Avoiding Common Mistakes with Adjectives and Adverbs

A few words — even, almost, only, and others — often end up in the wrong spots. If these words aren't placed correctly, your sentence may say something that you didn't intend.

Placing "even"

Even is one of the sneaky modifiers that can land any place in a sentence — and change the meaning of what you're saying. Take a look at this example:

It's two hours before the grand opening of the school show. Lulu and Legghorn have been rehearsing for weeks. They know all the dances, and Lulu has only one faint bruise left from Legghorn's tricky elbow maneuver. Suddenly, Legghorn's evil twin Lochness, mad with jealousy, "accidentally" places his foot in Legghorn's path. Legghorn's down! His ankle is sprained! What will happen to the show?

• Possibility 1: Lulu shouts, "We can still go on! Even Lester knows the dances."

• Possibility 2: Lulu shouts, "We can still go on! Lester even knows the dances."

• Possibility 3: Lulu shouts, "We can still go on! Lester knows even the dances."

What's going on here? These three statements look almost the same, but they aren't. Here's what each one means:

• Possibility 1: Lulu surveys the fifteen boys gathered around Legghorn. She knows that any one of them could step in at a moment's notice. After all, the dances are very easy. Even Lester, the clumsiest boy in the class, knows the dances. If even Lester can perform the role, it will be a piece of cake for everyone else.

• Possibility 2: Lulu surveys the fifteen boys gathered around Legghorn. It doesn't look good. Most of them would be willing, but they've been busy learning other parts. There's no time to teach them Legghorn's role. Then she spies Lester. With a gasp, she realizes that Lester has been watching Legghorn every minute of rehearsal. Although the curtain will go up very soon, the show can still be saved. Lester doesn't have to practice; he doesn't have to learn something new. Lester even knows the dances.

• Possibility 3: The whole group looks at Lester almost as soon as Legghorn hits the floor. Yes, Lester knows the words. He's been reciting Legghorn's lines for weeks now, helping Legghorn learn the part. Yes, Lester can sing; everyone's heard him. But what about the dances? There's no time to teach him. Just then, Lester begins to twirl around the stage. Lulu sighs with relief. Lester knows even the dances. The show will go on!

Got it? Even is a description; even describes the words that follow it. To put it another way, even begins a comparison:

• Possibility 1: even Lester (as well as everyone else)

• Possibility 2: even knows (doesn't have to learn)

• Possibility 3: even the dances (as well as the songs and words).

So here's the rule. Put even at the beginning of the comparison implied in the sentence.

Placing "almost"

Almost is another tricky little modifier to place. Here's an example:

Last night Lulu wrote for almost an hour and then went rollerblading.

and

Last night Lulu almost wrote for an hour and then went rollerblading.

In the first sentence, Lulu wrote for 55 minutes and then stopped. In the second sentence, Lulu intended to write, but every time she sat down at the computer, she remembered that she hadn't watered the plants, called her best friend Lola, made a sandwich, and so forth. After an hour of wasted time and without one word on the screen, she grabbed her rollerblades and left.

Almost begins the comparison. Lulu almost wrote, but she didn't. Or Lulu wrote for almost an hour, but not for a whole hour. In deciding where to put these words, add the missing words and see whether the position of the word makes sense.

Placing "only"

If only the word only were simpler to understand! Like other tricky words, only changes the meaning of the sentence every time its position is altered. For example:

Only Lochness went to Iceland last summer. (No one else went.)

Lochness only went to Iceland last summer. (He didn't do anything else.)

Lochness went only to Iceland last summer. (He skipped Antarctica.)

Lochness went to Iceland only last summer. (Two possible meanings: 1) He didn't go three years ago or at any other time — just last summer. 2) The word only may mean just, as in recently.