Very much word order

AnonymousIt’s mainly Americans who say ‘talk with’.

No one is questioning the fact that ‘talk with’ is more common in AmE and ‘talk to’ more common in BrE. The problem with your frequent comments on what is AmE and what is BrE (if you are the Anon who often posts opinions as if they were facts) is that you rarely provide evidence for what you say. One consequence of this is that learners may be led to believe that what they are writing/saying is unacceptable in BrE, when in reality it may not be.

As a result of my age and rather formal education in the 1950s and 1960s, I, personally, tend to use the form and spellings that you consider to be British English, and not use the forms and spellings that you consider to be American English. However, I have learnt to accept that British English has changed over the last fifty or so years. Constructions and spellings that I would have been flogged for when I was at school are now used by Professors of English Language at leading British universities. I have been an FCE/CAE and an IELTS examiner, and I know that many of the things you consider to be AmE are not penalised in those examinations.

You are entitled to your opinions, but please either label them as such or provide evidence for what you claim.

Choosing between “very”, “much” & “very much” depends more on the kind of word with them than on what they mean

THE CLOSENESS OF “VERY”, “MUCH” AND “VERY MUCH”

It is easy to mix up very, much and very much. Which are possible below?

(a) The audience was … happy to participate.

(b) Grammar needs to be explained … clearly.

(c) The engine performance was … improved.

(d) Grammar can sometimes bring … difficulty.

(e) Fuel was expensive but the engine did not need … .

(f) Grammar can be enjoyed … .

In (a) and (b) you can only say very. In (c), (d) and (e) it would be wrong to use very instead of much or very much. In (f) you can only say very much. In this post I want to try and explain what makes the different forms right or wrong.

.

WAYS OF EXPLAINING WORD DIFFERENCES

Differences between words are not always of the same kind (see 16. Ways of Distinguishing Similar Words). Some are of meaning (e.g. between important and essential, the latter being stronger), some are of possible partner words (e.g. between large and great, the former being right before scale, the latter before interest), and some are of grammar (e.g. but when a conjunction is needed versus however when the need is for a connector – see 40. Conjunctions versus Connectors).

The difference between very, much and very much seems to involve partly meaning (very much is usually stronger than much), but mostly grammar, in particular the grammatical class (“part of speech”) of the accompanying word. This is not such a rare thing: similar influences are considered in this blog in 110. Nouns without “the” or “a”,  169. “All”, “Each” and “Every” and 215. Naming Exceptions.

.

USE OF “VERY”, “MUCH” & “VERY MUCH” BEFORE ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS

It is often not possible to use much or very much before adjectives and adverbs. This is the reason why only very[i] is correct in (a) and (b) above: happy is an adjective and clearly is an adverb. Note in particular the need to avoid very much, as combinations like *very much happy are a very common grammar error (a similar rule operates with the word too: before an adjective or adverb there is no possibility of adding much). Note also that no word at all, not even very, is logically possible with strong (“non-gradable”) adjectives like brilliant, dead, delicious, ecstatic, essential, impossible, perfect and unique (see 16. Ways of Distinguishing Similar Words, #3).

Obviously, differences based on word classes like “adjectives” and “adverbs” make it important to be able to recognise those word classes. Other parts of this blog that give advice on recognising adjectives and adverbs include 255. Nouns Made from Adjectives,  283. Lesser-Known Features of Adjectives and 120. Six Things to Know about Adverbs.

The need to avoid much with adjectives may appear to be contradicted by sentences like (c):

(c) The engine performance was much improved.

The reason why much and not very is correct here is that improved is a verb, not an adjective. The reason why it can easily be mistaken for an adjective is that the -ed and -ing verb endings are also common on adjectives, thus necessitating very instead of much, as in this example:

(g) The audience was very interested in participating.

This, of course, raises the question of how one can tell whether a particular -ed or -ing word is an adjective or a verb. Checking in a dictionary will always help, but there are also some tests that can be applied: see 245. Adjectives with a Participle Ending. There are occasions, however, where a particular -ed or -ing word could be either an adjective or a verb, leading to different possible interpretations (see 257. Structures with a Double Meaning 4, #5).

