Learn Basic Adverbs of Degree in English

 Understand and Use Words Like very, too, enough, extremely, and More

Welcome to this English Article on adverbs of degree!

In this article, we will be learning about adverbs of degree, how to use them in sentences, and practicing pronunciation to help you speak more naturally in English.

What is an Adverb of Degree?

Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity or strength of an action, an adjective, or another adverb.

They answer questions like "How much?" or "To what extent?"

These adverbs usually come before the adjective, adverb, or verb that they are modifying. And, as with most things in English, there are exceptions.

Some of the most frequently employed adverbs of degree are:

too, enough, very, extremely, just, completely, almost, and terribly.

Examples of Adverbs of Degree:

Let’s look at how adverbs of degree are used with adjectives, adverbs, and verbs.

1. With Adjectives:

• The water was extremely cold.
  → ‘Extremely’ modifies the adjective ‘cold’ and comes before it.

• They are completely exhausted from the trip.
  → ‘Completely’ modifies the adjective ‘exhausted’ and also comes before it.

2. With Verbs:

• He just left.
  → ‘Just’ modifies the verb ‘left’ and comes before it.

• They were almost finished.
  → ‘Almost’ modifies the verb ‘finished’.

3. With Other Adverbs:

• She is running very fast.
  → ‘Very’ modifies the adverb ‘fast’ and comes before it.

• He worked very quickly.
  → Again, ‘very’ is modifying the adverb ‘quickly’.

Special Case: "Enough"

Unlike most adverbs of degree, ‘enough’ is usually placed after the word it modifies.

• Is your coffee hot enough?
  → ‘Enough’ modifies the adjective ‘hot’.

• He didn’t work hard enough.
  → ‘Enough’ modifies the adverb ‘hard’.

• This box isn’t big enough.
  → ‘Enough’ modifies the adjective ‘big’ and comes after it.

Compare: Very vs Too

There is a small but important difference between ‘very’ and ‘too’:

• He speaks very quickly.
  → This is simply stating a fact.

• He speaks too quickly.
  → This suggests a problem. It means he speaks so quickly that it’s hard to understand him.

More Examples

• My teacher is terribly angry.
  → ‘Terribly’ modifies ‘angry’.

• He speaks very quickly.
  → ‘Very’ modifies ‘quickly’.

• He speaks too quickly.
  → ‘Too’ modifies ‘quickly’, suggesting a problem.

Pronunciation Practice

Repeat the following sentences out loud to improve your pronunciation:

• The water was extremely cold.

• He just left.

• She is running very fast.

• They are completely exhausted from the trip.

• Is your coffee hot enough?

• He didn’t work hard enough.

• The girl was very beautiful.

• He worked very quickly.

• This coffee is too hot.

• He works too hard.

• My teacher is terribly angry.

• They were almost finished.

• This box isn’t big enough.

Final Thoughts

Now you know how to use many common adverbs of degree in English. Understanding where to place them and what they modify will make your speaking and writing much more natural and accurate.

Keep practicing, and don’t forget to check out our other article on adverbs to strengthen your grammar skills even further!

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