ADVERBS OF DEGREE

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH I
Judit Saraí Sarmiento Párraga

UNIT 3
 Purpose of the learning session

• To learn adverbs of degree and to use them properly. El primer encuentro

Es trascendental
Do you know how to use adjectives in phrases like a bit cold,
really cold and absolutely freezing?
• Look at these examples to see how gradable and non-gradable adjectives are used.

• It's really cold.

• It's absolutely freezing.

• This exercise is really difficult.

• This exercise is completely impossible.

 What are adverbs of degree?

• Adverbs of degree are used to indicate the intensity, degree, or extent

of the verb, adjective, or adverb they are modifying. They always
appear before the adjective, verb, or other adverb they describe (except
for the adverb enough, which we’ll look at further on.)
 Degrees of strength

• Adverbs of degree can be mild, medium, strong, or absolute in how they

describe the intensity, degree, or extent of the word they modify.

• Adverbs that are mild, medium, or strong are known as grading adverbs; those
that describe an absolute state or degree are known as non-grading adverbs.
Sometimes a grading adverb of degree can change in strength depending on the
verb, adverb, or adjective it describes. Non-grading adverbs, on the other hand,
always describe absolute states or degrees.
• Here are some examples of adverbs of degree:

 He undoubtedly stole the money. (Absolute; non-grading)

 He is definitely coming to the party. (Absolute; non-grading)
 It’s absolutely freezing outside. (Absolute; non-grading)
 She is very sorry for her bad behavior. (Strong; grading)
 I really love reading good books. (Strong; grading)
 “Are you quite certain?” (Absolute—quite is a grading adverb, but it
can describe absolute states when paired with non-gradable
adjectives, which we will look at below.)

 She’s quite mad. (Strong)

 I quite like Indian food. (Medium)
 My camera was pretty expensive. (Medium)
 It’s a bit cold outside. (Medium or mild, depending on the speaker’s
emphasis.)
 It will take a bit longer to complete.(Mild)
 We were somewhat surprised. (Mild)
 Adverbs of degree with gradable vs. non-gradable adjectives

Gradable adjectives are those that can have measurable levels of

degree or intensity. This means we can have different levels of that
quality. For example, you can be a bit cold, very cold or extremely cold.
We can make them weaker or stronger with modifiers:

 She was quite angry when she found out.

 The film we saw last night was really funny!
 It can be extremely cold in Russia in the winter.
• Here is a list of some common gradable adjectives and some modifiers that we
can use with them.

a little/a bit / pretty/quite really/very

Modifiers somewhat/ extremely
rather→ → →

Adjectives angry, big, boring, cheap, cold, expensive, frightening,

funny, hot, interesting, old, pretty, small, tasty, tired, etc.
• Non-gradable adjectives- absolute adjectives: Some adjectives are non-
gradable. For example, something can't be a bit finished or very finished. You
can't be a bit dead or very dead. These adjectives describe absolute qualities. To
make them stronger we have to use modifiers like absolutely, totally or
completely:

 Thank you, I love it! It's absolutely perfect!

 Their farm was totally destroyed by a tornado.

 My work is completely finished. Now I can relax.

• Here is a list of some common absolute adjectives and some modifiers that we can
use with them.

Modifiers absolutely/totally/completely/
utterly
acceptable, dead, destroyed,
Adjectives finished, free, impossible,
necessary, perfect, ruined,
unacceptable, tiny/ giant/etc.
 Gradable Non-gradable

small tiny

cold freezing

Warn/ hot boiling

difficult impossible
 Sad Devastated
big enormous
good Excellent
Bad Terrible
Tired Exhausted
angry furious

• Use adverbs to make adjectives weaker or stronger.

• Adverbs with gradable adjectives – very, extremely, a bit, slightly
• Adverbs with ungradable adjectives – absolutely, completely, totally, utterly.
• Really is used with both.
 Enough as an adverb of degree

• The word enough can be used as another adverb of degree, meaning “sufficiently
or to a satisfactory amount or degree,” “very, fully, or quite,” or “tolerably.” Unlike
other adverbs of degree, though, enough can only modify adverbs and adjectives,
and it always comes after the word it is describing in a sentence. For example:

• “He didn’t finish the exam quickly enough.”

