"Life really is short"

Question

I found this sentence in one of my student's notebook.

Life really is short.

And Class teacher also mark that answer as correct. Just wanted to know which one is correct and should use.

Life really is short.
Life is really short.

As always! Thank you so much.

Answer 1

Both are correct English utterances in terms of their syntax.

So there's not really a difference in meaning but they'd be used in different circumstances.

There are a lot of existing questions on adverb placement which will cover this in much more detail. But arguably those both feature traditional "whole sentence adverbs* that emphasis the truth of the assertion as a whole.

So in short.

They have different meanings. The first means "It is true that life is short", the second "Life is very short" whether they correctly convey any particular meaning depends on which meaning(s) one intends.

Answer 2

1. Life really is short.
2. Life is really short.

Sentences number 1 and 2 are both grammatically correct.

The difference is in the placement of the adverb - really. This difference can impact the meaning of a given sentence, albeit very slightly. For instance, sentence number 1 emphasizes the reality of life being short, while sentence number two focuses more on the shortness itself.

Let's explore some similar nuances with other phrases, focusing on the impact of adverb placement:

1. I completely understand your frustration.
2. I understand your frustration completely.

In sentence number 1, the emphasis is on the speaker's thorough comprehension. They are conveying a deep level of understanding.

In sentence number 2, the emphasis shifts to the extent or totality of the frustration itself. The speaker acknowledges the frustration's intensity.