What’s an The word adverb suggests the idea of

adding to the meaning of the verb.

adverb? Provides extra information about the

action.
Function Adverbs
of Degree.
They describe the extent of a
characterisctic. They can be used
to emphasize that a characteristic
is either greater or less than a
typical level.

They can strengthen, weaken or

limit the meaning of the word they
modify.
 Examples
1 2 3

This series The exam She is

is quite was too very
good. dificult. generous.
 An adverb can act as
o w n t o ner
I n tensifiers / D s
/ r s
s

e
er

sh
This type increase This type decrease the
ifi

Dimini
Ampl

intensity. Some of effect of the modified

these modify gradable item. They indicate
adjectives and that the modified item
indicate degrees on a is not being used
scale. properly.
 Quite.
“less than / not as it is
expected”

We can place “quite” in Quite + absolute adjective

front of ordinary gradable
adjectives.
The film was quite good. (less than
good)
This old machine works quite
slowly. (not as fast as it’s
expected)
[dead, empty, full]
The bin is quite full (completely full)
Quite + strong adjective
[amazing, wonderful, delightful]
The performance was quite delightful.
(completely delightful)
 “to a moderate degree”.

Fairly is used when the speaker
wishes to affirm a positive idea.
We say that fairly is a step
TOWARDS an ideal.
A person is fairly well because "well" is
an ideal we strive for.
Rather is used when the speaker
gives a negative idea.
Rather is a step AWAY from it.
A person is rather ill because "ill" is an
undesirable state to achieve.
MORE ABOUT FAIRLY...

Fairly goes with adjetives that have a positive connotation

(clever, nice), and with the adverb (well).
When we compared to quite, fairly is generally "less
complimentary".

~What's Yoko's English like? - it's QUITE GOOD.

("Complimentary")
~What's Yoko's English like? - it's FAIRLY GOOD.
("Less complimentary")

We can't use fairly with some "absolute" adjetives: Not

*fairly dead/ fairly wonderful.
RATHER
Rather is stronger than quite
and fairly and also "inclined
Examples:
~This ice-cream is rather
to be". good.
It occurs in adjetives with
negative connotation (bad, ~That's rather clever of you.
poor, awful, unpleasant).
It can occurs with a positive
connotation to mean
"SUPRISINGLY".
 Much, any, far and a lot as adverbs of
degree.
•We can use "much" and "far" with
comparatives and superlatives to say:" to
what degree". E.g.:
-London is much the biggest city in -Jane is much better today.
Britain

•We can use a lot and any with comparatives.

E.g.:
-It's a lot bigger. Is it any better?
 More about "Much" and
"Far".

•We often use much and far with

prefer and would rather. E.g:
-I far prefer tea to coffee.
-I'd much rather have tea than coffee.
 List of adverbs of degree.
Absolutely Very Quite
Extremely Too A bit
Totally Far Barely
Completely A lot Almost
Highly Much Nearly
Entirely Any Fairly
Deeply Rather Slightly