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Especially and speciallyAn idiom is an expression whose meaning is not readily apparent based on the individual words in the expression. This forum is dedicated to discussing idioms and other sayings. |
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#1
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Especially and specially
I've never been able to tell the difference between especially and specially so I tend to use them indiscriminately and cross my fingers for luck. Any tips?
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"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." from Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie |
#2
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I always use specially. I didn't know especially exists.
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#3
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Lucky you... So far, it has saved you a lot of brain-racking.
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"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." from Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie |
#4
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They are very similar, but there is a small difference. For example you can say, She treats her friends specially. It would be incorrect to say, She treats her friends especially. But you can say She treats her friends especially well
You can say, The meal was made specially You cannot say, The meal was made especially but, you can say, The meal was made especially for you This may be the rule but please correct me if I'm wrong, Rustu and other language people: Specially works best as an adverb. Especially works best as an adjective or when followed by a prepositional phrase or as an auxilliary adverb.
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Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. |
#5
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I don't think any of both especially and specially is an adjective. I think both are adverbs. On the phrases you gave, Poli, both work like adverbs.
The adjectives would be: special / especial. The adverbs: specially / especially. If there is a difference between these two words (which I don't have a clue about) it must be because they mean different things or they are used in different contexts. Anyway, I'm more of the opinion that they mean the same. For the moment, I don't see the difference.
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I welcome all corrections to my English. Salu2 desde Madrid, Alfonso |
#6
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Quote:
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"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." from Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie |
#7
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Alfonso, please review my examples. The ones with thumbs up are correct. Review their roles as a part of speech. You should be able to see that specially and especially have a different gramatical function and perhaps adjective is not the
term. Auxiliary adverb is better (an adverb to embellish another adverb like muy) may be a better term. Think of especially as something similar to very. The word specially does not correspond to very--especially does.
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Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. Last edited by poli; August 12, 2008 at 07:30 AM. |
#8
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Quote:
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"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." from Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie |
#9
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Quote:
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And I don't think auxiliary adverb is a proper term for especially, since in the examples you gave once works modifying another adverb (2. especially well), and once works modifying a verb (4. made especially). The conclusion is that it works both, as much linked to an adverb as linked to a verb, as any other adverb. Anyway, I had never heard before of the term auxiliary adverb, and Google only gives 84 entries for it, not all of them related to this subject. <snip>
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I welcome all corrections to my English. Salu2 desde Madrid, Alfonso Last edited by Tomisimo; August 13, 2008 at 09:46 AM. Reason: Removed what could be considered an inflammatory remark |
#10
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When especially describes the adverb it is auxiliary much the way very (muy) is. If another word for auxiliary suits you, find it and use it. The word specially doesn't fulfill that function as well. Auxiliary means help it helps discribe the main adverb or adjective. (He is especially tall. He works especially well.) In this function the word especially (like very) doesn't stand on its own. It supports a principal adverb or adjective and is therefore auxiliary.. I will repeat especially should be used when it is followed by a prepositional phrase. Feel free to google yourself silly and find 84 entries or 184 entries or 184,000 entries. It doesn't matter. What I've written makes perfect sense. <snip>
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Me ayuda si corrige mis errores. Gracias. Last edited by Tomisimo; August 13, 2008 at 09:46 AM. Reason: Removed what could be considered an inflammatory remark |
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