Thread: "not really"
View Single Post
  #2 (permalink)  
Unread May 24th, 2010, 04:29 am
susan53 susan53 is offline
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
Posts: 1,406
susan53 is on a distinguished road
Default Re: "not really"

1) Really has falling intonation and "amplifies" don't, so the meaning becomes I don't like it at all.
2) Really has fall-rise intonation and "downtones" like, with the meaning I don't like it very much

Quite is another adverb which has this dual, and apparently contradictory role of amplifier/downtoner. See this thread for more info.
__________________
An ELT Notebook
The DELTA Course
Reply With Quote