Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[learner1]

Hello,

He only drinks moderately.

Is it fine to use 'just' instead of 'only' here?

Thank you very much.

[nicewitch]

Hello

I think it could be possible but they haven't the same force.

He just drinks moderatly is an affirmative sentence; Here "just" acts as an reinforcement to say that he drinks moderatly but it doesn't mean that when he drinks he "allways" do it moderately.

if you say that he "only" drinks moderately all the weight of the sentence is placed in that "only" .

I'll rather use only then.
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[learner1]

Hello,

Thanks for your reply, nicewitch. I hope you don't mind me asking you some more questions. Do 'only' and 'just' mean the same in the following sentences?

1.It was only a joke.
It was just a joke.

2.It only costs $10.
It just costs $10.

Actually, I still don't understand why 'just' can't mean the same as 'only' in 'He only drinks moderately'.
Don't you think sometimes they can be interchangeable?

Thanks a lot.

[Lorikeet]

To me, "only" and "just" have the same meaning in all your sentences; however, you can also show by the stress of the word how important it is. For example, if you say "He only drinks moderately" and stress the only, but say "He just drinks moderately" and stress the first syllable of "moderately" then the first sentence will seem stronger. But if you stressed the "just" it would seem to me to be the same.

[learner1]

Hello Lorikeet,

I see! Thank you very much.

[nicewitch]

Hello !
I agree with Lorikeet. Just and only can be interchangeable. However, it seems to me that only has more weight than just.
But it may be a personal impression

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