“Residents are supposed to have all required keys with them when leaving or entering the building. Please be advised that the building staff will only allow access to the apartment if there is an emergency.”
“Residents are supposed to have all required keys with them when leaving or entering the building. Please be advised that the building staff will allow access to the apartment only if there is an emergency.”
My native language is not English. Which of the above statements is correct? Why? What is the difference in the meanings conveyed that makes one correct or wrong compared to the other?
The statements could actually each be read several different ways.
The staff will only allow access and nothing else if there is an emergancy.
The staff allow access only to the apartment in the case of an emergency and not allow access to anywhere else.
The staff will allow access to the aparment only in the case of an emrgency.
The staff will allow access only in the case of an emergency and not at other times.
The staff allow access only to the apartment in the case of an emergency and not allow access to anywhere else.
The staff will allow only allow access to the aprtment and not do anything else.
It kinda depends on what you decide the “only” is modifying.
But, I think you’re trying to say that the building staff will not let you in if you’ve forgotten your keys unless there is an emergency. I’d rephrase the sentence.
Many years ago, CBS had an “essay on grammar” in whiuch they illustred the different meanings of sentences, depending upon where you placed “only”:
Only I punched Walter Cronkite in the nose.
I only punched Walter Cronkite in the nose.
I punched only Walter Cronkite in the nose.
I punched Walter Cronkite in the nose only.
Somebody musta had it in for the avuncular and undislodegable Cronkite.
As you can probably tell from the responses, the word only can be very ambiguous. I would advise cutting it out. I would also cut out meaningless verbiage and vague officialese, which just make things harder to understand. Here’s my suggestion:
I agree that cliché official-sounding or polite-sounding phrases should be avoided whenever possible – phrases like ‘please be advised’, ‘just to inform you’, ‘for your information’, and (worst of all) ‘we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause’. Also, ‘supposed’ is a bit informal and can also be ambiguous. In this case, ‘supposed’ could also mean ‘assumed’, rather than ‘expected’. To make it sound friendier, one could use ‘you’ rather than ‘residents’ as the subject: ‘Please check that you have your keys before leaving the building. The building staff will not unlock your apartment unless there is an emergency.’
Regarding the use of ‘only’, I like the second usage better. Both are reasonably correct, but ‘only’ isn’t really necessary. Another possibility is ‘Building staff will allow access to the apartment in case of emergency only.’ Note that this sentence (regardless of the placement of ‘only’) is not entirely clear about to whom the building staff will provide access.
Only is a fairly slippery word in colloquial English, owing to its several different-but-related meanings and its ability to function as both adverb and adjective. One classic example was ringing the changes on the old evergreen song title, “I Only Have Eyes for You.”
“I only have eyes for you.” (None of the other girls/guys are of interest – though it could also carry the meaning that eyes are all I have for you; look elsewhere for lips and tongue.)
“Only I have eyes for you.” (Everybody else thinks you’re ugly.)
“I have only eyes for you.” (But my penis is directed elsewhere.)
“I have eyes only for you.” (Good question whether it means #1 or #3.)
“I have eyes for only you.” (#1 phrased differently)
“I have eyes for you only.” (Ditto.)
“Residents are supposed to have all required keys with them when leaving or entering the building. Please be advised that the building staff will allow access to the apartment only if there is an emergency.”
But what’s really not helping in this sentence, more so than the positioning of the “only”, is the use of the passive “allow”. This alone makes the meaning unclear and causes the “only” to have a suggestion of ambiguity. The staff aren’t be asked to “allow” access in an emergency, they are being asked to get keys and unlock the door. It should say something more along the lines of “provide”.
Roches is also right, it’s all needlessly verbose in an effort to sound officious. The 'Please be advised" and “supposed to” are pointless additions and only further confuse what should be straightforward instructions.
“Only” is probably the most misplaced modifier in the English language, as can be shown by your example. Since the intent of the sentence is to allow access only if there is an emergency (and not to only allow access), the second example is the only correct one. In the last sentence, the “only” can be placed before “the second example” without changing the meaning, but in your sentence, the placement of the “only” changes the meaning.
All current residents are hereby advised of the following official policy:
When entering or exiting the premises, said residents are required to be in possession of all necessary keys. Employees of the building are not authorized to assist in gaining entry to any apartment unless there is an emergency.
Even if I have my keys with me, the staff won’t let me come in unless there’s an emergency?