placement of adverbs

Question

0In the following sentences certainly is functioning as an adverb. Don't you think it should be placed in front of the verb it modifies as in sentence #2?02br02br01font01b001:02b00 I'm 01b00certainly not02b00 going to make that mistake again.02font02br02br01font01b002:02b00 I'm 01b00not certainly02b00 going to make that mistake again.02font0-

Kooyeen · Accepted Answer

0 Hi Jackson, 02br
00yeah, but when there are negative words (not, don't, never, etc.), you have to be careful, because the position of some adverbs might change the meaning of your sentence completely02br
00That's why these two are different:02br
02br
01b00I don't really understand what you are trying to say.02b00 (I don't understand very well, I don't understand everything, I only understand a part, etc.)02br
01b00 I really don't understand what you are trying to say. 02b00(I understand nothing at all, I don't understand, etc.)02br
02br
00The key is the order:02br
01b00negative + adverb:02b00 not completely, not really...02br
01b00adverb + negative:02b00 definitely not, really not, totally not...02br
02br
00Notice that those adverbs are all similar, that is, they all describe something at the highest degree (totally, completely, certainly, definitely, etc.)02br
02br
00Also notice that there are a lot of exceptions. One example:02br
00I'm 01i00not always02i00 there. (not always, sometimes I'm not there. I might be often there, but not always.)02br
00I'm 01i00always not02i00 there. (Exception, this is not the idiomatic one, you should say "I'm 01u01i00never02i02u00 there.")02br
02br
00That's all for now. Let's see what the others have to say 050010id1

Yankee · Answer

0 Hi Jackson02br
02br
00In your first sentence, the word 'certainly' modifies the word 'not'. You feel certain (i.e. 100% sure) about 'not'.02br
02br
00Your second sentence is awkward, but if I had to interpret it, I would say it means this: 02br
00"I may well make that mistake again. It is not 100% certain that I will not make the same mistake again."0-

Jackson6612 · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10Kooyeen12cite10Hi Jackson, 12br
10yeah, but when there are negative words (not, don't, never, etc.), you have to be careful, because the position of some adverbs might change the meaning of your sentence completely12br
10That's why these two are different:12br
12br
11b10I don't really understand what you are trying to say.12b10 (I don't understand very well, I don't understand everything, I only understand a part, etc.)12br
11b10I really don't understand what you are trying to say. 12b10(I understand nothing at all, I don't understand, etc.)12br
12br
10The key is the order:12br
11b10negative + adverb:12b10 not completely, not really...12br
11b10adverb + negative:12b10 definitely not, really not, totally not...12br
12br
10Notice that those adverbs are all similar, that is, they all describe something at the highest degree (totally, completely, certainly, definitely, etc.)12br
12br
10Also notice that there are a lot of exceptions. One example:12br
10I'm 11i10not always12i10 there. (not always, sometimes I'm not there. I might be often there, but not always.)12br
10I'm 11i10always not12i10 there. (Exception, this is not the idiomatic one, you should say "I'm 11u11i10never12i12u10 there.")12br
12br
10That's all for now. Let's see what the others have to say 15012br
12blockquote

10Hi Kooyeen,02br
02br
00Thanks a lot for always helping in such a good way. I always thought you were a girl.05100 I don't know why, perhaps it's your name which sounds to be a girlish name to me. I wish you good health and many years of happiness. Take care.01b01font00[Suggestions are still welcome]02font02b02br
02br
00Best wishes, Jackson010id111id1

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