Use a comma after «in particular» or «particularly» at the beginning of a sentence to modify (describe) a clause or a sentence. When modifying a single word, do not use a comma to separate «in particular» or «particularly» from the word it describes.
At the beginning of a sentence, add a comma after the phrase “in particular” to describe the whole clause that follows.
David likes playing video games. In particular, he enjoys playing real-time strategy games.
When using “particularly” or “in particular” to describe a single word of a sentence, do not use a comma to separate these expressions from the word they describe.
Patricia likes tropical fruits. She loves mangoes in particular.
I didn’t particularly want to see him.
Contents
- 1. Differences Between ‘In particular’ and ‘Particularly’
- 2. When to Use a Comma After ‘In particular’
- 3. Commas With ‘Particularly’
1. Differences Between ‘In particular’ and ‘Particularly’
We frequently use «in particular» or «particularly» to highlight something specific or important.
You should control your emotions. In particular, you should take a deep breath and replace negative thoughts.
Those shirts are great. I particularly like the red one.
Both expressions have the same meaning, but they are used in different ways.
The phrase “in particular” can be used:
- to describe a noun (e.g., “All berries are healthy. I like blueberries in particular.”)
- to describe a whole clause (e.g., “In particular, I enjoy going out with my friend Tom.”)
The adverb “particularly” can be used:
- to describe a verb (e.g., “I particularly enjoy playing video games.”)
- to describe an adjective (e.g., “He is particularly tall.”)
- to describe another adverb (e.g., “She talked particularly slow.”)
You cannot use “particularly” to describe a noun.
I like the first candidate in particular.
I like the first candidate particularly.
And you cannot use “in particular” to describe a verb, adjective, or adverb.
She is particularly beautiful.
She is in particular beautiful.
2. When to Use a Comma After ‘In particular’
When using “in particular” to describe a noun, we do not generally use a comma to separate the expression “in particular” from the noun it describes.
I wasn’t looking at Olivia in particular.
When using “in particular” to describe an entire clause, typically in front position, we should set it off with commas.
I like suspense stories. In particular, I enjoy watching Alfred Hitchcock movies.
At the beginning of a sentence, “in particular” should be preceded by a period or a semicolon.
I need to learn a new programming language. In particular, I would like to study JavaScript.
Olivia likes flowers; in particular, she loves roses and orchids.
When describing a complete clause, the phrase “in particular” is a conjunctive adverb. Conjunctive adverbs are used to connect two ideas or thoughts. They should be followed by a comma at the beginning of a sentence—and surrounded by commas in mid-sentence.
Related: Commas with conjunctive adverbs
When describing an adjective or an adverb, «particularly» must come immediately before its adjective or adverb. We do not use a comma in this case.
That girl is particularly intelligent.
The weather was particularly bad yesterday.
There are several options when using «particularly» to modify a verb. We can put the adverb near the verb, but we don’t have to. As a matter of fact, we can place it in different positions.
At the start of a sentence, the comma after «particularly» is optional.
Particularly, I hate having to answer personal questions.
Particularly I hate having to answer personal questions.
In mid-sentence, using a comma before or after «particularly» is generally unnecessary (and sometimes wrong).
I particularly hate having to answer personal questions.
Let’s contemplate:
- «In particular» is an idiomatic expression that means «in distinction from others» or «specifically». This expression usually refers to nouns and is set apart by a comma when it occurs at the beginning of a sentence or a phrase.
- «Particularly» means «in detail» or «to an unusual degree». It is an adverb, and as such it can be used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb but not nouns. It is not set off by a comma from the rest of the sentence.
Both uses of particular have the same meaning, but are used in different ways. We could also say in specific and specifically (which is more formal but has the same meaning). ELB — English Lessons Brighton.
Often, particularly can also be used as an adverb in place of in particular to specify something individually. But in this case it is used relative to earlier details. Examples below have the same meaning:
- The weather was bad this week, particularly on Wednesday.
- The weather was bad this week, on Wednesday in particular.
Here, used in a relative clause (one that works relating to the main clause), particularly means specifically or especially, and is essentially the same as in particular. But if we used it in the main clause, the meanings of the two phrases would differ:
- The weather was particularly bad this week. (The weather was worse than usual.)
- In particular, the weather was bad this week. (The weather was one thing that was specifically bad, amongst other things.)
Note, though, that in particular can never be used in place of particularly to modify verbs.
Summing up, yes, we can use both words in a sentence:
- In particular, disease A is considered particularly contagious. (Specifically, disease A is considered highly (unusually) contagious.)
Extra Info: «Considered» and «Considered to be» are interchangeable, however, «To be» is redundant)*. You can also say, «Considered as being»
Particularly and in particular are used in English when we want to highlight something important, or individual. Both uses of particular have the same meaning, but are used in different ways. We could also say in specific and specifically (which is more formal but has the same meaning).
In particular is an idiomatic phrase. It is used to indentify nouns specifically. These are nouns that are singled out (shown as individual) by the verb. It can be placed in the beginning, middle or end of a sentence, but is most common either at the start of the end of a phrase. When used at the beginning of a sentence, it should be separated by a comma.
For example:
- I like the blue shirt in particular.
- There are many beautiful towns in Sussex. In particular, tourists should visit Lewes and Arundel.
