word usage “only”

Question

I believe, Only mostly means as one of its kind. Correct me if I am wrong. Last week, I texted my friend asking her where she was she replied I am at home only. Sometimes I see people using it in terms like I am at the railway station only or I am the park only. Is this way of using only correct

Answer 1

This isn’t a correct way of saying only.

In these cases, rather than saying ‘only’ you would say ‘alone’;

I am at home alone.

I am at the railway station alone.

You could also say:

I am the only person at home.

I am the only person at the railway station.

Answer 2

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, only can be used in two ways:

• as an adjective, meaning that there is a single one of something.
• as an adverb, meaning 'not more'

When it is used as an adjective, it normally occurs before a noun:

This is my only pen

Adverb positioning is a lot more flexible, for example:

Only a fool would believe his story!
I only have one pen
It's only a game
This club is for members only.

I can't think of any way that you could use the adjectival meaning in your friend's sentence.

If she meant that she was not doing anything more interesting than sitting at home, the normal position would be after the be-verb:

I am only at home