| almost ~ | nearly ~ | practically ~ |
|---|---|---|
| certainly | (numbers) | all |
| all | all | every |
| every | always | no |
| entirely | every | nothing |
| impossible | finished | impossible |
| empty | died | anything |
- They are used in positive sentences:She almost/nearly/practically missed her train.They can be used before words like all, every, and everybody:Nearly all the students have bikes. I’ve got practically every CD they’ve made.Practically is used more in spoken than in written English. Nearly is the most common with numbers:There were nearly 200 people at the meeting.They can also be used in negative sentences but it is more common to make a positive sentence with barely:We barely made it in time.(or:We almost/nearly didn’t make it in time.)
- Almost and practically can be used before words like any, anybody, anything, etc.:I’ll eat almost anything.You can also use them before no, nobody, never, etc. but it is much more common to use hardly with any, anybody, ever, etc.:She’s hardly ever in.(or:She’s almost never in.)
- Almost can be used when you are saying that one thing is similar to another:The boat looked almost like a toy.
much less than; not at all It's not nearly as hot as last year. There isn't nearly enough time to get there now.
Check pronunciation: nearly