On today’s Tear-Up Your Textbook Tuesday, Lindsay and Michelle talk about four situations for using the term ‘even’, and how to use your tone of voice to make it work in an English conversation!
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The word ‘even’ has many uses in English and can be confusing. To make it even more confusing, in some cases the intonation is as important as the word itself! Here are the four most common ways to use ‘even’:
For something that’s surprising. When using it this way, stress the word ‘even’.
- “I get lost even when I have a map!”
- “I went to class and didn’t even remember my notebook!”
To compare and emphasize. Using it this way, stress the comparative word.
- “That coat is on sale for a great price but will be even cheaper next week.”
- “There are a lot of people here but there were even more last night.”
To be in balance. This means to be equal, or potentially to get revenge. In this situation, ‘even’ does not require any intonation.
- “We’re even now.”
- “I have to find a way to get even with my brother.”
To talk about a kind of number. The even numbers are 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. The odd numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, etc. Again, ‘even’ does not require intonation when used this way.
- “Eighty four is an even number.”
Can you tell us something about yourself using the word ‘even’?
Share with us in the comments section below!
