even

Listen to your teacher:

The word "even" is used for amounts and conditions. It represents basic English, but for some beginning level learners, it can be a very challenging word:

amount

• I have five apples and you have five apples. That makes us even. We have an even number of apples. We each have five.
• The number four is an even number. It can be divided by two evenly. There’s not a remaining fraction after the number four is divided.
• The number three is not an even number. It can’t be divided evenly without a remaining fraction.

emphasis

• You said you would do better in school, but you aren’t even trying. (The word "even" provides emphasis.)
• Why are you laughing? This isn’t even funny.
• Don’t even think about doing quitting school.

situations and conditions

• The rivers will continue to rise even if we don’t get any more rain.
• Even the math teacher had a hard time trying to figure out the math problem.
• Even though I ate a foot-long subway sandwich, I’m still hungry. (This situation is not expected. I shouldn’t still be hungry.)

as a verb

• Our team was losing by two runs until Jose hit a homer and that evened the score, six to six.
• The hairstylist evened the ends of the girl’s hair with a pair of clippers.
• That evens things for us. (You don’t owe me anything and I don’t owe you anything.)

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Date of publication: September 5, 2016