"a really big city" or "really a big city"?

[moonlike]

Hi
Could you kindly tell me which one is grammatical? Are both OK? Are both natural to you?
Thanks a lot.

 

[bhaisahab]

Hi
Could you kindly tell me which one is grammatical? Are both OK? Are both natural to you?
Thanks a lot.

They are both possible in the proper context.

"Udaipur is a really big city." "Is it really a big city?" "I thought Jaipur was bigger."

 

[5jj]

... in the proper context.

How many times a day does one of us say that, or something similar?

I thought, when I wrote them, that the first words of my signature, below, might help. Hope springs eternal ...

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, moonlike:


Since "really" is my favorite word, may I comment on bhaisahab's two excellent examples?

1. New York is a really big city. = New York is a very big city.

2. Is New York really a big city? = Tell me the truth, is New York a big city?

I love that word. Really! ( = Believe me)

 

[Barb_D]

I thought it would be a small town. I was suprised when I got there to find it's really a big city.

 

[Esredux]

I wonder if there could be any sense in saying that
in '* is a really big city' 'really' modifies 'big', whereas
in '* really is a big city' 'really' relates to 'is'?

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


One expert named Professor Quirk says that a sentence such as "It really is a big city" and "It is really a big city"

have the same meaning, "provided the appropriate intonation pattern is given." (page 451 of his 1985 masterpiece)

Therefore, he says, "really" does not modify only "a big city." But -- sadly -- he does not tell us what it DOES modify.

I agree with you: many people would say that "really" modifies "is." On the other hand, I think that there may be some

people who disagree. I hope that others will respond. Really!

 

[emsr2d2]

I find the word order of "It is really a big city" somewhat unnatural for most circumstances. I would only use it if I was giving a different or opposing view to something previously stated.

- Hamburg is a small town.
- I disagree. It's a city. In fact, it's really a big city when you think about it!

- My coat is blue.
- It doesn't look blue to me. It looks dark grey. In fact, I think it's really black."

In the two examples above, "really" is the equivalent of "actually".


- Hamburg is a big city.
- Is it? I thought it was just a large town.
- No, I checked online and I asked some inhabitants. It really is a big city!

In the example above, "really" is used for emphasis as if to say "No, I know what I'm talking about. I said it was a big city and I'm right. It genuinely, truthfully is a big a city. Believe me!"

It is a really big city = "really" modifies big, and means "It's a very big city". That's the easy one to explain! ;-)

 

[Esredux]

I find the word order of "It is really a big city" somewhat unnatural for most circumstances. I would only use it if I was giving a different or opposing view to something previously stated.

- Hamburg is a small town.
- I disagree. It's a city. In fact, it's really a big city when you think about it!
- My coat is blue.
- It doesn't look blue to me. It looks dark grey. In fact, I think it's really black."

In the two examples above, "really" is the equivalent of "actually".


- Hamburg is a big city.
- Is it? I thought it was just a large town.
- No, I checked online and I asked some inhabitants. It really is a big city!
In the example above, "really" is used for emphasis as if to say "No, I know what I'm talking about. I said it was a big city and I'm right. It genuinely, truthfully is a big a city. Believe me!"
since it's more about emotions, what about the intonation then? Should 'is' be stressed?

It is a really big city = "really" modifies big, and means "It's a very big city". That's the easy one to explain! ;-)

Thanks

 

[emsr2d2]

As far as stress goes, I would use "It's REALLY a big city", "It really IS a big city!", "It's a REALLY big city".

 

[Esredux]

As far as stress goes, I would use "It's REALLY a big city", "It really IS a big city!", "It's a REALLY big city".

Never on 'big'?
What about your example:
It doesn't look blue to me. It looks dark grey. In fact, I think it's really black."
Would you stress 'really' here as well?

 

[BobK]

Not never, but rarely. In this context, for example, it implies doubt about an adjective someone else has already used:

A Edinburgh is a REALLY big city.
B Is it really a BIG city? How big?

As to your main question, yes you would.

b

 

[TheParser]

Would you stress 'really'

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


I am so happy to find a thread that discusses "really." Really! This word drives me crazy. Even some experts say that it

is often difficult to know what it is modifying.

I thought that you'd like to know something that one expert wrote (if I understood her correctly). Intonation is

really important:

The movie was really GOOD. = very good.

The movie was REALLY good. = The newspaper reviews criticized the movie, but contrary to what you might think, the

movie was good. (P.S. The expert did NOT say this, but it seems to me that this sentence is similar to "The movie REALLY was good." That is, "Believe me! It was good.")

 

[TheParser]

In fact, it's really a big city when you think about it!

In fact, I think it's really black."

In the two examples above, "really" is the equivalent of "actually".

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Yes, absolutely. It often means "actually."

But then comes the question: what does "actually" modify in "It is actually a big city"?


Thank you.

 

[Nicky_K]

Just out of scientific curiosity.

A city is a big town (usually with a cathedral but the point is that a city is already big).
A big city is a big, big town.
A really big city is a big, big, big town.

A really big metropolitan city is a big, big, big, big town.;-)

 

[BobK]

Just out of scientific curiosity.

...

Does this mean there's a question somewhere? Some cities aren't all that big, for example St Davids - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

b

 

[TheParser]

'* really is a big city' 'really' relates to 'is'?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, Esgaleth:

I have just read that one expert named A-B Stenstrom would say that the two sentences are identical in meaning:

New York is really a big city.

New York really is a big city.

Professor Stenstrom apparently feels that "really" modifies "a big city." She apparently does not feel the "is" is of

any importance, for it is only a linking verb. And, as you know, some languages do not even have linking verbs. If I

said to you, "New York really big city," you would understand what I was saying.

NOTES:

1. If I have misinterpreted the professor's remarks, I apologize.

2. Other experts definitely have other viewpoints, including those who feel that "really" modifies "is" in the second

sentence.

3. I have a suspicion that if a student in grade school (not at the university level) asked a teacher what "really" modified

in the second sentence, the "average" teacher would answer: "Really" is an adverb; so it modifies the verb "is."

4. Of course, some people are probably wondering: Who cares? What difference does it make? Well, I do care, and

I am so glad that you are also a member of the "really" fan club. We need more members!

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, fellow members of the "really" fan club.

I have good news and bad news.

Good news

I found an expert who agrees with Esgaleth.

Professor John Flowerdew [what a nice name!] wrote a book entitled Studies in Specialized Discourse. I was able to read parts of it on Google "books."

He did a survey of the uses of the word "really." He found that in his survey, 54% percent of the examples involved "really" relating [modifying?] a verb.

He gives this example:

"It really is a substantial contract."

The professor says that "really" is an "adjunct" [adverb?] to the verb "be."

Bad news

Some writing experts tell us that we should close the "really" fan club.

One of these experts says that using "really" in speech can give emphasis, but it loses its "effectiveness" in

writing.

Those unkind experts say we should avoid using words like really / truly / genuinely / fairly / absolutely / and --

above all -- very.

They cruelly call those words "meek," "vague," "flabby." They say that words such as "really" say nothing!