particularizers

Particularizers are a category of adverbs that focus attention on what follows them, without excluding other possibilities. We are interested in finding more advanced chunks that they are found with.  Firstly, we look at the levels given by the English Vocabulary Profile:

especially = A2 very much or particularly

largely = B2 almost completely

mainly = B1 mostly or to a large degree

mostly = B1 mainly or most of the time

particularly  = B1 especially, or more than usual

predominantly = C2 mostly or mainly

primarily = B2 mainly


A search in the TED corpus for N-grams:

4-gram

1 especially when it comes  16

We believe this natural chunk is at least C1.

But data has its limitations

especially when it comes to language.

TED

2 this is especially true  10
3 and especially in the  6


3-gram

1 largely due to 8

We believe this natural chunk is at least C1.

Tremendous progress has been made 

on this recently

largely due to Amazon‘s efforts 

on their Echo speaker technology.

TED

2 it is largely  6
3 largely the same  6


2-gram

1 mainly because  18

We believe this natural chunk is at least B2.

This was mainly because the teams exposed to rudeness

didn’t share information as readily,

and they stopped seeking help

from their teammates.

TED

2 mainly in 14
3 was mainly  13


4-gram

1 mostly made up of C2

Stars are mostly made up of hydrogen, 

the simplest and lightest element.

TED

2 mostly in the form  3
3 mostly invisible to us  2


4-gram

1 this is a particularly 7

note that all of these are followed by an adjective:

Now, this is a particularly remarkable example of creativity.

TED

2 n’t particularly want to 5
3 and particularly in the 5


2-gram

note that these relate to race/skin colour politics

1 predominantly white  6

So partlyas a result of this, 

it led eventually to the election of Donald Trump in 2016, 

who exploited the anger of the working classes

who are predominantly_white.

TED

2 are predominantly  5
3 a predominantly  5
4 is predominantly  3
5 predominantly black  3


3-gram

1 primarily because of  4

We believe this natural chunk is at least C1.

And in the southern cone of Africa, 

100 million people are experiencing food insecurity 

primarily because of the extended droughts.

TED

2 primarily in the  4