Focus modifiers

Highlight, limit, or emphasize a particular part of a clause, typically the element they “focus” on:

Focus Modifier	Lexical Category	Function	Example Sentence
above all	Adverbial phrase	Signals principal / highest-priority focus	Above all, we must stay calm.
all	Determiner / Quantifier	Emphasizes totality of a set	All participants completed the survey.
also	Adverb	Marks inclusion; additive or parallel focus	Alice also came to the party.
both	Determiner / Quantifier	Emphasizes inclusion of two elements	Both students passed the exam.
chiefly	Adverb	Marks primary / dominant element	The event was attended chiefly by students.
even	Adverb	Highlights surprising or extreme focus	Even John managed to solve the problem.
even just	Adverbial phrase	Combines extremity with minimal-unit restriction	Even just one mistake can be fatal.
exactly	Adverb	Specifies precise identification / correctness	She is exactly the person we need.
exactly only	Adverbial phrase	Emphasizes strict and precise restriction	Exactly only one answer is correct.
fortunately	Adverb	Speaker attitude: positive evaluation	Fortunately, we arrived on time.
frankly	Adverb	Speaker attitude: evaluative stance / openness	Frankly, I don’t agree.
just	Adverb	Restricts focus to an exact minimal set	I spoke to just one student.
just also	Adverbial phrase	Adds inclusion with restriction (combined additive + limiting force)	Just also the teacher knew the answer.
largely	Adverb	Restricts focus to predominant portion	The work was largely completed.
mainly	Adverb	Restricts focus to primary / dominant element	The discussion focused mainly on grammar.
merely	Adverb	Minimizing / restrictive focus (signals low significance)	He was merely a bystander.
neither	Determiner / Quantifier	Excludes all options in a set	Neither answer is correct.
only	Adverb	Restricts focus by excluding alternatives	Only students passed the exam.
only just	Adverbial phrase	Restriction + temporal/degree immediacy (“barely”)	He only just managed to finish on time.
particularly	Adverb	Highlights a constituent as especially noteworthy	I liked the ending, particularly the last scene.
primarily	Adverb	Marks main focus / principal domain	The discussion was primarily about grammar.
solely	Adverb	Exclusive restriction (no other contributors)	The decision was made solely by the manager.
too	Adverb	Additive focus; parallel inclusion	Bob came too.
very	Adjective / Intensifier	Strengthens or intensifies reference or quality	She is the very person we need.

CGEL-style observations

Internal attachment: All of these focus modifiers attach internally to a phrase head (NP, AP, VP), not as external adjuncts.

Majority are adverbs: mainly, merely, just, exactly, even, also, too are all lexical adverbs functioning as focus modifiers.

Determiners / quantifiers: both, neither, all are phrasal heads that carry focus inherently.

Adjectives / intensifiers: very can function as a focus modifier of a nominal or adjectival head.

Semantic function: Most either restrict, highlight, or emphasize the head they modify.