properly
part of speech
adverb (properly)
meaning for a pupil
1) Properly means in the correct or right way: Hold the scissors properly. tree →
2) Properly means fully or really: I did not sleep properly. tree →
3) Properly can mean politely and in the right manner: behave properly. tree →
sense in the lessons
In instructions at school and at home: wash your hands properly (20 seconds with soap), fasten your seatbelt properly, read the question properly. In safety lessons, using things properly prevents accidents. In British English, «properly» can also mean very or really (informal): properly cold. Phrases: do it properly, properly dressed, properly done.
examples
- Wash your hands properly before eating. tree →
- Put on your helmet properly. tree →
- Read the question properly before you answer. tree →
- I could not see properly without my glasses. tree →
- Sit properly on your chair. tree →
- Make sure the gate is properly closed. tree →
- Cook the chicken properly so it is safe to eat. tree →
- The plant will not grow properly without light. tree →
- Are we spending the evening properly? tree →
note
Adjective: proper. Spelled proper + ly. Do not confuse with «property» (things someone owns). Opposite: improperly, wrongly.
In the corpora
- Drunk means so much alcohol that balance, speech and judgement stop working properly; drunk people can fall, fight and act unpredictably.
- Real help comes from trained people who know you or can talk to you properly.
- The domestic silk moth cannot fly properly and no longer lives in the wild; it depends on people completely.
- At present it is only pictures, and ... pictures are not always properly understood.»
- A freezer stops germs growing almost completely but does not kill most of them, so defrosted meat must still be cooked properly.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «properly» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.