She rapidly gave me an answer.

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joham

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She rapidly gave me an answer. (from: Quirk's Grammar)

Which does the 'rapidly' mean, 'quickly' or 'soon', in this sentence?

Thank you in advance.
 

tedtmc

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not a teacher

quickly or instantly
 

5jj

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She rapidly gave me an answer. (from: Quirk's Grammar)
Quirk et al produced several grammars. It would have been helpful if you had told us which one you were referring to.

Which does the 'rapidly' mean, 'quickly' or 'soon', in this sentence?
We need more context to be sure. It probably means 'instantly, without waiting'
5
 

joham

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Thank you a lot, 5jj. The sentence comes from Quirk's A COMPREHENSIVE GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, without any context.
 

emsr2d2

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She rapidly gave me an answer. (from: Quirk's Grammar)

Which does the 'rapidly' mean, 'quickly' or 'soon', in this sentence?

Thank you in advance.

For me, there is some ambiguity. It could mean that she gave an answer instantly, straight after the question was asked, without any hesitation. It could also mean that when she gave the answer, she spoke rapidly, but she did not necessarily give the answer instantly.
 
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