Adverbs

Even

We use even to emphasise a surprising fact. Look at the examples.

Be + even

• She is even jealous! (= She expresses many emotions, including jealousy.)
• They aren't even interested in politics! (= They are not interested in anything, including politics.)

Even + other verbs

• I even washed the dishes! (= I did everything, including washing the dishes.)
• The children even liked the vegetables. (= They liked everything, including the vegetables.)

Auxiliary verb + even + verb

• She hasn't even asked me! (= The least she could do would be to ask me.)
• They wouldn't even go if you paid them. (= Nothing would make them go.)

Even + noun

• Even a child can do it! (= Everybody, including a child, can do it.)
• Everybody helped clean the flat, even Robert. (= Everybody, including Robert, helped clean the flat.)

Even + comparative adjective

• Today is even hotter than yesterday! (= Yesterday was hot, and today is hotter.)

Not + even + noun

• Not even the dog could eat the lasagne I cooked. (= The dog couldn't eat it. Nobody could eat it.)
• I couldn't eat a bite more, not even that amazing dessert. (= I couldn't eat any more, including the dessert.)