Adjectives: gradable and non-gradable

MY STUDENTS ARE EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT

Do you know how to use adjectives in phrases like a bit cold, really cold and absolutely freezing?

Most adjectives are gradable. 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.

Some common gradable adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them are...

Non-gradable: absolute adjectivesSome 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...

Non-gradable: extreme adjectivesAdjectives like amazing, awful and boiling are also non-gradable. They already contain the idea of 'very' in their definitions. If we want to make extreme adjectives stronger, we have to use absolutely or really: Did you see the final match? It was absolutely amazing! After 32 hours of travelling, they were absolutely exhausted. My trip home was really awful. First, traffic was really bad, then the car broke down and we had to walk home in the rain.

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

Choose the correct option.

1- These shoes are ___ small. a) a bit b) absolutely 2- The pasta was ___ tasty. a) completely b) very 3- The dessert was ___ delicious! a) absolutely b) very

4- It's not ___ perfect, but it's good enough. a) completely b) very 5- I'm ___ late. I'm so sorry! a) completely b) very 6- We were ___ exhausted when we arrived home. a) absolutely b) very

7- My phone battery is ___ dead. a) totally b) very 8- The book is ___ amazing! a) absolutely b) very

The summers here are extremely hot.

The summers here are absolutely hot.

The house was extremely destroyed in the war.

The house was totally destroyed in the war.

She was absolutely angry.

She was very angry.

The interactive museum was a bit fascinating.

The interactive museum was absolutely fascinating.

THANK YOU STUDENTS! 😊

TEACHER BRENDA RAMÍREZ 👩‍🏫✨

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/