📏 Adverbs of Degree — Deep Guide
Level: B1 · Focus: intensity, gradability, too/enough, so/such
1. Gradable vs non-gradable adjectives
Before choosing an adverb of degree, ask: can the adjective be “more or less”?
| Type | Adjectives | Adverbs that work |
|---|---|---|
| Gradable (can be more/less) | cold, tired, happy, expensive, interesting | very, quite, fairly, rather, extremely, really |
| Non-gradable (absolute) | freezing, exhausted, impossible, unique, dead, perfect | absolutely, completely, totally, utterly |
✅ very cold / very tired / very interesting
✅ absolutely freezing / completely exhausted / absolutely impossible
❌ very freezing (freezing is already extreme) → ✅ absolutely freezing
❌ absolutely cold (not strong enough) → ✅ very cold
✅ absolutely freezing / completely exhausted / absolutely impossible
❌ very freezing (freezing is already extreme) → ✅ absolutely freezing
❌ absolutely cold (not strong enough) → ✅ very cold
2. very vs too
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| very | high degree (positive or negative) | The coffee is very hot. (= it’s hot, but that’s OK) |
| too | excessively — negative | The coffee is too hot. (= I can’t drink it) |
⚠️ “Too” implies a problem. “Very” does not.
“She’s very tired” = neutral. “She’s too tired to walk” = can’t.
“She’s very tired” = neutral. “She’s too tired to walk” = can’t.
3. too vs enough
too + adjective: She is too young.
not + adjective + enough: She is not old enough.
adjective + enough: He is old enough to drive.
not + adjective + enough: She is not old enough.
adjective + enough: He is old enough to drive.
Word order matters:
❌ enough old → ✅ old enough
❌ too much expensive → ✅ too expensive / much too expensive
❌ too much expensive → ✅ too expensive / much too expensive
4. so vs such
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| so | so + adjective/adverb | The film was so boring. |
| such | such + (a/an) + adjective + noun | It was such a boring film. |
✅ The movie was so good.
✅ It was such a good movie.
❌ so a good movie → ❌ such good a movie (wrong)
✅ They are such good students. (plural → no a/an)
✅ It was such a good movie.
❌ so a good movie → ❌ such good a movie (wrong)
✅ They are such good students. (plural → no a/an)
5. quite — two meanings
| Region | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| British English | moderately (= fairly) | The film was quite good. (it was OK) |
| American English | very (= very) | The film was quite good. (it was excellent) |
| Both | with absolute adjectives = completely | You’re quite right. (= completely right) |
6. fairly vs pretty vs rather
| Word | Strength | Example |
|---|---|---|
| fairly | moderate, slightly weaker | It’s fairly cold. (a bit cold) |
| pretty | moderate, informal | It’s pretty cold. (quite cold) |
| rather | more than expected, often negative | It’s rather cold. (uncomfortably cold) |
Order of strength: fairly < pretty < rather.
7. Position
Before an adjective: very tired
Before an adverb: very quickly
Before a verb (some degree adverbs): I completely agree. She totally understands.
Before comparatives: much better, a lot faster, far more interesting
Before too: much too expensive (not ❌ very too)
Before an adverb: very quickly
Before a verb (some degree adverbs): I completely agree. She totally understands.
Before comparatives: much better, a lot faster, far more interesting
Before too: much too expensive (not ❌ very too)
⚠️ ❌ very better → ✅ much better
❌ very too fast → ✅ much too fast
❌ very too fast → ✅ much too fast