student asking question

Can I replace "uniquely" with "unique" here? Would it destroy the structure of sentence?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

No, "unique" can not replace "uniquely" here. "Uniquely" here describes something that has qualities that only connect to one person or thing. Therefore, "uniquely Western invention" means that the Chinese takeout box is an invention from the West, and not an invention from any other part of the world. "Unique" simply means "different from anything else". Ex: The "4th of July" is a uniquely American holiday. This holiday is not celebrated in any country besides the United States. Ex: My sister has a unique fashion sense. She does not dress like everyone else.

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