Adverbs of Degree

The complete guide to modifying intensity, degree, and emphasis in English

An adverb of degree modifies adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs to indicate the intensity, degree, or extent of the action, quality, or manner. These adverbs answer the question "How much?" or "To what extent?"

What Makes Adverbs of Degree Special?

Adverbs of degree are essential for precise communication, allowing us to express gradations of meaning that would otherwise be impossible. They help us quantify qualities and actions in nuanced ways that are crucial for academic writing, professional communication, and standardized tests.

Quick Examples:
  • The test was extremely difficult. (modifies adjective)
  • She almost finished the project. (modifies verb)
  • He ran incredibly fast. (modifies adverb)
  • This solution is far better. (modifies comparative adjective)
Key Characteristics:
  • Typically placed before the word they modify (except for "enough")
  • Can modify adjectives, verbs, other adverbs, or entire sentences
  • Create nuanced meanings essential for precise communication
  • Common in academic writing and standardized test questions

Categories of Adverbs of Degree

1. Intensifiers (Amplifiers)

These increase the intensity of the modified word.

Examples:
  • absolutely certain
  • completely wrong
  • entirely possible
  • extremely important
  • highly recommended
  • perfectly normal
  • totally awesome
  • utterly ridiculous
  • very cold

2. Downtoners (Diminishers)

These decrease the intensity of the modified word.

Examples:
  • barely audible
  • fairly simple
  • hardly noticeable
  • mildly interesting
  • partially correct
  • quite nice
  • rather difficult
  • slightly warm
  • somewhat confusing

3. Approximators

These indicate that something is nearly or almost the case.

Examples:
  • almost finished
  • nearly perfect
  • practically impossible
  • virtually identical

4. Completeness Indicators

These show the extent to which something is complete.

Examples:
  • fully aware
  • half empty
  • partly cloudy
  • totally exhausted

5. Comparative/Superlative Modifiers

These modify comparative or superlative forms.

Examples:
  • far better
  • much easier
  • a lot more interesting
  • slightly less important
  • by far the best
Special Case: "Enough"

The adverb "enough" is unique because it typically comes after the word it modifies:

  • warm enough (not "enough warm")
  • fast enough
  • carefully enough

Detailed Usage Rules

1. Position in Sentences

Adverbs of degree typically appear immediately before the word they modify:

Correct Placement:
  • She is very intelligent. (before adjective)
  • They almost won the game. (before verb)
  • He runs incredibly fast. (before adverb)

2. Modifying Different Parts of Speech

Modifying Adjectives

  • The results were quite surprising.
  • This is a remarkably effective solution.
  • She seemed utterly exhausted.

Modifying Verbs

  • I really appreciate your help.
  • They barely escaped the accident.
  • We thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

Modifying Other Adverbs

  • She spoke extremely quickly.
  • He answered surprisingly well.
  • They arrived unusually early.

Modifying Determiners and Pronouns

  • Almost all students passed the exam.
  • Hardly anyone objected to the proposal.
  • Nearly every participant completed the survey.

3. Gradability Considerations

Some adjectives are non-gradable (absolute) and shouldn't be modified by degree adverbs:

Incorrect Usage:
  • ✖ very perfect
  • ✖ extremely unique
  • ✖ completely dead
Correct Alternatives:
  • ✔ nearly perfect
  • ✔ absolutely unique
  • ✔ completely lifeless

4. Common Collocations

Certain adverbs of degree frequently pair with specific adjectives:

  • highly likely/unlikely
  • deeply concerned/affected
  • utterly ridiculous/devastated
  • perfectly normal/clear
  • bitterly disappointed/cold

5. Multiple Modification

In some cases, multiple adverbs of degree can modify the same word for emphasis:

  • This is so very important.
  • She was really quite upset.
  • The results were absolutely completely unexpected.

Advanced Usage: Nuances and Subtleties

1. "Very" vs. "Too"

"Very" intensifies, while "too" indicates excess (beyond what is desirable):

  • The coffee is very hot. (intensifier)
  • The coffee is too hot to drink. (excessive)

2. "Quite" in British vs. American English

"Quite" can mean "completely" in British English but "somewhat" in American English:

  • British: "That's quite right." (completely right)
  • American: "That's quite good." (somewhat good)

3. "Rather" for Preference or Degree

"Rather" can indicate preference or degree:

  • I'd rather stay home. (preference)
  • It's rather cold today. (degree)

4. "Fairly" vs. "Pretty"

Both mean "moderately," but "pretty" is more informal:

  • Formal: The results were fairly consistent.
  • Informal: The results were pretty consistent.

5. "Enough" Position and Meaning

"Enough" follows adjectives/adverbs but precedes nouns:

  • She's old enough to vote.
  • We have enough time to finish.

6. "So" and "Such" for Emphasis

"So" modifies adjectives/adverbs, "such" modifies nouns:

  • It was so cold yesterday.
  • It was such a cold day.

Adverbs of Degree in Academic Writing

Proper use of degree adverbs enhances academic writing by allowing precise qualification of statements:

1. Hedging in Academic Discourse

Downtoners help express caution or uncertainty appropriate for academic tone:

  • The results somewhat support our hypothesis.
  • This approach is relatively new in the field.
  • The data partially confirms previous findings.

