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The word «only» is used often in common speech and in writing. If it’s used incorrectly, however, the listener or reader may have a hard time figuring out what is really meant. Avoid this confusion by properly using the word «only».

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Keep in mind that «only» is a modifier. This means that it helps explain what you are trying to say and acts as a descriptive word in your sentence. «Only» can have a strong presence in a sentence and can change the meaning of the sentence if it’s used in the wrong place.^[1] To create a clear sentence, you should place «only» next to the noun, verb, or phrase you are trying to modify.
- When the word «only» is placed incorrectly in a sentence, it becomes a «misplaced modifier». This means the modifier («only») is not placed beside the noun or other word it is meant to modify. This can create confusion for the listener or reader, because the sentence becomes awkward, even misleading.^[2]
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Be aware of the casual use of «only». You may notice that in everyday speech people tend to place «only» in the wrong place in a sentence, thus conveying nothing more than a general sense of what they are trying to say. As with certain other grammatical rules, it can feel awkward to use proper placement of a modifier in a casual conversation. Sometimes you won’t need to use «only» correctly for your listeners to understand what you mean.^[3]
- It’s important, however, to use the correct placement of «only» when writing a formal letter, a paper, or something for public consumption to ensure you do not confuse your reader.
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Notice the common misplacement of «only» in everyday speech. When we are talking informally we might use «only» to indicate that someone did just one thing. For example: «She only ate strawberries for dinner».^[4]
- In this sentence the speaker probably means to say that she had strawberries for dinner and nothing else. The speaker is trying to modify «strawberries» when, in fact, «only» is placed before (and thus modifies) the verb «ate». This implies that the subject in the sentence, «she», does nothing with the strawberries but eat them for dinner. She doesn’t pick them. She doesn’t prepare them. She just eats them.
- The correct placement of «only» in this sentence, based on the probable intended meaning, is: «She ate only strawberries for dinner». The modifier «only» is next to the noun it’s meant to modify and is now grammatically correct. At first, it can feel awkward to say this sentence out loud, because sentences like this are so often misspoken or miswritten. However, once you realize that the wrong sentence construction doesn’t mean what you want it to mean, the correctly constructed sentence will start to feel more comfortable.

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Create examples of the different ways to use «only» in a sentence. The best way to get a sense of the proper use of the word «only» is to make your own «practice» sentences and note what «only» is modifying in each case.^[5]
- For example, consider these six different placements of «only» in the same sentence:
- «Only I like dancing at a party».
- «I only like dancing at a party».
- «I like only dancing at a party».
- «I like dancing only at a party».
- «I like dancing at only a party».
- «I like dancing at a party only».
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Use «only» before a subject to modify the subject. For example: «Only I like dancing at a party». In this sentence, «only» is modifying the subject «I». You are saying that you («I») are the only person who likes to dance at a party.^[6]
- You could view this sentence another way: «Only John danced at the party». In this construction no one but John danced at the party. If this is the intended meaning, that John was the only dancer at the party, you would place «only» at the beginning of the sentence so that it modifies «John».
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Place «only» before the verb in a sentence to modify the verb. For example: «I only like dancing at a party». In this sentence, «only» is modifying the verb «like». This sentence is saying that «I» is doing nothing other than liking dancing at a party. «I» isn’t praising, criticizing or ignoring dancing at a party, s/he is simply liking it. Using «only» to modify a verb is less common than using it to modify a noun or pronoun.^[7]
- The third «practice» sentence above — «I like only dancing at a party» — means that the person likes dancing and no other activities (talking, eating, etc) at a party.
- In the fourth sentence above, «only» could be seen as modifying «dancing» or «at a party». Because the distinction could be important, in speech you would have the option of orally stressing the word or words being modified.
- In the fifth sentence above, «only» modifies «a party», meaning no other location or event. This is a clearer usage than the fourth sentence.
- The final sentence above places «only» after «party». It more clearly expresses the same meaning as the previous sentence.
- You could look at these placements in a different situation or setting. For example: «John only cooks meat for his family». This sentence works if John is a vegetarian and does not buy, prepare, or eat meat. But when he is with his family, who are diehard meat-eaters, he will cook meat for them. In this case, the modifier is correctly placed, as the sentence indicates that John will cook meat for his family but not do anything else with the meat.
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Use «only» before a second verb in a sentence to modify the second verb. For example: «I like only dancing at a party». In this sentence, «only» is modifying «dancing». («Dancing» in this case is a verb form known as a gerund, which acts as a noun.) This means that «I» like only one thing at a party — dancing — not talking, singing, chatting, or drinking.
- The use of «only» works better in a sentence that indicates the speaker does just one thing in a certain situation. For example: «I eat only vegetables». This sentence means that you consume vegetables but no meat or other food products. «I only eat vegetables,» on the other hand, means that you do nothing with vegetables except eat them.
  - While the above is academically true, so many people say, «I only eat…» when they mean, «I eat only…» — or similar phrases — it has become common and easily understood usage.
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Place «only» before the ending phrase in a sentence to modify the phrase. For example: «I like dancing only at a party». In this example, «only» is modifying «at a party». This indicates that the speaker likes to dance when s/he is at a party and that s/he does not dance at any other time or place.^[8]
- You can look at this use of «only» another way: «John drinks scotch only with his dad». This sentence means that John drinks scotch with his dad and with no one else.
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Adjust your use of «only» in your writing. Now that you have looked at the four different ways «only» can be used in a sentence, notice how you use «only» in your next essay, letter, or conversation.^[9]
- Remember to place «only» next to (usually before) the item you want to modify, so your meaning is not confusing or awkward for your reader or listener. Review the above examples to determine which placement of «only» best expresses your intended meaning.
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Try searching your document (if it is on a word processor) for the word «only». Check that you are using the word correctly in each sentence. Adjust the placement of «only» if it causes a sentence’s meaning to be unclear.

