How to Use EVEN

How to Use EVEN

Hi dear English learners. Here we are again with a new lesson. Today’s lesson is about the adverb even. We are going to learn how to use even in a sentence with lots of examples so you can learn about it in context. We normally use even to emphasize something unusual or surprising.

For example:

• This shop never closes, not even on Christmas.
• It is very difficult to read these small letters, even with the magnifying glass.
• The essay you wrote is very short. It’s even shorter than the previous one.
• She is so sad, that nobody can cheer her up, not even her children.

Position of EVEN in a sentence

We normally use even in the middle of a sentence, after an auxiliary and before the main verb.

For example: 

• Darla is a successful writer. She’s even got an award for the best novel of the year.
• The passer-by showed us the way; he even drew a map.

You can also use even before a person/thing or a noun phrase when you want to emphasize something.

For example:

• She didn’t dare to talk to Nadia about it, even she was her best friend.
• We had dinner in a Chinese restaurant. Everyone liked it, even Martin, who wasn’t very fond of Chinese cuisine.
• The world around her seemed blurry, even in the daylight.

Pay attention to these examples of even in negative sentences:

• They are so rude. They didn’t even say ‘thank you’.
• I’m so disappointed in Sarah. She hasn’t even called us to apologise for cancelling the dinner.
• I forgot my wallet at home. I don’t even have a penny. 
• Some people here were not even born when we first talked about climate change.

EVEN with Comparative

Even is often used with comparative, to make comparison stronger.

For example:

• When I was your age, I used to study even more than you do.
• Simona looked even prettier now when she was 40.
• When he heard the news, Stephen was even more worried.
• After he had been reprimanded, the prisoner started behaving even worse.

Even now and even then

The meaning of the phrases even now and even then is to express surprise.

For example:

• Even now, when she passes by the old school, she remembers her childhood.
• It was a long time ago, but even now she couldn’t stop crying when she remembered the accident.
• But even then, we had a completely identical view of this issue.
• Although his parents didn’t expect him to be the best student, even then he was rewarded as the best mathematician in his school a couple of times.

Even if,  even though, even when

We normally use even if, even though and even when to emphasize that something will still be true if something else happens. The structure is even if/even though/even when + subject + verb.

For example:

• They had to pay for the tickets even if the football match was cancelled.
• You won’t necessarily lose weight even if you work out every day. 
• She bought the piano, even though she’s never played it.
• He couldn’t find the place even though he had the directions and destination on the map.
• Carla never cries, not even when she’s really sad.
• She didn’t want to put on the jacket, not even when it started to snow.

Even so

Use even so with the meaning despite that.

For example:

• The instruction seems a bit complicated; even so, it is not difficult to apply.
• Lilly met Robert only once ten years ago. Even so, she recognized him immediately.
• Her hair was tucked under the hat, but even so, she still didn’t look like a man.

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