nearly/almost

Question

1.On more than one occasion he very nearly killed Tiberius when his anger overwhelmed him. (original)

2.on more than one occasion almost he killed Tiberius when his anger overwhelmed him.

3.on more than one occasion he was about to kill Tiberius when his anger overwhelmed him.

Why is occasion not plural in the first sentence , would a native speaker pause after 'occasion' when saying it out loud and putting a comma after the occasion twist the meaning of the sentence? Is #2 correct and what is the difference in meaning between the #1 and the third sentence?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

occasion is preceded by the word one. There is therefore no possibility that occasions could be correct.
A comma would not change the meaning of the sentence, but I would leave it out.
Personally I don't pause after occasion. I do, however, make 'on more than one occasion' a tonal grouping.
The second sentence is wrong. It should read 'he almost killed' and not 'almost he killed'. (Frequency adverbs go between the subject and the verb.) Thus modified, it means the same thing as the first sentence.

The third sentence doesn't work somehow. It says (to me) that the moment came when he was on the verge of killing Tiberius -- his sword was raised high, and he was about to plunge it into Tiberius. And at that very moment (not before) his anger overwhelmed him. That doesn't make sense. Compare:

I was about to leave the house to do my grocery shopping when the phone rang.

CJ

K.O. · Answer

Hi CJ, Thanks for the reply.

nearly/almost

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