Using "only"

evangaline · Jan 10, 2012

What is the correct placement for "only" in the following sentences and does the placement change the meaning?

His love continued to only grow.
His love only continued to grow.

Thanks so much!

Devil Ledbetter · Jan 10, 2012

I'd say the second one.

Only is a sneaky little word that wanders away from where it belongs. It should ideally be next to the word it is modifying. But in the case of your example "only continued" sounds better because "only grow" sounds like the love should have been doing more than growing.

Chase · Jan 10, 2012

evangaline said:
What is the correct placement for "only" in the following sentences and does the placement change the meaning?

His love continued to only grow.
His love only continued to grow.

I'm the devil's advocate on this one.

As a general rule, Harbrace Handbook recommends placing modifiers (only included) "near the words they modify," but warns the position may change the meaning of the sentence.

More formally, Harbrace says, place only and other such modifiers "immediately before the words they modify."

Regardless, "His love only continued to grow" makes the best sense to me, given you want the reader to know the love steadily increased and did not falter.

Maryn · Jan 10, 2012

Words I never thought I'd say: Harbrace rocks!

In other words, I agree with Chase. Surprise, surprise.

Remember, too, that it's considered bad grammar to split an infinitive, separating the word to from its verb. Star Trek got it dead wrong in "...to boldly go..."

Maryn, willing to forgive Star Trek but not most authors

Fallen · Jan 10, 2012

Not really to sure where you're from, hon, or what genre you're writing for, so I'll but in with a UK perspective.

Both according to Oxford Usage and Collins, split infinitives are a matter of preference, or should be used to ease ambiguity in writing:

Collins:
I need to really think hard about this.
I really need to think hard about this.

Both examples are okay.

Oxford:

Example:
It fails completely to carry conviction

Either it means 'it totally fails...', in which case completely should precede fails, or it means 'it fails to carry complete conviction', in which case that should be written, or the infinitive split.

adverbials (these, as a rule, do split the infinitive):

Enough new ships are delivered to more than make up for the old ones.

And with yours, the second is the better choice.

Al Stevens · Jan 10, 2012

Famous song title:

Only I have eyes for you -- and I speak here for the rest of the world.
I only have eyes for you -- I do not eat, breathe, talk, go to work, etc. All I do is have eyes for you.
I have only eyes for you -- I don't have anything else for you.
I have eyes only for you -- they are for no one and nothing else
I have eyes for only you -- ditto
I have eyes for you only -- ditto

Number 2 is the song's title. The only one.

evangaline · Jan 10, 2012

Many thanks to all of you for answering! I truly was betwixt & between because in doing online research, both versions of the same sentence appeared in various books. My own "gut feeling" said the second one, but I just wanted experts to confirm. *g* I'm from the U.S,, btw.

Again, thanks so much!

BethS · Jan 10, 2012

evangaline said:
What is the correct placement for "only" in the following sentences and does the placement change the meaning?

His love continued to only grow.
His love only continued to grow.

Thanks so much!

The second one.

The first one implies there's more to come: His love continued to only grow as long as she brought him presents.

Which isn't a great sentence; I would change it to: His love grew only as long as she brought him presents. But you get the idea, hopefully.

Snick · Jan 10, 2012

Al Stevens said:
Famous song title:

Only I have eyes for you -- and I speak here for the rest of the world.

I only have eyes for you -- I do not eat, breathe, talk, go to work, etc. All I do is have eyes for you.

I have only eyes for you -- I don't have anything else for you.

I have eyes only for you -- they are for no one and nothing else

I have eyes for only you -- ditto

I have eyes for you only -- ditto

Number 2 is the song's title. The only one.

And every one of those means something different.

The two sentences of the opening poster had different meanings.

blacbird · Jan 10, 2012

evangaline said:
What is the correct placement for "only" in the following sentences and does the placement change the meaning?

His love continued to only grow.
His love only continued to grow.

Everybody is missing a couple of other possibilities:

His only love continued to grow.
Only his love continued to grow.

caw

Fallen · Jan 10, 2012

evangaline said:
Many thanks to all of you for answering! I truly was betwixt & between because in doing online research, both versions of the same sentence appeared in various books. My own "gut feeling" said the second one, but I just wanted experts to confirm. *g* I'm from the U.S,, btw.

Again, thanks so much!

The first might be more frequent in dialogue. Conversation frequently splits infinitives.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 11, 2012

Maybe context would help, but neither makes much sense as they stand.

bonitakale · Jan 11, 2012

"His love continued to only grow" hurts my teeth. What would it even mean? "His wife continued only to weed." "Her dog continued only to sleep." None of these seem to mean anything--or at least, the "only" in these doesn't seem to mean anything. They're perfectly okay sentences without that.

But "His love only continued to grow," would be used in a paragraph suggesting some reason why it shouldn't. "His mother told him the girl was no good, but his love only continued to grow." "However much he fought it, his love only continued to grow."

Come to think of it, "only" doesn't add anything to those sentences, either.

pegasus · Jan 12, 2012

bonitakale said:
"His love continued to only grow" hurts my teeth. What would it even mean? "His wife continued only to weed." "Her dog continued only to sleep." None of these seem to mean anything--or at least, the "only" in these doesn't seem to mean anything. They're perfectly okay sentences without that.

For the first time ever, I find myself disagreeing with you, if only a little. The first example hurts my literal teeth but not my poetic ones.

Which is kinda weird -- them being such sensitive little choppers.

Bufty · Jan 12, 2012

I find 'His love continued to only grow' neither meaningful nor poetic and am having a hard time even imagining a context in which it does have any meaning.

pegasus · Jan 13, 2012

Bufty said:
I find 'His love continued to only grow' neither meaningful nor poetic and am having a hard time even imagining a context in which it does have any meaning.

He hated her and he hated his love for her. Why? What perverse LoveGod was playing what perverted game with his passions? He yearned for his love to trip and fall under a bus, to die a quick and brutal death. Each night he pulled it out and set it on his writing desk, examining it so closely. Would it starve, shatter into pieces, wither into nothing?

Alas... his love for her continued to only grow.

[I agree that 'love only continued' sounds more normal, but I don't have a serious problem with 'to only grow.]

Bufty · Jan 13, 2012

Still see nothing poetic in the closing Alas... phrase. Sorry.

I'm more intrigued by what he pulled out and set on his writing desk each night...wondering if it would wither into nothing.... :Jaw:

pegasus said:
He hated her and he hated his love for her. Why? What perverse LoveGod was playing what perverted game with his passions? He yearned for his love to trip and fall under a bus, to die a quick and brutal death. Each night he pulled it out and set it on his writing desk, examining it so closely. Would it starve, shatter into pieces, wither into nothing?

Alas... his love for her continued to only grow.

[I agree that 'love only continued' sounds more normal, but I don't have a serious problem with 'to only grow.]

pegasus · Jan 13, 2012

Bufty said:
Still see nothing poetic in the closing Alas... phrase. Sorry.

Sokay. We've all got our particular relationship with the language.

I'm more intrigued by what he pulled out and set on his writing desk each night...wondering if it would wither into nothing....

Now that's just nasty. Good work!

Using "only"

evangaline

Devil Ledbetter

Come on you stranger, you legend,

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Maryn

I Tried

Fallen

Stood at the coalface

Al Stevens

evangaline

BethS

Snick

blacbird

Fallen

Stood at the coalface

Jamesaritchie

bonitakale

pegasus

practical experience, FTW

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

pegasus

practical experience, FTW

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

pegasus

practical experience, FTW