degree adverb + indefinite pronoun ‘ABSOLUTELY NOTHING’

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.

listen


iWeb corpus results for RR PN1 produces no results for “Absolutely Anything” in the top 100 list

1   ABSOLUTELY NOTHING 39597
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”

1 CAN (VM ) 623
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.

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