0
Fire1 Posted 6 years ago
Grammar
Only as a postmodifier
1.He only is the true thinker. (=Only he is the true thinker)
2.The dog only was restless. (=Only the dog was restless)
I would like to know whether "only" can function as a postmodifier modifying "He" and "The dog" like in #1 and #2.
I can't see any difference in meaning between the left and right sentence in #1 and #2, but I'm not sure whether both are correct English.
2.The dog only was restless. (=Only the dog was restless)
I would like to know whether "only" can function as a postmodifier modifying "He" and "The dog" like in #1 and #2.
I can't see any difference in meaning between the left and right sentence in #1 and #2, but I'm not sure whether both are correct English.
Top answer
Your sentences are correct enough except that no one would put it that way nowadays. You might see "only" used that way in older writing. "
- Your sentences are correct enough except that no one would put it that way nowadays.
- You might see "only" used that way in older writing.
- "
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
1 Answers
0
Your sentences are correct enough except that no one would put it that way nowadays. You might see "only" used that way in older writing. Today, we would use "alone" if we wanted post-position like that: "The dog alone was restless." But it would still be unusual compared with "Only the dog …."
0
Related Questions