he has some remedy or
other of his own. any can mean 'practically every', 'no particular (one)':
A Practical English Grammar 46
Any book about riding will tell you how to saadle a horse. Any dictionary will give you the meaning of these words.
51 someone, somebody, something, anyone, anybody, anything, no one, nobody, nothing
A Compounds with some, any and no follow the above rules:
Someone wants to speak to you on the phone. Someone/Somebody gave me a ticket/or the pop concert. ~ No one/Nobody has ever given me a free ticket for anything. Do you want anything from the chemist? Would anyone/anybody like a drink? Note also:
/ drink anything = / don't mind what I drink. Anyone will tell you where the house is. (See 50 C.)
someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody can be
possessive:
Someone's passport has been stolen. Is this somebody's/anybody's seat? I don't want to waste anyone's time.
C Pronouns and possessive adjectives with someone, somebody, ",. anyonei anybody, no one, nobody, everyone, everybody
These expressions have a singular meaning and take a singular verb so personal pronouns and possessive adjectives should logically be he/she, him/her, his/her. However in colloquial English plural forms are more common:
Has anyone left their luggage on the train?
No one saw Tom go out, did they? ,^i But with something, anything, nothing we still use it:
Something went wrong, didn't it?
else placed after someone/anybody/nothing etc.
. someone/somebody/something, anyone/anybody/anything, \",:, no one/nobody/nothing, everyone/everybody/everything and ;„, the adverbs somewhere, anywhere, nowhere, everywhere can
Al' be followed by else:
some one else/somebody else = some other person
anyone else/anybody else = any other person
no one else/nobody else = no other person
everyone else/everybody else = every other person
something else = some other thing
I'm afraid I can't help you. You'll have to ask someone else. ~
There isn 't anyone else/There's no one else to ask.
else used with adverbs:
somewhere else = in/at/to some other place
anywhere else = in/at/to any other place
nowhere else = in/at/to no other place
Are you going anywhere else?
someone/somebody, anyone/anybody, no one/nobody + else can
be possessive:
took someone else's coat.
Was anyone else's luggage opened?
No one else's luggage was opened.
53 another, other, others with one and some
A another, other, others
Adjective Pronoun
Singular another another
Plural other others
Have you met Bill's sisters? ~ I've met one. I didn't know he had another (sister). ~ Oh, he has two others/two other sisters.
A Practical English Grammar 47
B one . . . another/other(s), some . . . other(s)
One student suggested a play, another (student/other students/others wanted a concert.
Some tourists/Some of the tourists went on the beach; others explored the town.
C one another and each other
Tom and Ann looked at each other = Tom looked at Ann and Ann looked at Tom.
Both one another and each other can be used of two or more. but each other is frequently preferred when there are more than two.
6 Interrogatives:
wh-? words and how?
54 Interrogative adjectives and pronouns
For persons: subject who (pronoun)
Object whom, who (pronoun)
Possessive whose (pronoun and adjective)
For things: subject/object what (pronoun and adjective)
For persons or things when the choice is restricted:
subject/object which (pronoun and adjective)
The same form is used for singular and plural.
what can also be used for persons (see 58 D).
55 Affirmative verb after who, whose etc. used as subjects
who, whose, which, what when used as subjects are normally followed by an affirmative, not an interrogative, verb:
Who pays the bills? (affirmative verb)
Whose/Which horse won? (affirmative verb)
What happened?/What went wrong? (affirmative verb; possible answers: We missed the train/had an accident.)
But with who, whose etc. + be + noun or personal/distributive pronoun, an interrogative verb is used:
Who are you? Whose is this? What is that noise?
With who, whose etc. used as objects of a verb or preposition an interrogative verb is, of course, necessary.
56 Examples of the use of who, whom, whose, which and what
A who, whom, whose
who as subject:
Who keeps the keys? (affirmative verb)
Who took my gun? (affirmative verb)
Who are these boys? (interrogative verb)
who, whom as objects of a verb:
Normal English: Who did you see?
Very formal English: Whom did the committee appoint?
whose as subject:
Whose car broke down? (affirmative verb)
Whose (books) are these? (interrogative verb)
whose as object of a verb:
Whose umbrella did you borrow?
B which
which as subject:
Which pigeon arrived first? (affirmative verb)
Which of them is the eldest? (affirmative verb) which as object of a verb:
Which hand do you use? Which of these dates would you prefer?
C what A Practical English Grammar 48
what as subject:
What caused the explosion? (affirmative verb)
What kind of tree is that? (interrogative verb)
what as object of a verb:
What paper do you read? What did they eat?
57 who, whom, which and what as objects of prepositions
A who, whom
In formal English we use preposition + whom:
With whom did you go? To whom were you speaking?
But in ordinary English we usually move the preposition to the end of the sentence. The whom then normally changes to who:
Who did you go with? Who were you speaking to?
B which, what
In formal English we use preposition + which/what:
To which address did you send it?
On what do you base your theory?
In informal English we move the preposition to the end of the sentence:
Which address did you send it to?
What do you base your theory on?
58 Uses of what
A what is a general interrogative used for things:
What bird is that? What makes that noise?
What country do you come from? What did he say?
B what. . . for? means 'why?':
What did you da that for? = Why did you do that?
C what + be ... like? is a request for a description and can be used for things or people:
What was the exam like? ~ It was very difficult.
What was the weather like? - If was very windy.
What's the food like in your hostel? - It's quite good.
Used of people it may concern either appearance or character:
He's short and fat and wears glasses.
He's a very talkative, friendly man.
what does he/she/it look like? concerns appearance only, and can also mean 'What does he/she/it resemble?':
What does she look like? - She is tall and glamorous. She looks like a film star.
What does if look like? ~ It's black and shiny. It looks like coal.
D what is he? means 'What is his profession?':
What is his/other? ~ He is a tailor.
what (adjective) used for persons is not common: What students are you talking about? is possible, but Which students … ? would be much more usual.
E what and how in questions about measurements
We can use what + age/depth/height/length/width but in conversation it would be more usual to say how old/deep/high/tall/long/wide?
what size/weight? is usual when an exact answer is required, though how big/heavy? is also possible.
What age are you?/What is your age/How old are you?
What height is he?/What is his height?/How tall is he?
What is the weight of the parcel?/How heavy is it?
What size do you take in shoes?
59 which compared with who and what
A Examples of which and what used for things:
A Practical English Grammar 49
What will you have to drink?
There's gin, whisky and sherry: which will you have?
What does it cost to get to Scotland? — It depends on how you go. ~ Which (way) is the cheapest or Which is the cheapest (way)?
I've seen the play and the film. ~ What did you think of them?
Which (of them) did you like best?
Examples of which and who used for people;
Who do you want to speak to? ~ I want to speak to Mr Smith. ~
We have two Smiths here. Which (a/them) do you want?
Which (pronoun) of people is not used alone as subject of a verb:
Which of you knows the formula? ('of you' is essential.)
Who knows the formula? would also be possible.
which (adjective) can be used of people when there is only a very slight idea of restriction:
Which poet (of all the poets) do you like best?
what would be possible here and would be more logical, but what (adjective) for people is normally avoided.
60 Interrogative adverbs: why, when, where, how
A why? means 'for what reason?':
Why was he late? ~ He missed the bus.
B when? means 'at what time?':
When do you get up? ~ 7 a.m.
C where? means 'in what place?':
Where do you live? ~
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