Does the word "Right", in the following sentence, emphasise the correctness or the sequence? or is it redundant?
Example Sentence:
- I will do it right from the beginning.
- I will do it from the beginning.
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4Without context I can't tell if "right" is just adding emphasis, or meaning to do the thing correctly from the beginning.– nnnnnnCommented Nov 27, 2019 at 9:21
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1@nnnnnn There's more. The 'in the correct way' sense is certainly available, but not mandatory. The 'immediately' and 'exactly' senses converge here (if the 'in the correct way' sense is disregarded), 'guaranteeing' that the speaker means to start on the dot rather than the often pragmatic 'from the beginning ... or still in the starting phase, as soon after the true start as I can get round to it' , but there is also the purely intensifying 'right' (kept right on) (which here overlaps). 'I will do it right right from the beginning.' makes sense (but could sound awful).– Edwin AshworthCommented Nov 27, 2019 at 11:41
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1@EdwinAshworth - Right.– nnnnnnCommented Nov 27, 2019 at 12:28
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2 Answers
Here, the word "Right" is just adding emphasis on the "beginning", i.e. the person means that he would do it exactly from the start.
The other sentence also means that he would do it from the start, it just lacks the emphasis.
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3Last time, I started off badly, and had to make various corrections to my project. This time, I will do it right from the beginning. ('Right' [adv] can mean 'in a/the correct manner'). Commented Nov 27, 2019 at 11:45
It is an idiomatic usage of “right” that is used just to add emphasis to the related sentence:
The car ran right (= completely) out of fuel.
She walked right (= all the way) past me without noticing me.
I'll be right back/I'll be right with you (= I will return very soon).
(Cambridge Dictionary)
So in “right from the beginning” right is used to add emphasis, for whatever reason, to “from the beginning”.
answered Nov 27, 2019 at 14:33
