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[00:00.00]Imagine you are watching an old American movie -- the crime film "Dirty Harry."

[00:10.09]You have heard that one part of the film is very famous in American culture.

[00:18.76]You watch the scene, which sounds like this:

[00:24.18]You go to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?

[00:28.50]Well, do you, punk?

[00:31.63]A sudden, strange thought comes to your mind. What is the purpose of the word well?

[00:41.58]You have heard different English speakers use the word in different ways, but you are not sure what it means.

[00:52.99]In our Everyday Grammar report, we will explore the common adverb well.

[01:01.19]We will show you how Americans use it while they are speaking.

[01:07.18]Do not fear. Unlike an unexpected meeting with Dirty Harry, this report will be painless!

[01:16.86]Adverbs are one of the most difficult subjects in English grammar.

[01:23.33]They are difficult because they represent a large group of words that have different uses.

[01:31.32]In general, the definition of an adverb is this: a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence.

[01:44.85]Adverbs are often used to show time, place or a way of doing things.

[01:52.81]They can also show a degree or measurement of something.

[01:58.23]Consider the sentence, "I really like English grammar."

[02:03.21]The adverb really changes the meaning of the verb like.

[02:09.39]The adverb really increases the force of the statement.

[02:16.06]There are also sentence adverbs.

[02:19.52]They limit or describe the meaning of an entire statement.

[02:25.31]Sentence adverbs also provide more information about the sentence.

[02:32.32]These are sometimes called conjunctive adverbs or discourse markers.

[02:38.74]Regardless of the name you choose to call them, the purpose is the same:

[02:44.89]They connect sentences in the same way coordinating conjunctions do, but they provide a different kind of information.

[02:55.76]Here is an example.

[02:57.55]Let's consider the statement:

[03:00.81]I love English; however, I do not love English grammar!

[03:05.47]The word however is a conjunctive adverb that shows a contrast or comparison is coming.

[03:14.61]You can read more about words like these in an earlier Everyday Grammar story called "Contrast and Concession."

[03:24.58]Today we are considering common conjunctive adverbs, or discourse markers, and how they are used in everyday-speech.

[03:37.39]Let's go back to the word well. As you heard at the beginning of today's program, well can have a few different uses.

[03:49.83]The first use is to show a contrast or even a disagreement.

[03:56.59]Consider this line from the ending of the American film "Some Like It Hot."

[04:04.80]"You don't understand, Osgood! I'm a man."

[04:10.67]"Well, nobody's perfect..."

[04:15.06]Here, the speaker uses well to show that a contrast is coming.

[04:23.38]The first speaker, the actor Jack Lemmon, expects the second person to become angry when he states he is not a woman, but a man.

[04:36.72]But Osgood reacts in an unexpected, or contrasting way.

[04:42.81]He does not act surprised at all!

[04:47.41]The second use of well is to show uncertainty, especially in answers.

[04:55.23]Consider this exchange between two friends.

[05:00.03]Do you mind if I borrow five dollars?

[05:03.68]Well, I'm not sure if I have any money with me...

[05:10.21]In this example, the second speaker is a little slow in responding.

[05:16.72]The word well shows that she is not sure if she has the money.

[05:23.97]Or, maybe she knows she has five dollars, but she does not want to say so.

[05:31.40]Whatever the case, the point is that well serves as a word that shows movement between the question and the answer.

[05:41.85]This transition shows that there is some uncertainty.

[05:46.62]The third common use of well is to show a transition to the end of a conversation.

[05:57.10]Consider this example. Imagine you are in a business meeting, and your boss makes the following statement:

[06:08.90]Well, this meeting has been very productive.

[06:12.51]In this case, the word well is showing a transition to the end of the meeting.

[06:20.33]Your boss is showing that he wants the meeting to end soon.

[06:26.65]In American culture, this is considered a careful, indirect way to end a conversation.

[06:35.86]However, if a speaker directs your attention to the word "well," then the meaning changes.

[06:45.18]The statement can take on an angry, tense sound.

[06:51.49]Consider the difference between these two statements:

[06:56.97]Well, this meeting has been very productive.

[07:00.72]WELL, this meeting has been very productive.

[07:04.35]The first statement is a respectful way to end a meeting.

[07:10.83]The second statement is a tense, perhaps angry way to bring a meeting to an end.

[07:19.73]If you heard the second statement in a business meeting, then you should know that something is wrong!

[07:28.81]Think back to the movie scene you heard at the beginning of this report.

[07:35.34]Now that you have learned about the word well, consider what Dirty Harry might have meant.

[07:43.03]Like any good crime film, we end with a few questions.

[07:49.37]What do you think Dirty Harry meant when he said well?

[07:53.88]Does he use it in a way that has the same meaning as the uses of well we have discussed, or does he use it in a different way?

[08:05.72]Leave your answers in the Comments Section on our website, learningenglish.voanews.com, or on our Facebook page.

[08:17.92]Well, I guess that is all for today's program. Until next time!

[08:24.43]I'm John Russell.

[08:25.89]And I'm Alice Bryant.

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Words in This Story

scene - n. a part of a play, movie, story, etc., in which a particular action or activity occurs

adverb - n. a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence and that is often used to show time, manner, place, or degree

conjunctive adverb - n. a conjunction that connects two sentences with an adverbial emphasis

coordinating conjunction - n. a conjunction (such as and, or, or but) that joins together words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance

contrast - n. to be different especially in a way that is very obvious

uncertainty - n. the quality or state of being uncertain

degree - n. a step in a process or order of classification

regardless - adv. without being stopped by difficulty or trouble

transition - n. passage from one subject or place to another

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