Other -ed words that can be used as an adjective with very include advanced, bored, educated, marked, pleased, pointed, stressed, surprised and tired. Those that need much because they are probably just verbs include appreciated, discussed, improved, liked, loved, maligned, praised, recovered and watched. There are also some -ed words that seem able to take either much or very, perhaps because they are verbs halfway towards becoming adjectives. Examples are acquainted, admired, amused, confused, distracted, impressed, involved, occupied and respected.

There is a similar situation with -ing words. In the following sentence, is very correct or much?

(h) The team are lucky to keep their … suffering supporters.

The more likely possibility here is much. Change suffering to uncomplaining, though, and very is needed instead. Other -ing words allowing only much include improving and talking. Those preferring very, which seem more numerous, include amusing, boring, confusing, demanding, distracting, engaging, entertaining, hard-working, inspiring, promising, satisfying, striking and taxing. Ones that might allow either much or very are differing and discriminating.

One final complication is that there is actually one situation where the rule for adjectives and adverbs is reversed, ruling out very and calling for much or very much. This is when the adjective or adverb is in the comparative or superlative form: one can say (very) much better, (very) much more difficult, (very) much the best and (very) much the most difficult. There are some other possibilities besides (very) much, such as far, but not very (see 194. Adverbs that Say How Much).

.

USE OF “VERY”, “MUCH” & “VERY MUCH” BEFORE OTHER KINDS OF WORD

1. Before Nouns

Sentence (d) above has a noun (difficulty) after (very) much rather than an adjective or adverb. This changes the word class of (very) much too: from adverb to “determiner” (an adjective-like word similar to the – see 110. Nouns without “a” or “the”). Very cannot change like this: with the meaning above, it is only an adverb, which means it cannot be used by itself in front of nouns (with a different meaning, however, it can go before nouns – see 256. Unusual Meanings of Familiar Words, #9).

The determiner use of (very) much is possible only with uncountable nouns (it has a plural, [very] many, that goes with plural countable ones). Quite often it needs the sentence as a whole to be negative or a question, like this:

(i) Children should not be given (very) much salt.

To make a positive statement here, one would have to say something like plenty of instead of much (see 310. Aspects of Negation, #7).

Some -ing words after much are noun-like rather than adjective-like. Consider this:

(j) Much walking was necessary.

Walking here is not adjective-like in the way that suffering in (h) is, because it has no accompanying noun – like supporters – to describe. Instead, walking is noun-like, the subject of the verb was. Speaking technically, it is a “gerund” rather than a “participle” (see 71. Gerund and Participle Uses of “-ing”). Gerunds can have (very) much but not very.

.

2. Before “Like” & “Unlike”

One of the uses of like and unlike is prepositional for making comparisons (see 56. Comparing with “Like” and “Unlike”). Like used in this way can directly follow both much and very (also a little, exactly, just, quite and somewhat), but unlike allows only very (plus a little, quite and somewhat):

(k) Public speakers have to perform much/very like actors. (BUT … very unlike …).

The need for very or similar to express the meaning of “extremely” before (un)like is unexpected: with most other prepositions this meaning is expressed by a different word, e.g. right by…, well inside…, far beyond (see 262. Adverbs that Describe a Preposition).

.

3. With no Following Word

In sentences (e) and (f) above, much is not combined with any following word. In (e) it is a pronoun: it occupies a typical noun position in its sentence – here the object of need – and it stands for the same thing as a nearby noun – here fuel (see 28. Pronoun Errors). Used as a pronoun, much is often in a negative sentence (cf. did not need in the example), where It can be accompanied by very (but not replaced by it) with practically no meaning change. In positive sentences, it normally seems unable to be the last word, plenty being preferred.

In sentence (f), much is an adverb meaning greatly (it cannot be an object because the verb can be enjoyed allows no object since it is passive). It is a different kind of adverb, however, from the above-considered kind used before adjectives and other adverbs, saying something about the verb instead (see 194. Adverbs that Say How Much). If used in a positive statement, it must be placed after the verb and accompanied by very.

