2021-04-21 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด – A – alone & only
2021-04-21
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด – A – alone & only
แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง alone = ‘uh-LOHN’
ออกเสียง only = ‘OHN-lee’
Dictionary.com
SYNONYM STUDY FOR ALONE
Alone, lone, lonely, lonesome
all imply being without companionshipor association.
Alone is colorless unless reinforced by all;
it then suggests solitarinessor desolation:
alone in the house; all alone on an island.
Lone is somewhat poetic or is intended humorously:
a lone sentinel.
Lonely implies a sad or disquietingfeeling of isolation.
Lonesome connotes emotion, a longing for companionship.
Dictionary.com
VOCAB BUILDER
What is a basic definition of alone?
Alone is an adjective that describes
someone or something as being in isolation or as being unique.
Alone is used as an adverb to mean
something was done by a single individual.
Alone has a few additional senses as an adjective and an adverb.
If you are alone, you arethe only human being present in a place.
Generally, alone is neither goodnor bad.
If it’s used in the phrase “all alone”
though, it implies a sense of sadness or loneliness.
Alone always describes a situation
where there is exactly one thing existing apart from all others.
Real-life examples:
Some animals, such as tigers,
like to be alone
and spendmost of their lives away from others of their species.
You maywant to be alone in your room, away from other people.
An actor might be alone on stage when giving a monologue.
Used in a sentence:
I was alone in the dark, spooky room.
Alone also describes something as being unique
or being the only example of something.
Real-life examples:
A championship is won by one team alone.
You alone are the only one who knows how you feel.
Used in a sentence:
I always feel like I am alone in my love of smelly cheese.
Alone is also used as an adverb
tomean something was done by a single individual.
Real-life examples:
Awidow might live alone in her house after her husband dies.
A solo is when a singer or musicianperforms alone.
Most games cannot be played alone and need at least a second player.
Used in a sentence:
She likes to hike alone in the woods.
Where does alone come from?
The first records of alone come from the later 1200s.
It comes from the Middle English al one,
meaning “exclusively one” or “entirely one.”
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary
Alone
usage:
Some usage guides maintain that
misunderstanding will arise
if the modifier only is not placed immediately before what it modifies.
Inserting only in the sentence
The doctor examined the children
might produce ambiguity in written English.
The doctor examined only the children
would signify that no one else was examined,
whereas The doctor only examined the children
could indicate either that the doctor did nothing else
or that no one else was examined.
In all varieties of speech and writing
there has long been a tendency
to place only before the verb in a sentence
regardless of what it modifies.
In spoken English the intended meaning
may be conveyed by stressing the construction
to which only applies.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Choose the Right Synonym for alone
Adjective
ALONE, SOLITARY, LONELY, LONESOME, LONE, FORLORN, DESOLATE
mean isolated from others.
ALONE stresses the objective fact of
being by oneself with slighter notion ofemotional involvement
than most of the remaining terms.
everyone needs to be alone sometimes
SOLITARY may indicate isolation as a chosen course
glorying in the calm of her solitary life
but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.
left solitary by the death of his wife
LONELY adds to SOLITARY a suggestion oflonging for companionship.
felt lonely and forsaken
LONESOME heightens the suggestion of sadnessand poignancy.
an only child often leads a lonesome life
LONE may replace LONELY or LONESOME
but typically is as objective as ALONE.
a lone robin pecking at the lawn
FORLORN stresses dejection, woe, and listlessnessat separation from one held dear.
a forlorn lost child
DESOLATE implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.
desolate after her brother's death
Dictionary.com
USAGE NOTE FOR ONLY
The placement of only as a modifier
is more a matter of style and clarity than of grammatical rule.
In a sentence like
The doctor examined the children,
varying the placement of only results in quite different meanings:
The doctor only examined the children
means that the doctor did nothing else.
And The doctor examined only the children
means that no one else was examined.
Especially in formal writing,
the placement of only immediately before what it modifies
is often observed:
She sold the stock only because she needed the money.
However, there has long been a tendency
in all varieties of speech and writing
to place only before the verb
(She only sold the stock because she needed the money),
and such placement is rarely confusing.
Collins English Usage
Only
Usage:
In informal English,
only is often used as a sentence connector:
I would have phoned you, only I didn't know your number.
This use should be avoided in formal writing:
I would have phoned you if I'd known your number.
In formal speech and writing,
only is placed directly before the word or words that it modifies:
she could interview only three applicants in the morning.
In all but the most formal contexts,
however, it is generally regarded
as acceptable to put only before the verb:
she could only interview three applicants in the morning.
Care must be taken not to create ambiguity, esp in written English,
in which intonation will not, as it does in speech,
help to show to which item in the sentence only applies.
A sentence such as she only drinks tea in the afternoon
is capable of two interpretations
and is therefore better rephrased
either as she drinks only tea in the afternoon (i.e. no other drink)
or she drinks tea only in the afternoon (i.e. at no other time)
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
Only
Usage Note:
The adverb only is notorious for its ability to change
the meaning of a sentence depending on its placement.
Consider the difference in meaning in the following examples:
Dictators respect only force; they are not moved by words.
Dictators only respect force; they do not worship it. She picked up the phone only when he entered, not before.
She only picked up the phone when he entered; she didn't dial the number.
The surest way to prevent readers from misinterpreting only
is to place it next to the word or words it modifies.
