student asking question

Would the meaning of this sentence change if I say "I'm just dying" instead of "I'm dying just..."?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, the nuance of a sentence can change slightly depending on where words like "just" (which are used for emphasis) are placed in the sentence. For example, "I'm dying just to make you see" shows that the sole reason that the speaker is dying is to show his lover how much he needs them. If we were to place "just" after "I'm," then it would indicate that the speaker is only completing the action of "dying" and doing nothing else. Thus, the meaning of the sentence changes. These are small changes but they can affect the way an audience understands or reads the sentence. Ex: I told the hairstylist to cut my hair only a little. (The customer told the hairstylist that only a little bit of hair should be cut) Ex: I only told the hairstylist to cut my hair a little. (The customer told the hairstylist to cut their hair and did not say anything else) Ex: I told the hairstylist only to cut my hair a little. (The customer only told the hairstylist and no one else)

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