THE WORD "EVEN" and how to use it

We can use 'even' in comparisons to say that the comparison is surprising or to make comparison stronger.

• He’s even more polite than his brother (= his brother is really polite, so he must be really, really polite.)

• Sarah is even richer than George. (= George is very rich, so I find it surprising that Sarah can be richer than him.)
___________________________________

'Even' talks about something surprising. It’s an adverb.

• My mum can’t even remember her keys! (= I think it’s surprising that she can’t remember her keys.)

• He was so ill he couldn’t even drink water.
___________________________________

'Even though' is used to make ‘though’ stronger. It means ‘despite the fact that’.

• Even though it was rainy, we went to the birthday barbecue. (= despite the fact that it was rainy, we went to the birtday barbecue = although it was rainy, we went to the barbecue.)

• I love Amsterdam, even though the weather is really depressing in the winter.
______________________________________

'Even if' is also used to make conditionals stronger or to say that the conditional is surprising.

• We can’t go to the birthday barbecue, even if we are invited. (It’s surprising that we can’t go to the barbecue if we are invited.)

• I don’t think I can pass the exam, even if I study really hard.
_______________________________________

'Even so' also tells us about something that is surprising. It’s used in the same was as ‘despite what I just said’. It needs to go in the middle of two pieces of information.

• It was really hot. Even so, we were walking around the city all day. (= despite the fact that it was hot, we were walking around the city all day.)

• I was wide