Only

Only is an adjective or adverb.

Only as an adjective

We use only as an adjective to mean that there is just one or very few of something, or that there are no others:

• He was the only person in the room.
• Being healthy is the only thing that is important to me.

Only as an adverb

We use only as an adverb to mean that something is limited to some people, things, an amount or an activity:

• This phone is only available in Japan.
• Only a few hundred houses survived the hurricane without any damage.

Only can mean ‘simply’:

• He’s only joking.

Spoken English:

In speaking, only can be used with just for emphasis. It can mean ‘very recently’ or ‘almost not’:

• She’d only just moved into her new house last July. (very recently)
• The building had survived the earthquake of two years before, but only just. (It almost didn’t survive the earthquake.)

Only: position

As an adjective, we use only in front of a noun or one, or before another adjective or a number:

• Is that your only copy of the book?

• He was the only one who could read in the village.

• Not: He was the only who could read …

• That was the only large t-shirt left in that colour.

• There were only four United fans in the room.

We can use only as an adverb in different positions, depending on its focus. If the subject is the focus, we put only in front position:

• Only Jason knows where the key is kept.
• Only a very small bed will fit in this room.

If the focus is on another part of the sentence, we usually put only in the normal mid position for adverbs (between the subject and the main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb):

• I only go home once a month. (between subject and main verb)
• She had only arrived at midnight the night before. (after the first auxiliary verb)
• She’s only sixteen. (after be as a main verb)

If the focus is a whole clause, we can put only in front position:

• My arm hurts but only when I try to raise it.

See also

• Not only … but also
• If only