specifically
part of speech
adverb (specifically)
meaning for a pupil
1) Specifically means exactly, clearly and in detail: "I specifically asked for no onions." tree →
2) Specifically means for one particular purpose or person only: "This book was written specifically for children." tree →
3) We use it to give a more exact detail: "I like animals, specifically cats." tree →
sense in the lessons
In school, teachers use it to make instructions exact ("specifically, find three adjectives"). In science and maths it narrows things down to an exact case. In writing it helps explain clearly. Phrases: "more specifically", "specifically designed for", "specifically asked".
examples
- I specifically told you to bring your PE kit. tree →
- The playground was built specifically for little children. tree →
- I like fruit, specifically mangoes. tree →
- The teacher specifically said no calculators. tree →
- This glue is made specifically for paper. tree →
- Which bird, specifically, did you see? tree →
- The test is about plants, more specifically about leaves. tree →
- This is a specifically Celtic formula, and would seem therefore to claim Cinderella for the Celts. tree →
note
Spelling: specific + ally (specifically, with -ically), not "specificly". Many people mispronounce it as "pacifically" or "specifically" with missing syllables; say "spuh-SIF-ik-lee". Do not confuse with "Pacific" (the ocean).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «specifically» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.