As language users, we have a lexical collection that allows us to build our speeches and, thus, take full care of our interpersonal relationships, in order to achieve our communicative intentions in a way need. Thus, linked to this issue, there is an aspect that underlies this process, which allows such interactions actually take place in the best possible way - knowledge that we must have the call semantics - which, in linguistic terms, is defined with the science that is concerned with studying, with attributing the proper meaning to words. This meaning, not infrequently, is linked to the context communicational itself.
Starting from this premise, there are many words that, despite presenting themselves in an identical way, acquire significant nuances that are somewhat different. So to say, let us take care of establishing familiarity with one of them - the word "only"-, demarcated, therefore, now as adjective, now how adverb. In possession of it, in addition to “framing” it in its proper place, taking into account, as mentioned above, the situation itself, we will find out about the inflections that are intended for it. Thus, from time to time, we may come across statements similar to these, which will allow you to make the convenient distinctions:
She, lately, has been feeling extremely only.
the children stayed SOS, while everyone left.
It is attested that because it is the word only, now located in the condition of an adjective, the inflection becomes evident, thus agreeing with the noun to which it refers: she= alone / the children = alone.
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When the meaning refers to "only" or "only", we find that we are facing a adverb – which means to say that this bending is not allowed. As an example, we quote:
They only wanted to know the results.(only)
Distinctions attributed, let us move on, analyzing some semantic aspects:
Is it over there only will give the lecture (but will not open space for questions).
The students only will present the research (not the exercises).
Students will present the exercises only tomorrow (not today).
The observation that can be reached is that in the 1st utterance the word only focuses on the verb, that is, only one procedure will be performed. With regard to the 2nd, the word in question focuses on the noun (only the search will be presented). Finally, in the third statement, we have that the only focuses directly on the adverb, stating that only tomorrow the exercises will be presented.
Based, therefore, on the elucidations listed here, try to make the correct use of the word “only”, attributing to it the meaning that can actually be attributed.
By Vânia Duarte
Graduated in Letters
