Intensifiersi

Look at the following question:

This question is ............................ easy.

(A) completely
(B) totally
(C) extremely
(D) absolutely

By the end of this lecture, you should find the answer very easy.

Here are some examples of adverb-adjective combinations in academic text:

 This is a slightly complicated problem because of the strong shear rate and temperature
dependence of the viscosity, complex geometry, large viscous dissipation, and the resulting
coupling between the energy and momentum equations.

 The results are rather complicated, but after some algebra we get a new formula: …

 In his original formulation of the Logic of Sense and Denotation, Alonzo Church (1951) adopted a
somewhat complicated theory of types of senses.

 Now, the workers in Derge printing house have already grasped the skills of manufacturing
traditional Tibetan paper, although the procedure is very complicated.

 Deciding who to marry, or choosing a job is a highly complicated problem with much uncertainty.

 The world is an extremely complicated place.

The following sentence, however, is incorrect:

 X The correlation function F is absolutely complicated and it has the same operator structure of
the nucleon-nucleon interaction.

In this lecture, we will try to explain why exactly these types of combinations are possible or
not.

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Intensifiers are words, generally adverbs, which are used to modify adjectives, verbs or –ed
participles as in:

I was deeply unhappy.

I absolutely agree.
He was completely soaked when he came back.

Roughly speaking, intensifiers can be put into three groups.

1. those that amplify adjectives:

Here is a list of common amplifiers used with adjectives:

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amazingly especially hugely surprisingly
awfully exceedingly incredibly suspiciously
bitterly extremely particularly terribly
critically greatly really unbelievably
dangerously highly remarkably very
deeply hopelessly seriously violently
dreadfully horribly strikingly wonderfully

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His lecture was incredibly boring.
Tom tends to be hugely irresponsible, so I wouldn’t count on him.

2. intensifiers that are used to down-tone the effect of an adjective.

Some examples of down-toners are:

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faintly mildly pretty rather slightly
fairly moderately quite reasonably somewhat

They were mildly surprised when they found out the results.
She is pretty well organised.

3. intensifiers that indicate the extent of the quality you are describing, i.e. give an idea
of its ‘totality’:

almost nearly absolutely purely

exclusively partly altogether quite
fully predominantly completely simply
largely primarily entirely totally
mainly roughly perfectly utterly
mostly

I am nearly finished.
I largely agree with her ideas for the wedding, but the one about the clown is completely
ridiculous.
The intensifiers in groups 1 and some of the ones from group 2 can be useful to express your
opinion. The ones in group 3 feel more neutral. We can see this when we compare the
following examples:

Example A

1. The house was suspiciously dark.

(The house was dark. My opinion was that that was suspicious.)

2. The house was rather dark.

(The house was dark, not very dark, but I had a negative opinion about the darkness, and it
was darker than I had expected.)

3. The house was completely dark.

(The lights were all off. No opinion about this was given).

Example B

1. The message was unbelievably personal.

(I found it hard to believe how personal that message was)

2. The message was rather personal.

(The message was more personal than it should have been in my opinion)

3. The message was mostly personal.

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(more than half of the message contained personal information)

Note that in group 3, the intensifiers in the left column are mainly used to indicate the extent
of quality only, while those in the right column also emphasize the adjective. Compare:

National efforts to deal with globalisation fully National efforts to deal with globalisation utterly
depend on an international understanding and depend on an international understanding and
priority of the Decent Work Agenda. priority of the Decent Work Agenda.

The intensifiers in group 3 tend to be followed by ‘stronger’ words -which express

maximum and minimum qualities- e.g. useless, unacceptable, essential, unique, right.

Those from groups 1 and 2 tend to go with words that express qualities that can be
graded and don’t reach a maximum (e.g. hot: it can always get hotter): happy,
strange, surprising, tired.

This explains why certain combinations are right or wrong:

X absolutely angry X very superb.

X completely tired. X fairly wonderful.
X totally small.
√ totally essential √ very unusual
√ totally unique √ extremely nice
√ totally illegal √ fairly quiet

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Task 1
a. Complete the following table with the adjectives from the list below. Each gradable
adjective on the left must be matched with a strong adjective with a similar meaning on
the right.

Missing adjectives: suicidal, steep, excellent, terrifying, fascinating, valuable, amazing,

freezing, disgusting, impossible.

Intensifier Gradable noun Intensifier Strong noun

(group 1) adjective (group 3) adjective
1. frightening ordeal 1. ordeal
2. difficult task 2. task
very 3. watch totally 3. invaluable watch
4. surprising prices 4. prices
5. unpleasant sight 5. sight
6. cold night 6. night
7. slope 7. vertical slope
8. dangerous stunt 8. stunt
9. interesting book 9. book
10. good answer 10. answer

b. With a partner, take it in turns to read out the intensifier and adjective combinations
in the tables. (“very frightening- totally ...”, etc.)

Task 2
Work with a partner. Choose the more appropriate intensifier in the sentences below,
taken from British newspapers. The first one has been done for you.

1. The commissioner said that the actions taken by the military forces on the 7th
December were [absolutely/extremely] unacceptable.

The word ‘unacceptable’ is a strong word, it expresses a maximum. Something either is or is

not acceptable. We need an intensifier from group 3. The answer is ‘absolutely’.

2. An investigation by the Russian civil aviation department said that an

[absolutely/extremely] serious error by a Russian controller was responsible for the incident.

