‘He’s very grateful!’ – ‘So he should be.’
By all means is used for emphasis when giving permission.
If your baby likes water, by all means give it to him.
For heaven’s sake is used when making a request or asking a question.
For heaven’s sake, stop doing that, Chris.
What are you staring at, for heaven’s sake?
emphasizing that something is exact: exactly, just, precisely, etc.
9.63 You may want to emphasize that your statement is not only generally true, but that it is true in all its details. The adverbs exactly, just, and precisely are used for this.
They’d always treated her exactly as if she were their own daughter.
Their decor was exactly right.
I know just how you feel.
The peasants are weak precisely because they are poor.
Focusing on the most important thing
9.64 There are certain adverbials you can use if you want to focus on the most important thing in what you are saying, for example the main reason for something or the main quality of something.
I’m particularly interested in classical music.
They have been used in certain countries, notably in South America.
We want especially to thank all our friends for their support.
The following adverbials can be used like this:
chiefly
especially
mainly
mostly
notably
particularly
predominantly
primarily
principally
specially
specifically
restricting: only, just, etc.
9.65 Some of these adverbials can be used to emphasize that only one particular thing is involved in what you are saying.
The drug is given only to seriously ill patients.
This is solely a matter of money.
It’s a large canvas covered with just one colour.
The following adverbials can be used like this:
alone
exclusively
just
only
purely
simply
solely
selecting: especially, notably, etc.
9.66 Adverbials for focusing can be used to add a further piece of information that selects a particular group of people or things from a larger set. They can be used in this way with noun phrases, prepositional phrases, adjectives, and subordinate clauses.
I enjoy the company of young people, especially my grandchildren.
In some communities, notably the inner cities, the treatment has backfired.
They were mostly professional people.
You’ll enjoy it down in LA, especially if you get a job.
position of focusing adverbials
9.67 In careful writing, adverbials that are used for focusing are usually put immediately in front of the word or clause element they apply to, in order to avoid ambiguity. In speech, it is usually clear from the intonation of the speaker what they apply to.
However, in many cases the focusing adverbial does not necessarily focus on the word or element immediately after it. For example, in the sentence He mainly reads articles about mechanical things the word mainly almost certainly applies to about mechanical things, not to reads.
Focusing adverbials are not normally used at the beginning of a sentence. However, you can use only to begin a sentence when it focuses on the thing that follows it.
Only thirty-five per cent of four-year-olds get nursery education.
Only in science fiction is the topic touched on.
You can use just and simply at the beginning of sentences giving instructions.
Just add boiling water.
Simply remove the packaging, and plug the machine in.
Alone is always used after the element that it focuses on. Only is sometimes used in this position.
People don’t work for money alone.
They were identified by their first names only.
In informal speech and writing, other focusing adverbials are sometimes used after the element they focus on. For example, you can say We talked about me mostly instead of We talked mostly about me.
We have talked about France mainly.
Chocolate, particularly, is suspected of causing decay of the teeth.
In the early years, especially, a child may be afraid of many things.
This position can also be used when adding a piece of information.
He liked America, New York particularly.
She was busy writing, poetry mostly.
9.68 Some other adverbials can be used to focus on additional information. The adverbs of degree largely, partly, and entirely, and adverbs of frequency such as usually and often can be used.
The situation had been created largely by the press.
The house was cheap partly because it was falling down and partly because it was in a dangerous area.
The females care for their young entirely by themselves.
They often fought each other, usually as a result of arguments over money.
Some people refuse to give evidence, often because they feel intimidated.
The phrase in particular, which has a similar meaning to particularly, can be used in the positions shown in the examples below.
Wednesday in particular is very busy.
Next week we shall be taking a look at education and in particular primary schools.
He shouted at the children and at Otto in particular. In particular, I’m going to concentrate on hydro-electricity.
Other information structures
Putting something first: In his pocket was a pen, Why she’s here I don’t know
9.69 In English, the first element in a declarative clause is usually the subject of the verb. However, if you want to emphasize another element, you can put that first instead.
Sometimes when this takes place the normal order of subject and verb is changed.