[Grammar] Can "proper" be and adverb, too?

[Mereevar]

I'd just started to play Portal when I heard the following sentence in the game:

"Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper."

Shouldn't it to be "to begin the test properly"? Dictionaries say it can be used as an adverb when speaking informal(I guess formal language was spoken in the game, though), but under what circumstances then?

 

[bhaisahab]

I'd just started to play Portal when I heard the following sentence in the game:

"Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper."

Shouldn't it to be "to begin the test properly"? Dictionaries say it can be used as an adverb when speaking informal(I guess formal language was spoken in the game, though), but under what circumstances then?

"Properly" means "correctly". In your example "the test proper" means the actual test.

 

[TheParser]

I'd just started to play Portal when I heard the following sentence in the game:

"Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper."

Shouldn't it to be "to begin the test properly"? Dictionaries say it can be used as an adverb when speaking informal(I guess formal language was spoken in the game, though), but under what circumstances then?

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


Hello,


(1) I believe the sentence is correct.

(2) As you so correctly said, "properly" is an adverb that

means "in a proper manner." But the sentence is not referring

to the manner of starting the test.

(3) The sentence is referring to the test itself.

(a) My dictionaries tell me that it is an adjective in your sentence.

(b) My dictionaries tell me that it comes after the noun.

(c) My dictionaries tell me that it means "strictly speaking."

(4) In other words, the specimen might have been related to the

test, but now we are going to start the process that should be

considered as the actual test, or -- more elegantly -- the test

proper.


Sincerely,


James


P.S. I know that this is very difficult to understand. Let's say that

you live near Paris in some small town. If an American asks "Where do

you live?," you might answer "In Paris." If your friend replies "Really?

In the famous city of Paris?," you might admit: "Well, not in Paris

proper, but near it." That is, not in the area that is officially called

"Paris."

 

[Mereevar]

Oh, thanks for the answers, now I understand it