Shrnutí - morfologie

!still doesn’t mean stále, pořád, ale stále ještě! Czech pořád, stále can be translated as always, all the time or verbally with go on, continue, keep: She is always interrupting the class. If you continue to be so obstinate… She kept giggling.

already- not used in neg. sentences

• used in questions - confirmation wanted: Have you already received your invitation?

• for emphasis it can come in front of a noun: You'd better lock up. - I already have locked up.

yet - generally comes at the end of a sentence

• in negatives it can come before the main verb: The new petrol prices haven't yet come into force.

• before infinitive similar meaning as still: Who will be appointed? It's yet/still to be decided.

• in affirmative: The first snowdrops are yet to come. There's plenty of time yet.

Prepositions introducing prep. phrases often functioning as adverbials of time

for - cannot be omitted in neg. sentences and at the beginning of a sentence

• with continuity verbs (stay, wait) - only till, until: I'll stay till/until Monday.

• with verbs "point of time" (finish, leave) - in positive context : by I'll have left by Monday

• in negative till/until I won't leave till Monday.

c) Adverbs of frequency

definite frequency: usually at the end of a sentence

indefinite frequency: usually mid-position

for special emphasis can be placed before aux.: It's just like Philip. He always is late.

some can come at the beginning or the end of a sent.- with neg. meaning: inversion

example: Never did I come late.

d) Adverbs of degree

(almost, altogether, enough, fairly, nearly, rather, somewhat, too, ..)

- answer the question "to what extent?"

- most of them go before the word they modify: quite good, quite quickly, I quite like it, quite an experience

- some quantifiers can be used as adverbs of degree: a little, a lot, much

I don't like coffee very much. (degree) X I don't drink much coffee. (quantity)

quite - with gradable adjectives and adverbs = less than He lectured quite well.

- with non-gradable adj. and adv. = better than expected. She plays quite amazingly.

- similar is true about verbs: I quite enjoy mountain holiday. I quite forgot to post the letter.

- in BrE used in understatements He's quite clever. = He's very intelligent.

hardly, barely, scarcely

• negative in meaning - do not combine with not, never

• can be replaced by almost never not by *nearly never: I almost never visit London these days.

• but we use not nearly and not * not almost: There are not nearly enough members present to hold a meeting.

e) Intensifiers

- used with gradable adverbs and adjectives and sometimes verbs while adverbs of degree

- normally weaken or limit the meaning of the word, intensifiers normally strengthens the meaning example: jolly, pretty, dead in place of very

- in informal BrE jolly and weaker pretty can be used before adj. and adv. meaning very

example: The test was pretty easy.

pretty + well = nearly

The film was pretty well over by the time we got to the cinema.