Exactly

Question

"This is exactly what we need."How is "exactly" an adverb in the above sentence ?What does it modify ?

Philip · Accepted Answer

Here's my take.

This (subject)

is (verb)

what we need (direct object)

Therefore, 'exactly' is an adjective qualifying 'what we need' or it's an adverb qualifying 'is'. I think the adverb suggestion is better.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

It's an adverb that modifies the phrase 'what we need'.

Clive

Philip · Answer

PhilipHere's my take.This (subject)is (verb)what we need (direct object) Therefore, 'exactly' is an adjective qualifying 'what we need' or it's an adverb qualifying 'is'. I think the adverb suggestion is better.

My analysis was way off base. The verb is doesn't take a direct object. It should have been labeled a predicate nominative, perhaps.
Thanks to Clive, the question is a bit clearer. However, how does the entire phrase become something that can be modified by an adverb. What am I missing in the definition of 'adverb'? Help me out, Clive, as I'm getting confused.

CalifJim · Answer

Debpriya De"This is exactly what we need."
How is "exactly" an adverb in the above sentence ?
What does it modify ?

How is it an adverb? In the same way that 'not' is an adverb in

This is not what we need.

It seems to me that the modification structure is the same for both statements. exactly (or not) has to modify the verb (is). In the case of not the modification consists in negating the meaning of the verb; in the case of exactly the modification consists in intensifying the meaning of the verb.

CJ

Clive · Answer

Hi,

"This is exactly what we need."

Here's how I see it.

'Exactly' modifies 'what we need'.

You see that more clearly in examples like these.

The store has exactly what we need. It makes little sense to argue that the 'having' is exact.

Exactly what we need is in this store. It makes little sense to argue that the 'being' is exact.

Exactly what we need is written on this piece of paper. This does not mean that the use of the pen was precise

I forget exactly what we need. This does not mean that the act of forgetting was exact.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

CliveHere's how I see it.
'Exactly' modifies 'what we need'.

I conclude that your paraphrase of This is exactly what we need is

This is the exact thing that we need.

Rather than

This is in every respect the thing that we need. (I get 'in every respect' from a dictionary definition.)

I can see it either way when the fused relative clause follows a linking verb, but in your other examples, only 'the exact thing that' seems possible.

_______

The transformation from 'exactly what ...', 'exactly who ...' to 'the exact thing that ...', 'the exact person who ...' still eludes me. (exactly what > the exact thing) In other words, like Philip, I'm still stumped about how an adverb gets in there when it's really adjectival in function . Oh, well. Another of the world's mysteries.

CJ

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