Is this expert correct?

Hoping that I am not going head-to head with some professor of psycholinguistics, I consider that 'really' modifies 'is', as in, for example:
"Now, this really is a surprising question!"
compare
"After all these years of teaching physics, it is rare that I am asked any really surprising question."

I see "really" as a clause-oriented adjunct, with a meaning similar to "in actual fact". Like many adjuncts, it's mobile, as your two examples show. There are also two other possibilities: "This is a surprising question, really", and "Really, this is a surprising question", where the meanings are the same.

The core statement is "This is a surprising question". The addition of "really" ma

I agree with Bill J. Unless it's used as a degree adverb meaning very, it cannot modify "a surprising question." It modifies the verb "is". Replace "really" with "indeed" and I think you will notice that it modifies "is."

KJinCali79 I think you will notice that it modifies "is."

What I actually said was that it's an adjunct with the meaning of "in actual fact", which modifies the whole clause (i.e. not just the verb "is").

BillJ

Many thanks to Terryxpress, BillJ, and KJinCali79 for the great answers.

"Really" is really my favorite word, for it so confuses all the experts. You can find all kinds of theories on the Web.

I guess the bottom line is: it really doesn't matter what it modifies. But it is really a lot of good, clean fun trying to figure out

what it does modify. Really!

James - you may see it as 'a lot of good, clean fun', but some of us take grammar seriously.

Members like me give their time voluntarily to provide a free Q&A service to anyone who sends in a question, and I think it's patronizing of you to summarise our replies to your question that way. And it DOES matter what it modifies - that is the whole point of this thread, isn't it?

By t

Wow... I learn an important lesson, forum netiquett, through this thread.
I want to express a deep appreciation to all people who provide a free Q&A service to anyone who sends in a question like Billy said.
Thank you very much indeed

I did not intend to "patronize" you. By "good, clean fun," I was referring to the fact that discussing English grammar is a wholesome hobby as compared with other things people do. Since the moderators allowed you to admonish me, I hope the moderators will allow me to say this: I have noticed in some of your posts you assume that you have "the" answer. I believe that is a very arrogant attitude.