Usage Cheat Sheet

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Question

Which is correct: «I only use this bank account for the debt collector», or «I use only this account for the debt collector»?

The latter.
Question

When do we use «only» at the end of sentence?

When the «only» is meant to modify the noun or verb that immediately precedes it. For example, «I like dancing with you only» means the same as «I like dancing with only you.»
Question

What is the correct phrase to use: «I am left with $5 only,» or «I am only left with $5»?

Either way is OK, but people will understand your point more easily if you say, «I am left with only $5.»

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Article SummaryX

To use the word “only” correctly, place it directly before or after the noun, subject, or verb to make the meaning clear. For example, if you’re trying to say that someone ate 4 strawberries, you can say, “She ate only 4 strawberries.” On the other hand, if you want to say that someone ate strawberries and nothing else, you would say «She only ate 4 strawberries.» Additionally, you can use “only” in front of a subject, like “Only I,” or “Only John” to show that they’re the sole person performing the action. To learn how to use “only” correctly in a sentence with multiple verbs, keep reading.

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By Jacqueline Schaalje

only

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When writing and speaking you want to be as clear as possible. In writing this is even more important, as the people you write to can’t see your face and the gestures you make with your hands (or feet!).

So the following tips are especially important for when you’re writing, although you can use them also when you speak.

Consider the following sentence(s):

1 I told the hairdresser to only cut my hair a little bit.

2 I told the hairdresser to cut my hair only a little bit.

3 I told the hairdresser only to cut my hair a little bit.

4 I told only the hairdresser to cut my hair a little bit.

So what do you think? Do these sentences mean the same?

Hm, well, I’m not sure.

I don’t think so.

Where Should You Put Only?

In English, when you want to say about something that it is the only thing (and nothing else), it’s best when you put “only” before the thing that is meant.

When you put “only” somewhere else in the sentence, we can still understand that there is something that is the only thing in the sentence, but we’ll need to guess what is is.

This problem doesn’t only apply to “only,” so in fact we can make this rule:

Put Just and Only In Front (of What They Modify)

If you use words like just and only, put them before the word(s) that you want to mean just and only. (There are some other words that we won’t talk about now, such as still and already, that use the same rule.)

So now let’s go over the four sentences with “only” again and see what each of them means.