2. Emphasizing Key Points

Intensifiers highlight important findings or arguments:

  • This discovery is extremely significant for...
  • The correlation was highly statistically significant.
  • These results clearly demonstrate that...

3. Common Academic Collocations

  • highly significant/relevant/specialized
  • fully aware/compatible/developed
  • partially completed/understood/fulfilled
  • relatively simple/unknown/common
  • sufficiently large/detailed/robust

4. Avoiding Overuse in Formal Writing

While useful, excessive intensifiers can weaken academic prose:

Overused:

"This very important study really shows that the results are extremely significant and absolutely crucial for..."

Improved:

"This study demonstrates significant results that are crucial for..."

Common Errors and How to Avoid Them

1. Double Intensifiers

Avoid redundant combinations in formal writing:

Incorrect:
  • ✖ very excellent
  • ✖ completely perfect
Correct:
  • ✔ excellent
  • ✔ perfect

2. Incorrect Placement

Ensure adverbs modify the intended word:

Unclear:

She almost drove the kids to school every day. (Did she almost drive them, or drive them almost every day?)

Clear:
  • She drove the kids to school almost every day.
  • Almost every day, she drove the kids to school.

3. Confusing "Too" and "Very"

Incorrect:

✖ This coffee is too hot, but I can drink it.

Correct:

✔ This coffee is very hot, but I can drink it.

4. Overgeneralizing with "Absolutely"

Reserve for non-gradable adjectives:

Incorrect:

✖ absolutely beautiful

Correct:

✔ absolutely essential

5. Misplacing "Enough"

Incorrect:

✖ enough warm

Correct:

✔ warm enough

Standardized Test Focus (IELTS, SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc.)

Adverbs of degree frequently appear in standardized tests, particularly in:

1. Error Identification Questions

Identify the error:

"The (A) very perfect score (B) was (C) quite unexpected (D) by the instructor."

Answer: (A) - "very perfect" is incorrect because "perfect" is absolute

2. Sentence Improvement Questions

Choose the best version:

"The results were _____ surprising that we repeated the experiment."

  • A) very
  • B) too
  • C) so
  • D) extremely

Answer: C) "so" (correct for "that" clause construction)

3. Reading Comprehension Tone Analysis

Degree adverbs help identify author's attitude:

  • "Highly questionable methods" → negative attitude
  • "Remarkably consistent findings" → positive attitude
  • "Somewhat ambiguous results" → cautious tone

4. Essay Writing Tips

  • Use strong intensifiers for thesis statements ("extremely important")
  • Use downtoners for concessions ("partially valid")
  • Avoid absolute statements unless fully supported

Practice Activities

1. Degree Adverb Transformation

Rewrite sentences using different adverbs of degree to change meaning:

Original: The test was very difficult.

Transformations:

  • The test was extremely difficult.
  • The test was somewhat difficult.
  • The test was not very difficult.

2. Academic Sentence Revision

Improve these academic sentences with appropriate adverbs of degree:

  1. The results were significant. → The results were highly significant.
  2. This theory explains the data. → This theory partially explains the data.
  3. We were surprised by the outcome. → We were quite surprised by the outcome.

3. Error Correction Exercise

Identify and correct errors in adverb usage:

  1. ✖ The solution was enough good. → ✔ The solution was good enough.
  2. ✖ She was very exhausted after the marathon. → ✔ She was utterly exhausted after the marathon.
  3. ✖ This method is absolutely better. → ✔ This method is significantly better.

4. Standardized Test Simulation

Create SAT/GRE-style questions about adverbs of degree for classmates.

Comprehensive Reference Table

Adverb Intensity Level Common Collocations Usage Notes
absolutely Extreme essential, certain, ridiculous For non-gradable adjectives
completely Extreme different, unexpected, full Often with "changed" or "new"
extremely Very high important, difficult, rare Formal/academic preference
highly Very high likely, recommended, unusual Common in professional contexts
very High common, good, bad Most general intensifier
quite Moderate-high interesting, large, small Meaning varies by dialect
rather Moderate difficult, expensive, cold Often implies unexpectedness
fairly Moderate simple, consistent, easy More positive connotation
somewhat Low-moderate surprising, confusing, unusual Academic hedging
slightly Low warm, different, higher For small differences
barely Minimal noticeable, audible, enough Negative polarity item
hardly Minimal any, ever, noticeable Negative polarity item

Final Checklist for Mastery

  • ✓ Understand all categories of adverbs of degree
  • ✓ Know proper placement rules (especially "enough")
  • ✓ Recognize gradable vs. non-gradable adjectives
  • ✓ Use appropriate adverbs for academic writing
  • ✓ Avoid common errors (double intensifiers, etc.)
  • ✓ Apply knowledge to standardized test questions
  • ✓ Vary adverbs for precise communication
Pro Tip:

When proofreading, check if each adverb of degree is (1) necessary, (2) correctly placed, and (3) the strongest possible choice for your intended meaning.