Sometimes it’s necessary to make clear that an item is singled out for some reason, for instance if it’s been specially chosen. I often use the words specific and particular for that. Example:
“She is going to buy a specific book”
Omitting specific, the sentence could otherwise suggest that she just wants to buy any book; she’ll decide which after browsing some at the book store.
I was wondering if there are any differences that I should be aware about among specific, particular, certain, and similar words in this context.
Giving your opinion about their usage is OK, but I’d also like to have some references if possible.
This is probably more about ‘specifically’ and ‘particularly’ as used to expand on the concreteness of a preceding statement. ‘Specifically’ is more about clarifying the statement with concrete examples in an effort to eliminate misunderstanding. ‘Particularly’ is to stress the level/degree of applicability of the statement to some exemplary cases.
‘certain’ can also be used to speak about something that is otherwise considered inappropriate under the circumstance. Couple that with an eye wink to send a stronger signal.