Particularly
Particularly is an adverb that can be used in much the same way, but it has a few different meanings. Particularly modifies a verb, adjective, adverb or preposition – essentially anything but the noun. It is used to say to an unusual degree. It works best placed before the word it modifies, but for verbs it can also come at the end of a phrase or clause.
- I particularly like the blue shirt. (I like the blue shirt more than the others.)
- We particularly want to see the pier. (We want to see it more than other locations.)
- They were particularly quiet this morning. (They were quieter than usual.)
Examples of uses to modify words:
- The ceiling is particularly high.
- It is particularly cold here in Winter.
- He runs particularly fast.
Often, particularly can also be used as an adverb in place of in particular to specify something individually. But in this case it is used relative to earlier details.
- The weather was bad this week, particularly on Wednesday.
…has the same meaning as:
- The weather was bad this week, on Wednesday in particular.
Here, used in a relative clause (one that works relating to the main clause), particularly means specifically or especially, and is essentially the same as in particular. But if we used it in the main clause, the meanings of the two phrases would differ:
- The weather was particularly bad this week. (The weather was worse than usual.)
- In particular, the weather was bad this week. (The weather was one thing that was specifically bad, amongst other things.)
Note, though, that in particular can never be used in place of particularly to modify verbs.
Phrases and words that look and sound similar can be confusing. Which one are you supposed to use and when? ‘In particular’ and ‘particularly’ are great examples of words and phrases being confused. These two are commonly mixed up, and in some cases, people even say ‘in particularly’, which is not correct.
What exactly is the difference between ‘in particular’ and ‘particularly’? Can they be used in place of each other? Let’s take a look at the two to figure it out.
‘In particular’ means especially, individually, separately, in detail. This phrase is used when referring to one specific thing or person.
‘In particular’ is an expression that refers to the distinction of one thing from others. It is similar in use to the word specifically. The word refers to nouns and will usually occur at the beginning of the sentence.
While the phrase will usually be at the beginning of the sentence, it can also appear in the middle or at the end. When the phrase is at the beginning of the sentence, it needs to be separated with a comma.
For example:
I really like the pink shirt in particular.
In particular, prices are usually fixed by industry.
“That’s very odd,” he said to no one in particular.
I don’t want to go anywhere in particular.
In particular, I admire your determination.
Particularly
Particularly means to a higher degree than what is normal or usual. It can also mean to give specific emphasis to a point.
Particularly refers to in detail or to a specific degree. The word is an adverb, so it can be used to modify verbs and adjectives, but not nouns. It works best when placed before the word it is modifying.
For example:
I particularly like the pink shirt. (I like the pink shirt more than other shirts).
We particularly want to see the beach. (We want to see the beach more than other places).
It was particularly quiet this morning. (It was quieter than normal).
Some examples of modifying words:
The ceiling is particularly low.
It is particularly hot here in the summer.
She runs particularly fast.
I’m not particularly concerned about it.
The story does not have to be particularly long.
Particularly and in particular with the same meaning
Particularly can sometimes be used as an adverb instead of using in particular when referring to something individually. In this case, the words mean the same thing. This can be confusing, so take a look at these examples.
The weather was great this week, particularly on Tuesday.
The weather was great this week, on Tuesday in particular.
Both of these statements refer to how great the weather was during the week, emphasizing how great it was on Tuesday.
However, if you were to use the words in the main clause, the meanings would change. Take a look at these examples compared to the previous ones.
The weather was particularly great this week. (Meaning the weather was better than normal).
In particular, the weather was great this week. (The weather was one thing that was bad specifically, along with other things).
Things to Keep in Mind
‘In particular’ can’t be used in place of ‘particularly’ when modifying a verb, adjective, or adverb. For example: ‘I don’t particularly want to think about that time’ cannot become ‘I don’t in particular want to think about that time’.
However, ‘particularly’ can be used as a replacement as an adverb instead of using ‘in particular’ when there is something being referred to individually. An example of this is the weather sentence in the previous section.
Is in particularly a word?
No, “in particularly” is incorrect and you need to use “particularly” or “in particular” as explained above.
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Conor is the main writer here at One Minute English and was an English teacher for 10 years. He is interested in helping people with their English skills and learning about using A.I tools at work.
Словосочетания
Автоматический перевод
в частности, в особенности
Перевод по словам
particular — особый, особенный, частный, специфический, частность, деталь, подробность
Примеры
‘What did you want?’ ‘Oh, nothing in particular.’
— Что вы хотели? — Да ничего особенного.
He showed a bias toward a few workers in particular.
Он проявил предвзятость в отношении отдельных работников.
One candidate in particular impressed us with her knowledge.
Один кандидат произвёл на нас особенное впечатление своими познаниями.
Was there anything in particular that you wanted to talk about?
Вы хотели поговорить о чём-то конкретном?
It was a good concert — I enjoyed the last song in particular.
Это был хороший концерт — в особенности мне понравилась последняя песня.
One player in particular has been grabbing a lot of attention lately.
В последнее время один конкретный игрок приковывает к себе много внимания.
Are you looking for anything in particular? — No, I’m just fossicking.
Вы ищете что-то конкретное? — Нет, просто копаюсь.
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Примеры, отмеченные *, могут содержать сленг и разговорные фразы.
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
This holds in particular for the machinery problem.
‘Were you after anything in particular?’ ‘No, we’re just looking.’
In particular, he kept pointing to a spot not far beyond the Academy’s grounds.
Ann struck a pose (=stood or sat in a particular position) and smiled for the camera.
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.