1 I told the hairdresser to only cut my hair a little bit.

“Only” is before “cut my hair,” so this probably means that I would like the hairdresser to cut my hair, and not cut something else, let’s say my t-shirt.

That is a strange sentence, don’t you think? The person who said this probably means that they want only a little bit off their hair. So they ought to have said: I told the hairdresser to cut my hair only a little bit.

2 This sentence: “I told the hairdresser to cut my hair only a little bit” is clear and unambiguous. The person who says this wants a little bit cut off their hair, and not a big piece.

3 I told the hairdresser only to cut my hair a little bit.

This sentence isn’t clear, because we don’t know what the only refers to. Does the person want to say she wants only a little bit cut off her hair? Or does she mean that this is the only thing she told her hairdresser?

To make the sentence unambiguous, the following options are possible:

A I told the hairdresser to cut my hair only a little bit. This is the example we saw in 2.

Or B: The only thing I told my hairdresser was to cut my hair a little bit.

In B, you’re expressing that this is the only thing she told her hairdresser (and she didn’t say any other thing).

4 I told only the hairdresser to cut my hair a little bit.

This sentence is clear and unambiguous. It means that the this person told only the hairdresser about what she wanted done to her hair, and not other people. So we can be sure she didn’t tell the milkman.

Okay, I hope you’re beginning to understand this a little bit.

But if not, here is another example. Now we’ll talk about some sentences with “just.”

1 They were just married when they fell in love.

2 They were married when they just fell in love.

3 They were married just when they fell in love.

4 They were married when they fell just in love.

Let’s see… Do you think these sentences mean the same?

Hmm, no…

Again, we can understand that “just” applies to the thing that comes right after it.

However, there is an additional problem with just, which is that it can mean different things:

A not long ago, just a minute ago, recently.

B only.

C simply.

So you see, lots of room for interpretation. But it sure helps when we put “just” in the right place in the sentence.

1 They were just married when they fell in love.

Just married, this means the two people were married not long ago.

2 They were married when they just fell in love.

They just fell in love. They couldn’t help it, love was so strong that they simply fell in love. Even though they were married. Oops! Can happen to the best of us.

3 They were married just when they fell in love.

Here “just” comes before “when,” so we know that the meaning of just must be something connected to time, so just probably means not long ago. Therefore this sentence must mean that they were married at the same time that they fell in love. It sounds a bit strange, but theoretically it should be possible: The two people fell in love (perhaps not with each other), but then they were married (to other people). We’d surely need more information here to understand what the heck is going on.

4 They were married when they fell just in love.

Just in love, so here “just” could mean they only fell in love, that is to say this is the only thing they did. It could be much more than fall in love, or it could be much worse. They could also fall from a cliff or fall from their chairs, but instead they fell only in love.

Or “just” could mean they simply fell in love. They couldn’t help it, this is what happened. If you choose this interpretation, there is no difference with the meaning in 3.

As you can see, this sentence has two different interpretations, because the position of “just” wasn’t chosen well, but also because just has different meanings anyway.

Time for you to practice a little bit!

Quiz

Do this quiz online here.

Choose what the likely meaning is of the following sentences.

1 He thought it would be fun to tell just one very bad joke before the dinner.

2 I just want my children to grow up healthy.

3I saw Ms Dickens just when she crossed the street carrying her big shopping bag.

4 Maybe it was only my imagination, but I saw something moving behind the window.

5 She has only one good friend, but she talks to lots of people.

6 What can you expect: he’s just a kid.

7 I need only to put these clothes away and then I’m ready to go out.

8 Why do you want to go out only on a Saturday?

9 I’m just too busy during the week.

Want to do more quizzes that improve your writing?

Here are some random quizzes that you’ll probably enjoy:
Verbs that Must Have an Object

Reason and Result: So and Because

Using Whose to Combine Sentences

Most Certainly and Almost Certainly Etc.

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Reading time: Less than 1 minute

Have you ever wondered where to put only, the adverb? There’s a rule for that!

This week I was working on a website for a client. Things were going relatively smoothly until the boss took a phrase I’d written and moved around the word “only.” To protect confidentiality I can’t repeat it here but let me produce something close.

