Why is only an adverb instead of an adjective in the following sentences?
- Only Sue and Mark bothered to turn up for the meeting.
- Only an idiot would do that.
Source: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/only
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1Do not answer in comments. Write an answer: that's how Stack Exchange works. If you want to migrate this question elsewhere, vote to do that. I've deleted the two conflicting comments.– Andrew Leach ♦Commented Jan 1, 2022 at 10:23
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4Does this answer your question? Does it matter where you put “only”? There are other threads also dealing with 'only'. Personally, I see it as so far from being either an adjective or an adverb that I prefer the class 'limiting modifiers / focus particles'.– Edwin AshworthCommented Jan 1, 2022 at 11:19
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1See also Do adverbs only 'describe' verbs?. Focusing modifiers aren't mentioned specifically, but the arguable inappropriateness of the 'adverb dustbin class' is discussed.– Edwin AshworthCommented Jan 1, 2022 at 12:25
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3I'm voting to re-open the question. It does not ask about the position of "only" in a clause, but asks why "only" is an adverb, not an adjective, in the examples cited.– BillJCommented Jan 1, 2022 at 14:26
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3The distinction between the focusing adverb "only" and the adjective "only" is a tricky one, and well worth discussing on ELU.– BillJCommented Jan 1, 2022 at 14:48
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2 Answers
[1] [Only Sue and Mark] bothered to turn up for the meeting.
[2] [Only an idiot] would do that.
In both examples, "only" is an adverb functioning as a focusing modifier in the bracketed noun phrases.
Focusing adverbs modify a wide range of constructions, including noun phrases, but they do not modify nouns or nominals, as opposed to noun phrases.
[3] I don't eat meat, but [only fish].
Here, fish is an NP consisting of just a noun. You could have [4] but not [5]
[4] I eat meat, but [only this kind of fish].
[5] * I eat meat but this [only kind of fish].
In [5] "kind of fish" is a nominal and hence the sentence is ungrammatical.
However, in an appropriate construction "only" can modify a nominal, in which case it is not an adverb but an adjective, as in [6]
[6] My [only reservation] is the cost.
where "only" modifies the nominal "reservation".
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Thanks for your answer. I'm a little confused when you say "focusing adverbs modify a wide range of constructions, including noun phrases, but they do not modify nouns or nominals, as opposed to noun phrases." Doesn't "only" modify the noun "fish" in [3]? Like you said, a noun phrase can consist of just a noun, and so they are not distinct categories?– AnaCommented Jan 3, 2022 at 4:37
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1@Ana NP and nominal are distinct categories. A nominal is the unit intermediate between the NP and the noun -- it's the noun phrase minus the determiner. "Fish" in [3] is not a nominal but an NP, whereas "reservation" is a nominal in [6], so "only" is an adjective, not a focusing adverb.– BillJCommented Jan 3, 2022 at 14:39
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I always thought of them as overlapping categories, but now I see what you mean. Thank you very much for your explanation!– AnaCommented Jan 4, 2022 at 3:50
Only Sue and Mark bothered to turn up for the meeting.
Here, we can replace "only" with merely, solely, exclusively - You will note all are adverbs: we cannot use mere, sole, exclusive.
Only fronts the whole main clause as a free modifier. The same applies to the second.
answered Jan 1, 2022 at 11:22
