Adverbs of degree

Adverbs of Degree

Usage

Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity or degree of an action, an adjective or another adverb.

Common adverbs of degree:

Almost, nearly, quite, just, too, enough, hardly, scarcely, completely, very, extremely.

 

Examples

  • She doesn't quite know what she'll do after university.
  • They are completely exhausted from the trip.
  • I am too tired to go out tonight.
  • He hardly noticed what she was saying.

Adverbs of degree are usually placed:

1. Before the adjective or adverb they are modifying:

  • The water was extremely cold.

2. Before the main verb:

  • He was just leaving. She has almost finished.

Usage of "enough"

Enough can be used as both an adverb and as a determiner.

Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' goes after adjectives and adverbs.

Examples

  • Is your coffee hot enough? (adjective)
  • He didn't work hard enough. (adverb)

Enough is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.

Examples

  • He didn't work hard enough to pass the exam.
  • Is your coffee hot enough to drink?
  • She's not old enough to get married.
  • I got here early enough to sign up.

Enough can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".

Examples

  • The dress was big enough for me.
  • She's not experienced enough for this job.
  • Is the coffee hot enough for you?
  • He didn't work hard enough for a promotion.

It also goes before nouns, and means 'as much as is necessary'. In this case it is not an adverb, but a 'determiner'.

Examples

  • We have enough bread.
  • They don't have enough food.

Too

"Too" is always an adverb, but it has two distinct meanings, each with its own usage patterns.

Too as an adverb meaning 'more than is necessary or useful' goes before adjectives and adverbs

  • This coffee is too hot. (adjective)
  • He works too hard. (adverb)

Too as an adverb meaning "also" goes at the end of the phrase it modifies.

Examples

  • I would like to go swimming too, if you will let me come.
  • Can I go to the zoo too?
  • Is this gift for me too?
  • I'm not going to clean your room too!

Too is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.

Examples

  • The coffee was too hot to drink.
  • You're too young to have grandchildren!
  • I am not too tired to go out tonight.
  • Don't you work too hard to have any free time?

Too can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".

Examples

  • The coffee was too hot for me.
  • The dress was too small for her.
  • He's not too old for this job.
  • Sally's not too slow for our team.

Usage of "very"

Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.

Examples

  • The girl was very beautiful. (adjective)
  • He worked very quickly. (adverb)

If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can use a word of opposite meaning, or not very.

Examples

  • The girl was ugly OR The girl was not very beautiful
  • He worked slowly OR He didn't work very quickly.

Usually the phrase using "not very" is less direct, and thus more polite, than the other phrases.
 

Difference in meaning between "very" and "too"

There is a big difference between too and very. "Very" expresses a fact while "too" suggests there is a problem.

  • He speaks very quickly. (expresses a fact)
  • He speaks too quickly (for me to understand). (a problem)
  • It is very hot outside. (but we can go for a walk)
  • It is too hot outside to go for a walk. (there is a problem)

Other adverbs like very

These common adverbs are used like very and not very, and are listed in order of strength, from positive to negative:

extremely, especially, particularly, pretty, rather, quite, fairly, rather, not especially, not particularly.

 

Expressing very strong feelings Expressing strong feelings Expressing somewhat doubtful feelings
extremely, terribly, amazingly, wonderfully, insanely especially, particularly, uncommonly, unusually, remarkably, quite pretty, rather, fairly, not especially, not particularly
  • The movie was amazingly interesting.
  • She sang wonderfully well.
  • The lecture was terribly boring.
  • The movie was particularly interesting.
  • She sang unusually well.
  • The lecture was quite boring.
  • The movie was fairly interesting.
  • She sang pretty well.
  • The lecture was rather boring.

 

Note: rather can be positive or negative, depending on the adjective or adverb that follows:

  • The teacher was rather nice. (Positive)
  • The film was rather disappointing. (Negative)

Note on inversion with negative adverbs

Normally the subject goes before the verb:

SUBJECT VERB

I
She

left
goes



However, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion - the order is reversed and the verb goes before the subject
 

Examples

  • I have never seen such courage. Never have I seen such courage.
  • She rarely left the house. Rarely did she leave the house.

Negative inversion is used in writing, not in speaking.

Other adverbs and adverbial expressions that can be used like this:

seldom, scarcely, hardly, not only .....
but also, no sooner .....
than, not until, under no circumstances.