Imagine I had written:

Chocolate chip cookies will be available to everyone only through the Central Bakeshop while the renovations are being conducted.

And imagine she had changed it to:

Chocolate chip cookies will only be available to everyone through the Central Bakeshop while the renovations are being conducted.

Here’s why her change was less than ideal: the adverb “only” should always be placed as close as possible to the word or phrase it modifies. I grant you that the second sentence sounds more colloquial —more like we speak. But here’s the downside: with the written word we lose the ability to use our voice to apply emphasis.

In the second sentence, the changed one, you might (wrongly) suppose the emphasis is on the word “everyone.” In this strange but glorious world, everyone is getting chocolate chip cookies. But, in fact, the emphasis belongs on the Central Bakeshop — where you have to go to get the cookies, if you want them.

Putting the word “only” as close as possible to the word or phrase it modifies won’t always be enough to make your meaning entirely clear. But it’s the best place to start. (And I eventually convinced my client of this.)

Источник

Robusto’s answer provides an accurate, commonsense illustration of how the positioning of only in a sentence can significantly influence the sense of the sentence. The followup answer from systemovich offers what one might call the «strict constructionist» (or «machine-applied») interpretation of sentences that include the word only.

In a similar vein, Theodore Bernstein, The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage (1973) lays out a «normal» practical rule for deciding where to situate only in a sentence:

ONLY

Normally the proper positioning of only requires no more than asking yourself, «What does it actually modify?» Thus a headline that says, «$35,000 Bond Thief Only Nets Paper,» does not conform to the normal order; the only patently modifies «paper,» not «nets,» and so should adjoin it. An interesting exercise for developing only awareness was cited in the publication Word Study, distributed by G. $ C. Merriam Company, as follows: «Eight different meanings result from placing only in the eight possible positions in this sentence: ‘I hit him in the eye yesterday.'» Try it.

However, to his credit, Bernstein goes on to note two important exceptions to the mechanistic assignment of only within a sentence:

The words «normal» and «normally» have been prominent in the foregoing paragraphs. They are intended to underline the fact that there are abnormal but proper placements for only. One abnormal placement is dictated by idiom, meaning that a normal placement would sound awkward and contrived. Example: «What is happening now can only be called a paperback-book explosion.» The normal position for only here would be just ahead of «a paperback-book explosion,» which is the phrase it modifies. But placed there, it sounds pedantic and unnatural.

Another «abnormal» placement, which is not really abnormal but only seems so, occurs when the only is a sentence adverb, that is, when it modifies an entire statement rather than a word or phrase. Example: «He only thought that he was being helpful.» The only here is not intended to modify merely «thought,» as would be the case if «thought» were heavily stressed. Nor is the meaning that his mental process was confined to a single idea, as would be implied if the only followed «thought.» Rather the intention is to apply only to the entire sentence, and a sentence adverb of this kind usually precedes the verb.

Some combination of idiomatic usage and what Bernstein calls «sentence adverb» usage may well be at work in the expression «I can only do so much.» An Ngram chart of «can only do so much» (blue line) versus «can do only so much» (red line) for the period 1850–2005 shows a rather remarkable increase in the frequency of the first expression since about 1970, a period during which the frequency of the second expression has increased only slightly:

Evidently, either there has been a startling increase in the frequency of instances where writers are trying to indicate that «they can only do so much» (as opposed to, say, promising so much) or the wording «can only do so much» has come into its own as a set phrase meaning «cannot do more than a certain unspecified maximum amount.» The latter explanation is much more plausible than the former, in my view.

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Do you ever hear people use the word “only” in English?

More than likely this is one of those words that pops up often as it’s a frequently used one in conversation.

Have you struggled with trying to figure out where it should go in a sentence?

Today we’re going to look at how to use the word only as an adverb, where it should go in a sentence, and why it matters what you are trying to focus on or modify.

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We have a question about the word “only” and where it should go in a sentence.

Hello Lindsay,

I hope you are doing great and I want to give you a big thank you for your episodes! My English has shifted to another level since I started listening to your podcast. I would be very happy if you could cover my question in one of your upcoming episodes.

