Even

Question

"Even my father can do that."According to dictionaries "even" is an adverb in the above the sentence. Can anyone explain how it is an adverb ? It is not modifying any adjective or noun.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Debpriya DeEven my father can do that.

The simple answer is that it modifies the whole sentence.

Even five of my friends can do that.With this one you'd be happy. Right?

But I think it still modifies the whole sentence.

I've seen this trick performed by at least five of my friends.

Debpriya De · Answer

Thanks Avangi,
But the positioning of "even" in a sentence is very confusing for me.
What would be the position of "even" in the following sentence ?
1. You are not worth even five dollars. or
2. You are not even worth five dollars.
Do the sentences have the same meaning ?

Anonymous · Answer

But the positioning of "even" in a sentence is very confusing for me.

What would be the position of "even" in the following sentence ?

1. You are not worth even five dollars. or

2. You are not even worth five dollars.

Do the sentences have the same meaning ?

Even takes a different position in the 1. and 2. but the meaning is the same: it adds force to the whole sentence; its like saying: You are not worth five dollars indeed.

Avangi · Answer

Debpriya De 1. You are not worth even five dollars. or
2. You are not even worth five dollars.

In my opinion, both are correct. Context could give them different meanings. In the first case the amount is in question. In the second case, the person's worth is in question.

Do you think you could raise my hourly rate from five dollars to six dollars?
(reply) You are not worth even five dollars. (You are worth less than five dollars.)
The discussion is about placing a specific value on the person's worth - from the beginning.

Could you get me a new keyboard? They're only thirty dollars.
(reply) You're not even worth thirty dollars.
This is a complete rejection of the person. He's not worth investing any money in.
The subject of the person's being worthless is only introduced by the second person.

The two versions would be spoken with the bold words emphasized.

I can understand that it's very difficult for someone learning English to see how "even" can work - without a bit of trial and error.

You don't even care!

You should/could at least care!

"Even" and "at least" are often related in this way. Both establish/describe a minimum (threshold) value.
Perhaps "limit" is a better word than "minimum," as "even" sometimes seems to be a maximum.

At least you tried. (modifies the whole sentence - both the person and the action)
Even the boss failed! (ditto)
Even my dad can to that.

BillJ · Answer

Debpriya De"Even my father can do that."According to dictionaries "even" is an adverb in the above the sentence. Can anyone explain how it is an adverb ? It is not modifying any adjective or noun.

Have you considered the possibility that 'even' may be modifying the noun phrase 'my father'?

BillJ

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Avangi,

Do you think you could raise my hourly rate from five dollars to six dollars?

(reply) You are not worth even five dollars. (You are worth less than five dollars.)

The discussion is about placing a specific value on the person's worth - from the beginning.

Do you agree with me that in the You are not worth even five dollars. the even five dollars still refers to the hourly rate (implied one), not to the explicit You ?

Avangi · Answer

Hi, Anon.

There seem to be different ways to look at it.
You may have noticed that BillJ suggested in "Even my father can do that," that "even" modifies the subject "my father," which I guess would make it adjectival.
D/D's reference, on the other hand, claims it to be adverbial.

AnonymousDo you agree with me that in the You are not worth even five dollars, the even five dollars still refers to the hourly rate (implied one), not to the explicit You ?

Yes, I agree that "even five dollars" does not refer explicitly (or exclusively) to the subject. (That would make it an adjective.)
Surely it "refers" to the implied rate, but I don't think you can say in a grammatical sense that "the implied rate" is what it modifies. (That would also make it an adjective.)

I support the idea that "even" modifies the simple sentence "You are worth X," making it an adverb. I think both the subject and the verb (and its complement) are essential in defining the thing which "even" modifies.

Even you are not worth five dollars. Here it seems to modify the subject alone.
Unfortunately, in my American Heritage Dictionary, this definition is not among the fourteen odd items listed under "adj."
Under "adv." it uses the expression "an entensive," which seems to me to imply that it refers to the action, but I don't know if the subject is included therein.

Avangi · Answer

Debpriya DeCan anyone explain how it is an adverb ? It is not modifying any adjective or noun.

On paying closer attention, I note that you say "any adjective or noun."
I had assumed you meant "any adjective or verb." Was I wrong?

- A.

CalifJim · Answer

Debpriya De"Even my father can do that."
According to dictionaries "even" is an adverb in the above the sentence.
Can anyone explain how it is an adverb ? It is not modifying any adjective or noun.

Not modifying a noun? Adverbs don't typically modify nouns anyway. Did you mean to say that it's not modifying any adjective or other adverb?

In any case it's modifying "my father" in much the same way it does in the following sentence:

Almost anyone can do that, even my father.

This can be paraphrased:

Almost anyone can do that, including my father.
(The idea is that my father's being able to do that is not expected.)

________

As for explaining "how it is an adverb", I don't know if there is an explanation for how it's an adverb. It may not be a well-behaved adverb, but it just isan adverb.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

CalifJimI don't know if there is an explanation for how it's an adverb.

We want things like, "Even" is an adverb in this sentence because it answers the question, W _ _ _ ?

CalifJimIn any case it's modifying "my father" in much the same way it does in the following sentence:

Should I take this as a rejection of the "sentential adverb" analysis, or as an alternate analysis?

Even

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