I understand the meaning of this word in general, but there's just one question. Here are two examples:
We painted even the floor.
AND
We even painted the floor.
Are they correct and if so, do they have the same meaning?
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Sign up to join this communityI understand the meaning of this word in general, but there's just one question. Here are two examples:
We painted even the floor.
AND
We even painted the floor.
Are they correct and if so, do they have the same meaning?
They are both correct, but might convey a slightly different meaning, depending on the context.
We painted (everything) even the floor.
It suggests that you were painting the house already, but you weren't sure whether the floor was part of the deal. You did it anyway, just in case.
We worked so hard. We even painted the floor.
It also suggests that painting of the floor was additional work, so it might have the same meaning as the previous example, but it can also mean it was done in addition to other sorts of work. As in:
We renovated the house: changed the plumbing, repaired the doors, we even painted the floor.
I agree with the previous comments - that "even" can be in either position, but the second will probably sound more correct to the ear. However, I think the most important point is that the sentences around this one are necessary to provide adequate context for the reader/hearer to understand the meaning. Also, the awkwardness arises partly from the closeness of "even" to "painted," when really the word "even" is expressing a concept about the floor being difficult to paint (or not usually painted). Consider this sentence: "We painted the whole house -- even the floor!"