Comments on: Even, Yet, and Still

By: Eloquius

Eloquius — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:41:10 +0000

These two sentences do not mean the same thing:
She is even happier today than she was yesterday.
She is still happier today than she was yesterday.

At a basic level, they do. However, they imply different things. In context, they would not be interchangeable.

In the first example, “even” is more interchangeable with “much” than “still”
The second example suggests that her improved happiness is in spite of unmentioned factors, and that it could still stand to be better.

Maybe it’s difficult to find examples where these two words have the same meaning because they don’t.

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 05:28:10 +0000

I am under the impression that “even still” conveys a slightly different meaning for me than either “even so” or “still” and occasionally feels appropriate.

By: One Night Stanzas

One Night Stanzas — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:28:32 +0000

Maeve —

This is a great, really useful article picking up on one of my all-time pet peeves. The British say “even so,” as a phrase meaning “taking that into account,” i.e. “even so, I don’t think what you’re saying is true.”
Because we say “even so,” I think “even still” becomes even more complex when it enters UK English. It’s not used too much over here but whenever I hear it, it makes my teeth itch. As you say, “even still” is never, ever right… no matter what Monty thinks!

By: Maeve

Maeve — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:32:37 +0000

Monty,
Yes, I think you are missing the point. While your other examples work, the “Even still” one just doesn’t fly.

By: Monty Cantsin

Monty Cantsin — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:53:47 +0000

Could I say, “Even at this time, there are children dying of hunger, malaria, and AIDS.”

Dare I say, emphatically mind you, YES.

With your ‘virtually interchangeable’ jazz, thusly it could also be said as, “Still at this time, there are children dying of hunger, malaria, and AIDS.” and still be correct, no?

Though, it is pressing to put emphasis on the virtually bit of the equation.

One of the definitions of ‘still’ is “at this (or that) time”, could I not thusly rephrase my sentence more succinctly as, “Even still children are dying of hunger, malaria, and AIDS.”?

Or am I just missing the point?