Recently while writing a business email I got a bit confused about where to put the word “only” in a sentence. An example would be “Is it possible to only offer…” as opposed to “Is it possible to offer for…..only.” I’m confused about the right way to use this word, and I am hoping you can help me.

Huge thank you once again and greetings from Germany!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards,

Vladimir Honcharenko

Looking At The Proper Usage For This Word

You will find that “only” is a word that you tend to use a lot in English.

It has so many different uses, and that’s why it can be a bit confusing sometimes.

When it comes to understanding how to use it here, you want to ask yourself an important question.

What are you modifying?

Only should be BEFORE what is being modified!

That is a great rule to use when you are trying to figure out where to use only in a sentence.

Consider what is being modified, and then it can make it easier to determine the right spot.

Let’s use the example in the listener question as a foundation, and we’ll make up the rest of the sentence as a point of reference.

“Is that possible to only offer one handout for each audience member?”

“Is that possible to offer one handout for each audience member only?”

Which one of these sounds better or more seamless?

The first one seems to sound best and flows better.

It’s a conversation that you can envision having because it sounds natural and is something that you would normally be likely to say.

In the second sentence, you hear “only” at the end of a sentence, but it sounds a little bit formal.

It might make you think of saying something like “for your eyes only” and therefore it’s not a natural sort of usage.

Today we are talking about using only as an adverb, and you will start to understand this particular usage which is quite common.

So what are you modifying?

That’s what you want to keep in mind here when you use only as an adverb—consider what is being modified.

How To Use It In Your Conversations

You have more than likely used “only” in your conversations to this point.

When we look at it as an adverb though, you want to really focus on what is being modified.

This is a shift in mindset, but really it’s all about breaking it down and looking at what makes the better choice in terms of word placement.

Let’s talk about how to use it today, and you will see where only more natural fits in a sentence.

Let’s look at a couple of examples so that you can get a feel for how this works, and then you can see how this works.

“Tara watches Mary only on Tuesday.” This is like a babysitter that only watches the child on Tuesdays, not any other day of the week.

2. “Only Tara watches Mary on Tuesdays.” This is saying not anyone else but Tara watches Mary on that one designated day.

3. “Tara only watches Mary on Tuesdays.” This is like saying that she doesn’t play with her or sing to her, she only watches her and that’s it.

4. “Tara watches only Mary on Tuesdays.” This is saying that Tara watches Mary and not any other child at all.

Do most native speakers follow these rules or use the word only in the right way?

This is one of those things that may not be well know, but really more intuitive.

It may be that native speakers have a feel for which version to use or where to put only in a sentence.

Sometimes it’s more a matter of saying it out loud before something clicks and you see where this word should be used in a sentence.

This may be a matter of trial and error, so don’t worry about making mistakes just know that you will get this eventually.

You may say it wrong the first time, but then you will pick up on it and likely won’t make that mistake again.

Perhaps stress the word after the word only, as that may work.

Think of what you are trying to stress and convey, and then it will be more obvious to you as to how you should be using the word.

Only is a versatile word and it can really help to accent a sentence in a number of different ways.

Always take a step back and think about what you are trying to convey, and then it will make sense.

It will become more natural when you sound it out and get used to using the word only more frequently.

Roleplay To Help

In this roleplay, Lindsay and Michelle are at a grocery store.

Michelle: “So what do you need?”

Lindsay: “Hmm. I only need pickles. I have everything else.”

Michelle: “”Only you would buy three jars of pickles every time you are at the grocery store!”

Lindsay: “Haha. That’s weird. I see only one open register.”

Michelle: “The line will take only five minutes.”

Do these all sound correct to you?

Do they sound natural?

See if they are all technically correct and natural sounding, as this is a great way to practice and see for yourself.

Takeaway

Only is an extremely dynamic word.

We talked about a specific use of this word today, and this is an important one to recognize and try out.

Observe others and how they use it, and be sure to listen for what sounds natural in conversation.

You can use only in a variety of different ways, and in this capacity it’s all about what sounds natural.

You can tell where it fits, and now you have some guidelines to help you in using this properly in conversation.

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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