In this post, we are interested in finding out how adverbs modify pronouns. Here are a few examples:
I learnt absolutely nothing from the lecture. Almost everything was too hard to understand. Hardly anything was explained with examples.
Adverbs point 53 at B2 clashes with Pronouns point 51 at B1
According to the English Grammar Profile:
“You can find absolutely anything, whatever you need.” = premodified indefinite pronoun is intensifying, so therefore this is only considered B1.
Whereas:
“This is the most crowded place in my town and you can buy absolutely anything you like.” = the degree adverb modifies the pronoun and is therefore considered B2.
Below, the part of speech tags have been added to look for possible differences surrounding the form, but nothing is really there to notice.
53 Adverb phrases: types and meanings B2 degree adverbs to modify pronouns.
You_PPY can_VM eat_VVI very_RG well_RR and_CC pay_VVI almost_RR nothing_PN1 ._.
This_DD1 is_VBZ the_AT most_RGT crowded_JJ place_NN1 in_II my_APPGE town_NN1 and_CC you_PPY can_VM buy_VVI absolutely_RR anything_PN1 you_PPY like_VV0 ._.51 PRONOUNS “indefinite – thing, -one, -body etc” B1 USE: PREMODIFIERS, INTENSIFYING” premodifiers with indefinite pronouns, often to intensify.
You_PPY can_VM find_VVI absolutely_RR anything_PN1 ,_, whatever_DDQV you_PPY need_VV0 ._.
I_PPIS1 like_VV0 to_TO wear_VVI a_AT1 T-shirt_NN1 with_IW jeans_NN2 almost_RR everywhere_RL I_PPIS1 go_VV0 ._.
Nearly_RR everyone_PN1 I_PPIS1 know_VV0 sits_VVZ at_II a_AT1 computer_NN1 all_DB day_NNT1 ._.
*There is also the C1 grammar point for adverbs of certainty including ‘absolutely’.
Mr. Garrison has presented absolutely nothing publicly which would contradict our findings.
iWeb corpus results for RR PN1 produces no results for “Absolutely Anything” in the top 100 list
2 JUST SOMETHING 39110
3 ALMOST EVERYTHING 36807
4 ABOUT ANYTHING 33889
5 WHEN SOMEONE 32945
6 ALMOST ANYTHING 28250
7 ALMOST EVERYONE 28175
8 ALWAYS SOMETHING 25777
9 ABOUT EVERYTHING 25663
10 ALMOST NOTHING 19557
11 MUCH EVERYTHING 18950
12 HOW ONE 18271
13 LITTLE SOMETHING 17379
14 MAYBE SOMEONE 16736
15 DEFINITELY SOMETHING 15351
16 ALSO SOMETHING 14465
17 MUCH ANYTHING 14093
18 WHEN ONE 13285
19 JUST ONE 13203
20 WHEN SOMETHING 13141
21 MAYBE SOMETHING 11556
22 HOW EVERYTHING 11548
23 LEAST ONE 11189
24 WHY ANYONE 11181
25 NEARLY EVERYONE 11117
26 WHERE EVERYONE 10891
27 REALLY NOTHING 10479
28 ABOUT EVERYONE 10472
29 NEARLY EVERYTHING 10067
30 HOW SOMEONE 9802
31 WHERE ONE 9713
32 SO EVERYONE 9475
33 REALLY SOMETHING 9260
34 WHY SOMEONE 8855
35 WHERE EVERYTHING 8845
36 ALMOST ANYONE 8735
37 MUCH EVERYONE 8664
38 STILL NOTHING 8543
39 ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING 8245
40 EVEN SOMETHING 8191
41 HOW ANYONE 8019
42 WHEN EVERYONE 7998
43 HOW EVERYONE 7944
44 ABOUT ANYONE 7628
45 ESPECIALLY ONE 7359
46 WHERE SOMEONE 7296
47 WHY EVERYONE 6852
48 PROBABLY SOMETHING 6827
49 STILL SOMETHING 6789
50 HOW SOMETHING 6671
51 ALWAYS SOMEONE 6633
52 WHENEVER SOMEONE 6339
53 WHEN EVERYTHING 6069
54 HARDLY ANYONE 5757
55 PERHAPS SOMEONE 5706
56 CERTAINLY SOMETHING 5625
57 HOPEFULLY SOMEONE 5498
58 VIRTUALLY NOTHING 5451
59 REALLY ANYTHING 5307
60 EVEN ONE 5254
61 JUST SOMEONE 5154
62 ALSO ONE 5116
63 SO ONE 4951
64 ALMOST NO 4898
65 WHY ONE 4840
66 SO EVERYTHING 4745
67 PERHAPS SOMETHING 4699
68 VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING 4608
69 ALMOST EVERYBODY 4132
70 BASICALLY EVERYTHING 4026
71 JUST ANYONE 3929
72 BASICALLY ANYTHING 3887
73 NEVER ONE 3862
74 ACTUALLY SOMETHING 3843
75 LITERALLY NOTHING 3759
76 WHY NO 3731
77 WHEN NO 3705
78 HARDLY ANYTHING 3643
79 VIRTUALLY EVERYONE 3643
80 ANY ONE 3640
81 USUALLY SOMETHING 3539
82 ONLY ONE 3535
83 EVEN SOMEONE 3526
84 SO ANYONE 3509
85 CERTAINLY NOTHING 3444
86 DEFINITELY ONE 3434
87 LITERALLY EVERYTHING 3401
88 LEAST SOMETHING 3397
89 VIRTUALLY ANYTHING 3384
90 JUST NOTHING 3282
91 SO NOTHING 3270
92 SO SOMEONE 3164
93 WHY SOMETHING 3162
94 MUCH ANYONE 3144
95 SO NO 3098
96 ALMOST NOBODY 2864
97 NEARLY ANYTHING 2842
98 PRACTICALLY NOTHING 2831
99 SO SOMETHING 2827
100 PROBABLY NOTHING 2808ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING 2414
Collocates for “absolutely anything”
2 DO (VDI ) 530
3 COULD (VM ) 176
4 WANT (VV0 ) 145
5 EVERYTHING (PN1 ) 72
PELIC STUDENT:
Today the Internet is an important part of our life
and it is required at school, at home, at work, almost everywhere.
Turkish, Male, Level 3, Writing Class.