Adjectives: Gradable and Non-Gradable
Adjectives: Gradable and Non-Gradable
Adjectives: Gradable and Non-Gradable
Grammar explanation
Gradable adjectives
Most adjectives are gradable. This means we can have different levels of that quality. For example, you can be a bit
cold, very cold or extremely cold. We can make them weaker or stronger with modifiers:
Here is a list of some common gradable adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.
a little/a
Modifiers pretty/quite → really/very → extremely
bit →
Some adjectives are non-gradable. For example, something can't be a bit finished or very finished. You can't be a bit
dead or very dead. These adjectives describe absolute qualities. To make them stronger we have to use modifiers
like absolutely, totally or completely:
Thank you, I love it! It's absolutely perfect!
Their farm was totally destroyed by a tornado.
My work is completely finished. Now I can relax.
Here is a list of some common absolute adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.
Modifiers absolutely/totally/completely
acceptable, dead, destroyed, finished, free, impossible, necessary, perfect, ruined,
Adjectives
unacceptable, etc.
Adjectives like amazing, awful and boiling are also non-gradable. They already contain the idea of 'very' in their
definitions. If we want to make extreme adjectives stronger, we have to use absolutely or really:
Here is a list of some common extreme adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.
Modifiers absolutely/really
amazing, ancient, awful, boiling, delicious, enormous,
Adjective
excellent, exhausted, fascinating, freezing, gorgeous, terrible, terrifying, tiny,
s
etc.
Questions