_____________

[i]Many other words can be used instead of very, though. Increasingly, one hears so, which traditionally suggested that the strength of the adjective was already familiar to the hearer (see 156. Mentioning what the Reader Knows Already, #5). Other possibilities are more colourful or precise. Some, like extremely, go with practically any adjective, while others go with special ones, e.g. seriously with ill (see 194. Adverbs that Say How Much).

I have gotten confused with word order. If we have «time» it goes at the end:

I came in the evening

If we have «place» it goes at the end, too

I came to school

If we have them both firstly goes «place», then «time»

I came to school yesterday

What if we have also some adverb — «late»

I came to school in the evening late

Such a word order or a different one?

Actually originally I got stuck with «very much». I had a sentence like

I liked it at school yesterday very much

We can have a context

Yesterday there were a lot of places we visited. We had a party in a club, a park, a forest and even at school.

And someone asks:

Where did you like it yesterday very much? I … mmm, I have forgotten, sorry!

Of course the person can answer shortly —«at school», but we are interested in the full answer:

I liked it at school yesterday very much

Yes, we can also say

Yesterday I liked it at school very much

But what if we place «yesterday» in the second part of the sentence, not in the first one?

What are your thoughts about it, guys?:)

Подробности

Просмотров: 4227

Порядок слов

Глагол + дополнение.

• глагол и дополнение обычно идут вместе. Мы не вставляем других слов между ними:
• I like my job very much.
• Did you see your friends yesterday?
• Liz often plays tennis.
• Do you eat meat every day?
• Everybody enjoyed the party very much.
• Our guide spoke English fluently.
• I lost all my money and I also lost my passport.
• At the end of the street you’ll see a supermarket on your left.

Место и время.

• Обычно глагол и место идут вместе:
• go home     live in a city     walk to work
• Если у глагола есть дополнение, место идет после глагола с дополнением:
• take somebody home     meet a friend in the street
• Время обычно идет после места:
• Ben walks to work every morning.
• Sam has been in Canada since April.
• We arrived at the airport early.
• I am going to Paris on Monday.
• They have lived in the same house for a long time.
• Don’t be late. Make sure you are here by 8 o’clock.
• Sarah gave me a lift home after the party.
• You really shouldn’t go to bed so late.
• Часто бывает возможным поместить время в начало предложения:
• On Monday I am going to Paris.
• Every morning Ben walks to work.
• Некоторые наречия (например, always, also, probably) идут с глаголом в середине предложеия.
  Есть некоторые общиие правила, но бывают исключения.
• Если глагол — одно слово, то наречие обычно идет перед глаголом:
• I almost fell as I was going down the stairs.
• Helen always drives to work.
• I washed my clothes and also cooked the dinner.
• Lucy hardly ever watches television and rarely reads newspapers.
• «Shall I give you my address?» «No, I already have it.»
• Joe never phones me. I always have to phone him.
• Наречия идут после am, is, are, was, were:
• We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry.
• Why are you always late? You’re never on time.
• My wife isn’t usually as angry as she was this morning.
• Если глагол состоит из двух или более слов, то наречие обычно следует за первым глаголом:
• I can never remember her name.
• Clare doesn’t often eat meat.
• Are you definitely going away next week?
• The concert will probably be cancelled.
• You have always been very kind to me.
• Jack can’t cook. He can’t even boil an egg.
• Do you still work for the same company?
• The house was only built a year ago and it’s already falling down.
• Обратите внимание, что probably идет перед отрицанием. Так, мы говорим:
• I probably won’t see you.
• Мы также употребляем all и both на следующих позициях:
• We all felt ill after the meal.
• My parents are both teachers.
• Sarah and Jane have both applied for the job.
• We are all going out this evening.
• Иногда мы используем is, will, did и т.д. вместо того, чтобы повторять часть предложения. Заметьте, мы ставим
  always, never и т.д. перед глаголом.
• He always says he won’t be late, but he always is.
• I’ve never done it and I always will.

OBRAZOVALKA.COM

OBRAZOVALKA.COM — образовательный портал
Наш сайт это площадка для образовательных консультаций, вопросов и ответов для школьников и студентов .

На вопросы могут отвечать также любые пользователи, в том числе и педагоги.

Консультацию по вопросам и домашним заданиям может получить любой школьник или студент.