Intensifiers: so and very
Use of very
INTENSIFIERS
We use words like very, so, really and extremely to make adjectives stronger:
- It's a very interesting story.
- Everyone was very excited.
- It's a really interesting story.
- Everyone was extremely excited.
uSE OF VERY
Very before adverbs and adjectives We use very before adverbs and adjectives to add emphasis. It means ‘to a great degree’.
- He drives very fast.
- The letter came very quickly.
- It’s very cold in here.
- We need a very high ladder to get onto the roof.
We do not use very when:
Not before some superlatives We can use very before superlative adjectives that end in -est (including best and worst), but we don’t use it before superlatives which use the most, we usually use by far: I think watching television is by far the most harmful activity for a child. Not: … is the very most harmful activity for a child.
Not before -ed forms in passive voice We use very much or well, not very, before -ed forms in passive voice verb phrases with verbs such as enjoy, hate, know, like, love: She is very much liked at school.Not: She is very liked.
Not before comparatives We use very much not very to add emphasis to comparative adverbs and adjectives: Omah is very much better than Ian at basketball. Not: Omah is very better than Ian
We do not use very when:
Not very We can use not very to soften a negative comment: Ray is usually not very punctual. (more direct: Ray is always late.) This pasta isn’t very nice, is it? (more direct: This pasta is not nice.)
Not before ungradable adjectives Some adjectives are absolute, such as dead, unique. We do not usually use very before these ungradable adjectives: The king was dead. Not: The king was very dead.
Difference between so and very
The difference between SO and VERY can be a tricky question . SO and VERY are both adverbs which are used to emphasize an adjective or an adverb. In many situations, you can use either SO or VERY with no difference in meaning.
USE SO AND VERY TO PROVIDE NEW INFORMATION
- I’m so hungry. I’m very hungry.
- She played so well. She played very well.
- It’s so expensive. It’s very expensive.
- I’m so happy. I’m very happy.
Use of so
Use of so
We often use so when we mean ‘to such a great extent’. With this meaning, so is a degree adverb that modifies adjectives and other adverbs: Examples: Using that camera is easy. Why is she making it so difficult? I’m sorry I’m walking so slowly. I’ve hurt my ankle. It doesn’t always work out so well. We also use so as an intensifier to mean ‘very, very’: Example: That motorway is so dangerous. Everyone drives too fast. That’s kind of you. Thanks so much for thinking of us.
use of so
We often use so with that: He’s so lazy that he never helps out with the housework.
It was so dark (that) we could hardly see. We don’t use so before an adjective + a noun (attributive adjective). We use such:
She emailed us such lovely pictures of her and Enzo. Not: … so lovely pictures … We use such not so to modify noun phrases: She is such a hard-working colleague. Not: … so a hard-working colleague.
use of so much and so many
We use so before much, many, little and few: There were so many people on the beach it was difficult to get into the sea. There are so few people who know what it is like in our country for other people from different cultures. You’ve eaten so little and I’ve eaten so much! We use so much, not so, before comparatives: I feel so much better after I’ve been for a run in the park. Not: I feel so better … My house is so much colder than yours.
so as a substitute
In formal contexts we can use so instead of an adjective phrase after a verb: The bus service was very unreliable when I was young and it remains so even today. (It remains very unreliable …) She is very anxious. She’s been so since the accident. (She’s been very anxious since the accident.) More so, less so When we are comparing, we use more so and less so as substitutes: The kitchen is very old-fashioned, the living room more so. (The living room is more old-fashioned than the kitchen.) My old office was very dark; my new office less so. (My new office is less dark than my old office.)
Intensifiers
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Transcript
Intensifiers: so and very
Use of very
INTENSIFIERS
We use words like very, so, really and extremely to make adjectives stronger:
uSE OF VERY
Very before adverbs and adjectives We use very before adverbs and adjectives to add emphasis. It means ‘to a great degree’.
We do not use very when:
Not before some superlatives We can use very before superlative adjectives that end in -est (including best and worst), but we don’t use it before superlatives which use the most, we usually use by far: I think watching television is by far the most harmful activity for a child. Not: … is the very most harmful activity for a child.
Not before -ed forms in passive voice We use very much or well, not very, before -ed forms in passive voice verb phrases with verbs such as enjoy, hate, know, like, love: She is very much liked at school.Not: She is very liked.
Not before comparatives We use very much not very to add emphasis to comparative adverbs and adjectives: Omah is very much better than Ian at basketball. Not: Omah is very better than Ian
We do not use very when:
Not very We can use not very to soften a negative comment: Ray is usually not very punctual. (more direct: Ray is always late.) This pasta isn’t very nice, is it? (more direct: This pasta is not nice.)
Not before ungradable adjectives Some adjectives are absolute, such as dead, unique. We do not usually use very before these ungradable adjectives: The king was dead. Not: The king was very dead.
Difference between so and very
The difference between SO and VERY can be a tricky question . SO and VERY are both adverbs which are used to emphasize an adjective or an adverb. In many situations, you can use either SO or VERY with no difference in meaning.
USE SO AND VERY TO PROVIDE NEW INFORMATION
Use of so
Use of so
We often use so when we mean ‘to such a great extent’. With this meaning, so is a degree adverb that modifies adjectives and other adverbs: Examples: Using that camera is easy. Why is she making it so difficult? I’m sorry I’m walking so slowly. I’ve hurt my ankle. It doesn’t always work out so well. We also use so as an intensifier to mean ‘very, very’: Example: That motorway is so dangerous. Everyone drives too fast. That’s kind of you. Thanks so much for thinking of us.
use of so
We often use so with that: He’s so lazy that he never helps out with the housework. It was so dark (that) we could hardly see. We don’t use so before an adjective + a noun (attributive adjective). We use such: She emailed us such lovely pictures of her and Enzo. Not: … so lovely pictures … We use such not so to modify noun phrases: She is such a hard-working colleague. Not: … so a hard-working colleague.
use of so much and so many
We use so before much, many, little and few: There were so many people on the beach it was difficult to get into the sea. There are so few people who know what it is like in our country for other people from different cultures. You’ve eaten so little and I’ve eaten so much! We use so much, not so, before comparatives: I feel so much better after I’ve been for a run in the park. Not: I feel so better … My house is so much colder than yours.
so as a substitute
In formal contexts we can use so instead of an adjective phrase after a verb: The bus service was very unreliable when I was young and it remains so even today. (It remains very unreliable …) She is very anxious. She’s been so since the accident. (She’s been very anxious since the accident.) More so, less so When we are comparing, we use more so and less so as substitutes: The kitchen is very old-fashioned, the living room more so. (The living room is more old-fashioned than the kitchen.) My old office was very dark; my new office less so. (My new office is less dark than my old office.)