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They might be surprised or disappointed by a family member's actions. They might be happy or unhappy
about a Christmas gift.
Imagine a child expects to get an Xbox or PlayStation for Christmas. On Christmas morning, they quickly
open their gift …. Inside is an English grammar book.
The Everyday Grammar team would prefer the new English grammar book. But if you are like most young
people, you would probably rather have a new videogame system.
Today, we are going to explore those feelings – feelings of surprise and disappointment. In other words, we
are going to explore how speakers show that reality was better or worse than their expectations.
Counter expectation
Many languages use words to express expectation. Speakers also use words to express how events are
not happening as expected. This idea is known as "counter expectation."*
Do not worry about the term. Just remember that it means that speakers use words to show that reality is
going against (or countering) their expectations.
English has many words that serve this purpose. Three of the most common are the words "even," "still,"
and "actually." You will often hear them in casual, everyday speech.
Speakers use these words to show surprise or disappointment. The pitch of their voice tells you what they
mean.
#1 Even
Imagine a young child that expects a phone call from a family member – perhaps an uncle or grandparent.
The phone call never comes. The child might say the following:
Here, the child is expressing disappointment. She could have expressed the same idea in a much longer
statement, such as: "I was expecting him to call on Christmas Day, but I didn't hear from him. Why didn’t he
give me a call?"
"Even" highlights the child's disappointment because it emphasizes that the family member did not try to
call.
"Even" does not always have a sad meaning. It can have a happy meaning too.
Imagine a man named Ted. Ted is a forgetful man. He forgets to send letters or gifts to his parents.
Ted's parents might have the following talk after they get a Christmas letter from him:
#2 Still
Americans sometimes use "still" for showing how reality does not quite meet their expectations.
Consider this example, from the 1986 film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. At the end of the film, Ferris says the
following lines. A different speaker might say similar lines after a lengthy, tiring, and disagreeable family
Christmas party:
In the film, you can see the surprised look on Ferris' face. When he says, "You're still here," you can tell he
did not expect people to still be around. He is a little disappointed.
Now, imagine a different situation. A family is having a Christmas dinner. They are looking for one family
member, Uncle Bob. They wonder if he left without saying goodbye.
The way the final speaker says "still" shows that she is surprised to learn he was still at the dinner. She
expected otherwise.
#3 Actually
"Actually" suggests something is true – even when it differs from what might have been thought or
expected.
Imagine Uncle Bob sees a Christmas present he likes, and then runs away with it. A speaker might say:
"I can't believe it! Uncle Bob actually stole her Christmas gift."
Here, the speaker uses “actually” to emphasize the unexpectedness of a happening – Uncle Bob stealing
the present. She does not sound very happy!
Think back to our character Ted – the guy who always forgets to give gifts for Christmas.
His parents could have shown their surprise at receiving a gift from Ted by saying the following:
Here, the word "actually" shows that they are pleasantly surprised at this strange happening: Ted
remembered Christmas!
By answering these questions, you will start to learn how English speakers communicate emotions in subtle
ways.
-"Yes!"
-"Oh no! I had actually forgotten about that! And that's Everyday Grammar."
John Russell wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
*John McWhorter. Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally). Picador. 2016 pgs. 37-41