Control the scope of only

Supplied materials

• Paper and pencil, or a browser text area. All named people/events/records are fictional learning inputs.
• Worked case: Excerpt A: Only Jo read the note at noon. The intended contrast is Jo versus other possible readers. Excerpt B: Because the room closed. No main clause is supplied. Excerpt C: Jo told Lea that she should explain; both are singular women and she has no clear referent. Excerpt D: Draft: Repeat the test again. Edit: Repeat the test. Repeat already contains the again meaning, so remove the redundant word.
• Primary check: Excerpt A: Jo only read the note at noon; in this exercise the intended contrast is reading rather than copying or rewriting it. Excerpt B: The room closed, Jo waited. Two independent clauses have only a comma. Excerpt C: The students reads the note; plural students mismatches reads. Excerpt D: Replace The mechanism is a hinge with A hinge is a joint that lets the connected panels turn for readers new to hinge.

Learn the idea

Only can change meaning according to its position and scope. Only Jo read means no other reader; Jo only read limits the action; Jo read only the note limits the object.

Use the stated intended scope and place only next to that element. Explain which alternatives the sentence excludes.

Original worked input: Original excerpt A: Only Jo read the note at noon. The intended contrast is Jo versus other possible readers. The task is to control the scope of only. The answer is “the actor”. Evidence: Only Jo read the note at noon. The intended contrast is Jo versus other possible readers. Reasoning: the actor is supported because only precedes the actor, contrasting Jo or Lea with other people. A smoother sentence may still express the wrong scope.

1. Read the supplied worked case and identify the part named in this lesson. An adult can model unfamiliar words.
2. Use the stated intended scope and place only next to that element. Explain which alternatives the sentence excludes.
3. Check the worked solution: the actor. Evidence: Only Jo read the note at noon. The intended contrast is Jo versus other possible readers. Reasoning: the actor is supported because only precedes the actor, contrasting Jo or Lea with other people. A smoother sentence may still express the wrong scope.
4. Use the new primary and practice cases. Give a reason from the actual words before checking the feedback.

Check your reasoning

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Take it further

Changed-input task: Original excerpt A: Lea tested only the paper hinge; the contrast is paper hinge versus other objects. Give an evidence-based answer before looking at the model. Expected reasoning: Evidence: Lea tested only the paper hinge; the contrast is paper hinge versus other objects. Reasoning: the object is supported because only immediately precedes the note or paper hinge being selected. A smoother sentence may still express the wrong scope. Then write a brief alternative sentence, paragraph, source note or scene that demonstrates the same operation; label new fictional details and preserve source limits.

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