Many usage sticklers view this policy as a rule
that should always be followed,
but in many cases
it sounds more natural for only to come earlier in the sentence,
and if the preceding context is sufficiently clear,
there is scant likelihood of being misunderstood.
Thus, the rule requires
We can come to an agreement only if everyone is willing to compromise.
But it may sound more natural, with slightly different emphasis
and with no risk of misunderstanding,
to say
We can only come to an agreement if everyone is willing to compromise.
The expression one of the only
is sometimes called out for being illogical,
as only implies singularity
but the noun following it is plural in this construction.
The Usage Panel is mixed on the subject.
In our 2008 survey, 48 percent accepted the sentence
He is one of the only hard-working people left around here.
Many panelists may object to the use of the word as
an adjective to mean "few" instead of "one"
(as in That's the only pen I have left).
The expression the only two found more favor,
despite its apparent illogic, with 62 percent accepting
She is one of the only two writers I can relate to.
This is probably
because of similarity to the adverbial use of only with two,
which is well established and familiar
(There are only two seats left).
See Usage Note at not.
Collins COBUILD English Usage
Only can be an adjective or an adverb.
1. used as an adjective
You use only in front of a noun or one
to say that something is true about one person, thing, or group
and not true about anyone or anything else.
In front of only you put the or a possessive.
Grace was the only survivor.
I was the only one listening.
'Have you a spare one?' – 'No, it's my only copy unfortunately.'
When only has this meaning,
you must use a noun or one after it.
You cannot say, for example, 'He was the only to escape'.
If you don't want to use a more specific noun,
you can use person or thing.
You can say, for example, 'He was the only person to escape'.
He was the only person allowed to issue documents of that sort.
It was the only thing they could do.
If you use another adjective or a number, you put only in front of it.
The only English city he enjoyed working in was Manchester.
So, I probably have the only three copies of the album in existence.
'Only' is not normally used after an.
There is one common exception:
if you say that someone is an only child,
you mean that they have no brothers or sisters.
As an only child she is accustomed to adult company.
2. used as an adverb
Only is used as an adverb
to say that something is
the one thing that is done, that happens, or that is relevant
in a particular situation, in contrast to all the other things
that are not done, do not happen, or are not relevant.
- If only applies to the subject of a clause,
you put it in front of the subject.
Only his close friends knew how much he worried about his daughters.
We believe that only a completely different approach will be effective.
- If the verb is be, you put only after it.
There is only one train that goes from Denmark to Sweden by night.
- If the verb is not 'be' and only does not apply to the subject,
you usually put it in front of the verb or after the first auxiliary verb, regardless of what it applies to.
For example,
instead of saying 'I see my brother only at weekends',
you usually say 'I only see my brother at weekends'.
Drivers only find serious traffic jams in the city centre.
We could only choose two of them.
New technology will only be introduced by agreement with the unions.
3. used for emphasis
However, if you want to be quite clear or emphatic,
you put only immediately in front of
the word, word phrase, or clause it applies to.
He played only classical music.
You may borrow only one item at a time.
We film only when something interesting is found.
For extra emphasis,
you can put only after the word or word phrase that it applies to.
We insisted on being interviewed by women journalists only.
This strategy was used once only.
In writing and formal speech,
you can put only at the beginning of a sentence,
followed by the word, phrase, or clause it applies to.
After this word, phrase, or clause,
you put an auxiliary verb or be followed by the subject of the main clause.
Only here was it safe to prepare and handle hot drinks.
Only then did Ginny realize that she still hadn't phoned her mother.
Another way of emphasizing
is to start with 'It is only...' or 'It was only...'
and the word or words that you want to emphasize.
You put the rest of the sentence in a that-clause.
It was only much later that I realized what had happened.
It was only when he started to take photographs that he was stopped.
4. 'not only'
You use not only with but or but also
as a way of linking words or word groups.
See not only
Collins COBUILD English Usage
Alone – lonely
1. 'alone'
If you are alone, you are not with any other people.
I wanted to be alone.
Barbara spent most of her time alone in the flat.
Be Careful!
Don't use 'alone' in front of a noun.
For example,
don't talk about 'an alone woman'.
Instead, you say 'a woman on her own'.
These holidays are popular with people on their own.
2. 'lonely'
Don't confuse alone with lonely.
If you are lonely,
you are unhappy because you don't have any friends or anyone to talk to.
Lonely is used either in front of a noun
or after a linking verb like be or feel.
He was a lonely little boy.
She must be very lonely here.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Placement of Only in a Sentence: Usage Guide
Adverb
The placement of only in a sentence
has been a source of studious commentary since the 18th century,
most of it intended to prove by force of argument
that prevailing standard usage is wrong.
After 200 years of preachment the following observations may be made:
the position of only in standard spoken English is not fixed,
since ambiguity is avoided through sentence stress;
in casual prose that keeps close to the rhythms of speech
only is often placed where it would be in speech;
and in edited and more formal prose
only tends to be placed immediately
before the word or words, it modifies.
Dictionary of Problem Words in English
alone& only
Alonehas several meanings (“separate,” “apart,” “isolated,” “unique”),
as in such expression as “all alone” and “Man shall not live by bread alone.”
Only means “without others,” “solely,” “exclusively.”
Alone and only can be synonymous.
One may say “She worked alone” (No one was with her)
and “Only she worked” (No one else worked).
But one can also correctly say “She alone worked” (No one else worked).
ความเห็น (0)
ไม่มีความเห็น