Understanding Adverbs of Degree: Definitions, and Examples

Adverbs of degree are essential in adding depth to our descriptions by showing how much or to what extent something happens. These words help us express intensity, amount, or level, making our language more precise and very clear. Understanding adverbs of degree enhances both writing and speaking skills effectively.

What are Adverbs of Degree?

Adverbs of degree are words that describe how much or to what extent something happens. They give more information about the intensity, amount, or level of an action, adjective, or another adverb.

Examples:

• She is very talented.
• The coffee is too hot to drink.
• He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately.
• The movie was quite interesting.
• It’s rather cold outside.

Adverbs of degree list

Very	Quite	Almost
Too	Enough	Hardly
Barely	Extremely	Fairly
Greatly	Rather	Slightly
Totally	Completely	Utterly
Highly	Incredibly	Somewhat
Decidedly	Intensely

Rules of Adverbs of Degree:

1. Modifying Adjectives:
Adverbs of degree are often used to modify adjectives to indicate the intensity or degree of the quality.

• • •  She is very happy today.
    • The water is extremely cold.

2. Modifying Verbs:
They can also modify verbs to show the extent of the action.

• • • He almost finished his homework.
    • She hardly sleeps at night.

3. Modifying Other Adverbs:
These adverbs can modify other adverbs to indicate the intensity of the manner.

• • • She runs incredibly fast.
    • He worked very diligently.

4. Indicating Sufficiency or Insufficiency:
Some adverbs of degree indicate whether something is sufficient or insufficient.

• • • She is tall enough to reach the shelf.
    • The soup is too hot to eat.

5. Position in the Sentence:
Adverbs of degree typically come before the adjective, adverb, or verb they modify.

• • • The movie was quite interesting.
    • He is utterly exhausted.

6. Expressing High or Low Degrees:
These adverbs can express a high or low degree of something.

• • • The task was incredibly difficult.
    • He is barely awake.

Adverbs of Degree Examples:

• She arrived late to the meeting.
• The cat is too cute to resist.
• He spoke loudly during the concert.
• The food was very spicy.
• She is quite skilled at playing the piano.
• They were completely surprised by the news.
• He answered the question correctly.
• The car is extremely fast.
• The room was almost empty.
• She ran fast to catch the bus.

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