English Grammar : Adverbs of Degree or Quality
 
ADVERBS OF DEGREE or QUALITY

Uses of Adverbs of Degree or Quality in English Grammar

What is Adverbs of Quality?

"'Adverbs of degree or quality' tell us about the degree, quality, intensity, concentration or even extent and depth of a particular action."

It modifies the meaning of a verb, adjective, adverb or a sentence.

Adverbs of degree are usually placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb that they modify, although there are some exceptions. Adverbs of degree normally come in mid position with the verb. They are placed after the auxiliary verbs and before other verbs. If there are two auxiliary verbs, the adverb comes after the first.

An adverb of degree is used to modify any part of speech except a noun or pronoun.
(The test question is how much? or to what extent? or in what degree?)

» The test question 'How much? / To what extent? / In what degree?' :

• I don't have enough red barries. (Question : How much?)

• He is running very fast. (Question : To what extent?)

• Rohan works too hard. (Question : In what degree?)

• Adverbs of degree modifies the meaning of a verb, adjective, adverb or a sentence:

1. An adverb modifies a verb.

  • Example : She sang sweetly.

2. An adverb modifies an adjective.

  • Example : He is usually intelligent.

3. An adverb modifies another adverb.

  • Example : Virat ran very quickly.

4. An adverb modifies the whole sentence.

  • Example : Fortunately, I met her by chance.
» Usage of 'Enough' as an adverb

Enough can be used as both an adverb and as a determiner. Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' used after the adjective or adverb that it is modifying, and not before it as other adverbs do. It can be used both in positive and negative sentences.

Examples:
  • • Is your tea hot enough?
  • • I got here early enough.
  • • She didn't work hard enough.
  • • That baggage isn't big enough.
» Usage of 'Too' as an adverb

'Too' is always an adverb, but it has two distinct meanings, each with its own usage patterns. 'Too' as an adverb meaning "also" goes at the end of the phrase it modifies.

Examples:
  • • Is this chocolate for me too?
  • • Can I go to the shopping mall too?
  • • I am not going to clean your bedroom too!
  • • I would like to go gym too, if you will let me come.
» Usage of 'Very' as an adverb

'Very' is used before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.

Examples:
  • • He runs very fast.
  • • The boy was very smart.
  • • She worked very quickly.
  • • This mobile is very expensive.
Other Adverbs used like 'Very':
Some common adverbs are used in the same way as 'very' to heighten the degree of adjectives and adverbs.
(1) » To expres very strong feelings:
  • • She is insanely jealous.
  • • He sang wonderfully well.
  • • Something is terribly wrong.
  • • The movie was terribly boring.
  • • The story was amazingly interesting.
  • • He knows the hiding area extremely well.
(2) » To express strong feelings:
  • • He sang unusually well.
  • • The movie was quite boring.
  • • He was uncommonly brave too.
  • • Pooja speaks remarkably good English.
  • • The story was particularly interesting.
  • • I love Kashmir, especially in the spring.
(3) » To express somewhat doubtful feelings:
  • • He sang pretty well.
  • • The movie was rather boring.
  • • The story was fairly interesting.
  • • I am not especially interested in hockey.
  • • His remarks were not particularly helpful.
Adverbs of Quality are:
very, too, enough, much, so, extremely, absolutely, almost, little, fairly, wholly, rather, only, just, terribly, fully, partly, quite, somewhat, half, nearly, mostly, more, hardly etc.
Uses of Adverbs of degree or quality (Examples):
  • • He was just leaving.
  • • She hardly ever smiles.
  • • I have only two oranges.
  • • She was only half awake.
  • • They are fully prepared.
  • • I nearly kissed her lips.
  • • George is very intelligent.
  • • We were somewhat surprised.
  • • This story is extremely funny.
  • • He is partly done with his work.
  • • The milk is hot enough, drink it.
  • • Is he much stronger than you are?
  • • My boss is terribly grumpy today.
  • • You are wholly mistaken about her.
  • • This movie is absolutely wonderful.
  • • He is quite unsure about his future.
  • • My friends are mostly non-alcoholic.
  • • You are rather fat. You must eat less.
  • • The fox proved too clever for the crow.
  • • She is little worried about her studies.
  • • He is a little doubtful about his success.
  • • We should come and visit them more often.
  • • Are you ready, madam? Well, I am almost ready.
  • • You are so late that you can't take the examination now.
  • • Let us go in the afternoon. The buses are fairly empty then.
List of Commonly Used Adverbs of Degree:
Almost Absolutely Awfully Badly
Barely completely decidedly deeply
enough enormously entirely extremely
fairly far fully greatly
hardly highly how incredibly
indeed intensely just least
less little lots most
much nearly perfectly positively
practically purely quite rather
really scarcely simply so
somewhat strongly terribly thoroughly
too totally utterly very
well virtually    
Related Topics :
Types of Noun in English Language
Types of Pronoun in English Language
Types of Verb in English Language
Types of Adverb in English Language
Types of Adjective in English Language
Kinds of Preposition in English Language
Types of Conjunction in English Language
Uses of Interjection words in English Language

Navigation

Social Media