• “I’ll be happy enough to be back home.”
• “The play was interesting enough, but I wouldn’t go see it again.”
• Enough as an adjective:

• If enough appears before a noun that it modifies, then it is functioning as a

determiner (a type of adjective) meaning “adequate or sufficient to meet a need or
desire,” as in:
• “I have had enough food, thanks!”

• I have enough money to survive this week.

 Quite, pretty, rather and fairly
• You can use quite/pretty/rather/fairly + adjectives or adverbs. So you can say:

 It's quite cold.

 It's pretty cold.
 It's rather cold.
 It’s fairly cold.
• Quite and pretty are similar in meaning:

• I'm surprised you haven't heard of her. She's quite famous / pretty famous. (=
Less than ‘very famous', but more than 'a little famous’)

• Anna lives quite near me, so we see each other pretty often.

***Pretty is an informal word and is used mainly in spoken English.

• Quite goes before a/an:
 We live in quite an old house. (not a quite old house)
• Compare:

 Sarah has quite a good job.

 Sarah has a pretty good job.
• You can also use quite (but not pretty) in the following ways:
• quite a/an + noun (without an adjective):
• I didn't expect to see them. It was quite a surprise. (= quite a big surprise)
• Ray’s party is going to be quiet an exciting event.
• quite a lot (of ...):

 There were quite a lot of people at the meeting

• quite + verb, especially like and enjoy:

 I quite like tennis, but it's not my favourite sport.

• Rather is similar to quite and pretty. We often use rather for negative ideas (things
we think are not good):

 The weather isn't so good. It's rather cloudy.

 Paul is rather shy. He doesn't talk very much.
• Quite and pretty are also possible in these examples.
• When we use rather for positive ideas (good/nice etc.), it means ‘unusually’ or
‘surprisingly':
 These oranges are rather good. Where did you get them?
• Fairly is weaker than quite/rather/pretty. For example, if something is fairly good,
it is not very good and it could be better:

 My room is fairly big, but I'd prefer a bigger one.

 We see each other fairly often, but not as often as we used to.
• Quite also means ‘completely'. For example:
• Are you sure?' ‘Yes, quite sure.' (= completely sure)
• Quite means 'completely' with a number of adjectives, especially:

sure right true clear different incredible

amazing certain wrong safe obvious
unnecessary extraordinary impossible

• She was quite different from what I expected. (= completely different)

• Everything they said was quite true. (= completely true)
• We also use quite (= completely) with some verbs. For example:
• I quite agree with you. (= I completely agree)

• Not quite = not completely:

 They haven't quite finished eating yet.

 I don't quite understand what you mean.

 ‘Are you ready yet?' 'Not quite.' (= not completely)

quite hungry
Quite good
quite often
quite noisy
quite surprised
quite late
quite old

quite a good voice

quite a ling way

a pretty cold wind

 rather long
rather dissapointed
rather strange
rather impatient
 PRACTICE
• 1. What is the adverb of degree used in the sentence below?
• “I will happily do as you ask, but it will take a bit of time, so I will try to work very quickly.”
• a) happily
• b) a bit
• c) very
• d) quickly
• 
• 2. Where does an adverb of degree usually appear in a sentence?
• a) Before the word it modifies (adjectives, adverbs and verbs)
• b) After the word it modifies
• c) After a linking verb
• d) Before a noun
3. Which of the following is a non-grading adverb of degree?
a) very
b) rather
c) extremely
d) utterly
 
4. Which of the following adverbs can be used with both gradable and non-gradable
adjectives?
a) virtually
b) really
c) extremely
d) enough
• 5. Select the appropriate adverb of degree to fill in the blank:
• “I know I didn’t ace the exam, but I think I did well ______.”

a) really
b) enough
c) somewhat
d) a bit