spot the difference

Question

i only eat meat.i eat meat only.what's the difference between the two, and which one is correct.

Pandoraa · Accepted Answer

Both are OK in spoken language but I guess we use the second one for stronger emphasis.

Anonymous · Answer

there's a third one :

i eat only meat.

WOW! the confusion - i wonder if all three can used interchangeably.

Goodman · Answer

Anonymousi only eat meat.

i eat meat only.

what's the difference between the two, and which one is correct.

Grammatically and idiomatically, “I only eat meat” is more accepted to me ears because [only] is used to emphasize a point and the point is I can’t eat anything else. Therefore, logically [only] is more affective being place right after the subject. “I eat meat only”, with [only] at the end of the sentence is not my choice. But both are correct.

# 1 The doctor said he can only drink water [for the next few days].

# 2 The doctor said he can drink water only [for the next few days].

Goodman · Answer

Anonymousthere's a third one :

i eat only meat.

WOW! the confusion - i wonder if all three can used interchangeably.

When I see the word "interchangeably" from posted questions, it does more than tickling me. A lot of words are defined with similar or nearly identical meanings in the dictionaries. But they are not exactly equal. For instance, [finally] and [eventually] are adverbs which modify verbs. But if the wrong adverb is used, it can affect the core meaning of a sentence. [Only] with it's flexible nature can seemingly fit anywhere within a sentence. However, the meaning is affected slightly depending on it's replacment. This webpage desrcibes it best.

http://www.grammarerrors.com/grammar.html

"Only" as a misplaced modifier

The adverb only should be placed as close as possible to the word it modifies in a sentence. Consider the following two sentences:

Example 1: The band only sang five songs at the concert.
Example 2: The band sang only five songs at the concert.

Example 1 indicates that the band sang, rather than played, five songs. The sentence in Example 2 indicates that the band sang five songs, rather than eight or ten or any other number. There is a distinct difference in meaning. However, it is common for only to be misplaced in a sentence, making the meaning of the sentence ambiguous.

A similar error was made with the popular old song called "I Only Have Eyes for You." The writers of this song would have made the message clearer by writing "I Have Eyes for Only You." But then again, the song just wouldn't sound the same had the lyrics been written to be grammatically correct. Regardless, when using only in your own speaking and writing, remember to place it as close as possible to the word you are modifying so the meaning of the sentence is clear to the audience.

REAL/REALLY>

CalifJim · Answer

I think that that website is full of nonsense. In idiomatic speech and writing post-verbal only is almost always moved to the pre-verbal position. There is no rule that says only must always stand immediately before the word it restricts. It's bizarre to call this an error.

I have three left.
I only have three left. = I have only three left.

I worked for a little while today.
I only worked for a little while. = I worked only for a little while. = I worked for only a little while.
____

Does the same website believe that the following is an error, I wonder.

I don't want you to leave just yet.

("Error"! because it means I want you not to leave just yet. !!!)

CJ

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