컴팩스 카카오톡 채널(http://pf.kakao.com/_EMNxfK) 친구추가 하시면 일주일에 한 번씩 다양한 주제의 포스트를 받아보실 수 있습니다.
What’s wrong with the following sentence?
Almost students want to earn good grades.
The sample sentence is wrong because the adverb “almost” cannot modify the noun “students.”
For this sentence, native speakers would use the adjective “most” or the adverb/adjective combination “almost all” in front of “students.”
(O) Most students want to earn good grades.
most = adverb
students = noun
(O) Almost all students want to earn good grades.
almost = adverb
all = adjective
students = noun
Distinguishing between almost and most can be a challenge for learners of English.
The first problem is grammatical. In American English, the word “almost” is generally thought of as an adverb. You might recall from your school days that adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, but they cannot modify nouns. “Most,” on the other hand, can be an adjective, noun, pronoun, or adverb (in superlative structures), so you may find it in a variety of roles and positions in a sentence.
In most cities, most enjoy the most expensive restaurants the most.
(adjective - pronoun - adverb [superlative] - noun)
The second problem is semantic. In American English, the word “almost” means “nearly but not completely,” whereas “most” typically means “the majority” or “the highest degree.”
So, most of the time, “most” does not mean “almost”:
I am most (=very) hungry. Let’s eat immediately.
I am almost (=nearly) hungry, but not quite. We can eat later.
However, when we use it in slang, “most” CAN mean “almost.” This happens in front of the words “all,” “every,” or “any.” In this case, both “most” and “almost” mean “nearly”:
SLANG
Most everybody likes BTS.
Most all Koreans like BTS.
She enjoys most any BTS song.
STANDARD
Almost everybody likes BTS.
Almost all Koreans like BTS.
She enjoys almost any BTS song.
We most sincerely hope that you almost always check our COMPECS posts to help you understand the nuances of English. Have a most delightful day!
