Kooyeen  +  393015 Tue, 17 Jul 07 02:30 AM Hi, I'd like to know where to put the adverb in cases like these. What is ok? What is most common or natural? I lost interest in spoken English. I even decided to focus only on written English. I lost interest in spoken English. I even decided to only focus on written English. In the end I decided to buy only from the sellers I already knew. In the end I decided to only buy from the sellers I already knew. I lost interest in English. In the end I decided to study it only to pass the exam, but not because I was still interested. I lost interest in English. In the end I decided to only study it to pass the exam, but not because I was still interested. Thanks Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Senior Member 4,984 Parental Advisory / Explicit Posts Verbs, Adverbs

	Philip  +  393027 Tue, 17 Jul 07 03:19 AM  Kooyeen wrote: Hi, I'd like to know where to put the adverb in cases like these. What is ok? What is most common or natural? I lost interest in spoken English. I even decided to focus only on written English. I lost interest in spoken English. I even decided to only focus on written English. In the end I decided to buy only from the sellers I already knew. In the end I decided to only buy from the sellers I already knew. I lost interest in English. In the end I decided to study it only to pass the exam, but not because I was still interested. I lost interest in English. In the end I decided to only study it to pass the exam, but not because I was still interested. Thanks In the first and third examples, it's a case of not splitting the infinitive.   In the second, 'only' does not modify 'buy' but rather 'from the sellers I knew'. Philip Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005 Veteran Member 8,738 At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen Verbs, Adverbs

	Pucca  +  393189 Tue, 17 Jul 07 02:25 PM I found it! What about.. I lost interest in spoken English. I even decided only to focus on written English. ? Pucca Joined on Sun, Aug 27 2006 Spain Senior Member 2,972

	Philip  +  393239 Tue, 17 Jul 07 04:25 PM  Pucca wrote: I found it! What about.. I lost interest in spoken English. I even decided only to focus only on written English. ? You are not "only-ing" the verb to focus, but rather the phrase 'on written English'.  I hope my use of 'only-ing' doesn't confuse you. Philip Verbs

	Pucca  +  393272 Tue, 17 Jul 07 06:26 PM Hello Philip! If I am not wrong it was you the one who said that it was recomendable to put words like 'only' the nearest we can from the word we are referring to, right? But, imagine that I want to only the verb to focus, would that sentence be correct? or it would sound weird? Thanks in advance! Pucca Verbs

	Kooyeen  +  393303 Tue, 17 Jul 07 07:22 PM Hi Walrus, welcome to the forums. "Only" and "just" have many meanings... Among all those meanings, "just" can mean "only", yes, so there wouldn't be any difference in certain contexts. Thanks. Anyway I know it is not true that "only" modifies what's close to it, but it modifies what's stressed with the voice. As for the split infinitives, that's a prescriptive rule, and a lot of native speakers split them all the time. I have to say that split infinitives sound good to me. The problem is that I don't know what most natives usually do... I tried to install the software in the main PC. - If I want "only" to modify "the main PC", I can say ---> I only tried to install the software in the main PC. But in sentences like the one I posted earlier... it's difficult because there is "even" that is already before the main verb. Also, the verb "decide" sounds a little bit differently to me, and I don't know if moving "only" before it would be a good idea. Thanks again.   Kooyeen Verbs

	CalifJim  +  393308 Tue, 17 Jul 07 07:29 PM This repeats some of what was said above, but it adds another vote. Use the first of each pair, not the second, if you want to sound natural. CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,463 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

	Yankee  +  393314 Tue, 17 Jul 07 07:36 PM  Kooyeen wrote: Anyway I know it is not true  that "only" modifies what's close to it, but it modifies what's stressed with the voice. As for the split infinitives, that's a prescriptive rule, and a lot of native speakers split them all the time. I have to say that split infinitives sound good to me. The problem is that I don't know what most natives usually do... Hi Kooyeen Hmm, then how do you decide what 'only' modifies when a sentence is written rather than spoken? Yes, native speakers do sometimes split infinitives, but my descriptive gut feeling is that, generally, we tend not to split. Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,506 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain