Student Question:
I usually hear questions like this: Do you drive at all? Or similar… And they are very confusing for me… I never know if is a positive or negative question and how to answer it. Could you help me on this?
Answer:
“At all” means something like “anything more than zero” or “even a little bit.”
It’s often used in negatives:
- I don’t eat pork at all.
= I don’t eat pork – not even a little bit. - He doesn’t exercise at all.
= He does NO exercise - The party was no fun at all.
= There was zero fun, not even a little - I can’t sing at all.
= I have zero singing talent
In questions, the person is inquiring about ANY activity, even small/infrequent:
- Do you drive at all?
= Do you drive – even a little bit / infrequently?
If you drive (even only a little bit / occasionally), then the answer is YES.
If you never drive, then the answer is NO.
- Did he say anything at all?
= Did he say anything, even just a tiny/short phrase?
Put it into practice!
Leave a comment on the video with your examples:
- I don’t like ____________ at all.
Ex) I don’t like rock music at all. - I haven’t ___(verb in past participle)___ at all lately.
Ex) I haven’t watched TV at all lately.
