Diana Szewczyk

Hello everyone,

I have noticed that many students have problems with the use of adverbs of degree, that is why you can find below the short explanation and some useful exercises to practise:

There are two groups of adjectives such as gradable and ungradable ones. What does it mean? 

Ungradable adjectives already contains the meaning of "very", for example the word enormous means very, very big and to emphasize it we can use such adverbs as: absolutely, completely, totally or really (possible for both).

Gradable adjectives show that something can have different degrees and we can use them with the averbs a bit, very, extremely and really (possible for both). 

There is one adverb to be careful about: quite. It can be used with both gradable and ungradable adjectives, but it means different things:

QUITE + gradable adjectives means rather, considerably e.g. It is quite (rather) cold.

QUITE + ungradable adjectives means totally e.g. I am quite (totally) exhausted. 

And now some practise:

1. He finished the day a bit / totally exhausted. 

2. Karin isn't a good actor. She's absolutely / very fantastic. 

3. The Serrano Towers in Valencia are absolutely / pretty high. 

4. It was a bit / absolutely freezing this morning. 

5. Scarlett Johanson looked absolutely / totally gorgeous at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony. 

Answers*

1. totally, 2. absolutely, 3. pretty, 4. absolutely, 5. absolutely

Appendix (examples of gradable and ungradable adjectives). 

If you have any further questions, feel free to write me.