3. The Americans responded that they were [absolutely/extremely] disappointed with the
EU position.

4. For a table of variables they recommended a [completely/very] useful leaflet

produced by the Bradford and Bingley building society.

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 5. Although exam results were [absolutely/very] important in choosing a school, its
place in a league table was mentioned by only 15 % of parents.

6. The partnership between the professional carers, teachers and parents is

[absolutely/very] crucial to the child’s progress.

7. Bayliss said that he was keeping an open mind about whether it had been a contract
killing, but said there was no immediate motive. “The killer is [absolutely/extremely]
dangerous and must be caught immediately, “he told a news conference.

Task 3
Although some intensifiers have similar dictionary meanings, some of them collocate
(=combine) with certain adjectives or verbs, and others do not.

For example, deeply is similar in meaning to highly; they both mean extremely, greatly, very
much. However, you can say that you are deeply worried about something/somebody, but
not highly worried, and you say that something is highly but not deeply desirable.

Similarly, you can say that you are mildly surprised, but not moderately surprised.

a) Look at the following sentences which show 16 main collocations for the intensifiers
highly and deeply. Highlight the words that come after highly and deeply.
1. esterday defied directors at a highly charged extraordinary meeting when they vo
2. rds. Two guardian writers were highly commended by judges in the British Press A
3. ng societies that have offered highly competitive interest rates for Tessas - ta
4. nal Audit Office published its highly critical report on Pergau on October 22 la
5. to Herbert, who proved to be a highly effective businessman, saving BMW from ban
6. pany’s oldest operations it is highly likely that they are most risk of comin
7. so home tuition seems to suit highly motivated children. But what about those w
8. d its bid. (There are too many highly paid advisers in this bid to allow such a
9. for himself and indeed it is a highly personal statement, not only for his own
10. h year with Ragu sauce. Long a highly profitable market leader in spaghetti sauc
11. iller, one of Hollywood’s most highly regarded executives, would clinch the deal
12. aired and orange-robed monk is highly respected for his influential and innovati
13. rial complex, allegedly passed highly sensitive information on research into wea
14. ecame the first in a series of highly successful clay animation projects. Morph
15. untries have a large supply of highly trained scientific manpower. What can the
16. of their administration. It’s highly unlikely that they’ll be able to produce t

1. r trial, and she has apparently been deeply affected by the publicity of the las
2. ts produce. As a British politician deeply concerned with the growing instabili
3. Publishers’ Association said it was deeply disappointed and pledged to argue
4. ethnic card. They portray Rwanda as deeply divided purely on ethnic grounds
5. for this state of affairs. Racism is deeply embedded in the culture of the Isle
6. ‘s new play The Cryptogram conveys a deeply felt sense of childhood fear and adu
7. autro. Mr. Newmarch said the PIA was deeply flawed and the whole system of sele
8. Clinton to head a government agency deeply involved in the Whitewater scandal r
9. exquisite film, subtle, well acted, deeply moving. It confirms Chen Kaige’s pos
10. his kind of journalism that I find deeply offensive. There will doubtless be
11. rlocking narratives. This is writing deeply rooted in the oral tradition. Time m
12. ulatory circles, that many firms are deeply sceptical about joining the new auth
13. he truth. Everyone at the centre was deeply shocked and saddened. A letter was s
14. a power structure. The government is deeply suspicious of artistic innovation. O
15. ruguay, Venezuela and Cuba were also deeply unhappy about the resolution, saying
16. ay for options that have always been deeply unpopular with the Europeans. Withou

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b) What is the missing intensifier in the following citations: highly or deeply?

1. Of the 13 essays, 11 are by historians or social scientists, only two by scientists

……………………….. involved in large-scale research.

2. Fossils of those other …………………….. successful non-flying birds, the penguins,

also appear around that time.

3. All in all, the Bundeswehr was a well found force, with the advantage of being on its
own ground and …………………. motivated to defend its own country.

4. The panel was …………………. critical of both the bank and the new government
policy.

5. It is claimed that the vaccine is …………………. effective in protecting against

malaria.

6. They are also …………………….. concerned about the region’s ability to recover
from the gigantic earthworks that dam construction requires.

7. The respiratory system is ………………… sensitive to any changes in concentration

of carbon dioxide.

8. It is now admitted that the police investigation was ………………… flawed.

9. Most people are …………………. sceptical about whether computers could ever
model the human mind, and many see the idea as obviously absurd.

Task 4
 Fairly means something like ‘less than expected or desired’. It is therefore mainly used
with adjectives which express desired qualities: ‘fairly good’, ‘fairly accurate’.

 Rather means something like ‘more than expected or desired’: it is therefore mainly used
with adjectives which express qualities that are not desired: ‘rather inadequate’.

Compare:
The lecture was fairly good (...but it could have been better)
The lecture was rather bad (=worse than we expected)

Rather seems to have a stronger meaning than fairly, probably because it is followed by
negative qualities.

Note that pretty is similar in meaning to fairly but is used in informal contexts.

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 Notice that rather - like much - is also used with comparatives, whether or not they express
desired qualities:
rather better
The lecture was than we expected.
much worse
Decide which intensifier fits into each of the following sentences: fairly or rather?
1. Tim’s theorising tended to be …………… vague and sometimes plainly wrong.
2. It is ………………. common to see foxes even in big cities in Britain.
3. The number of unemployed has remained ……………… constant over the last 6
months.
4. It is, of course, quite possible for people over the age of 60 to lead ………………….
healthy and active lives.
5. The time I enjoyed most at school was when our …………………. eccentric physics
teacher decided we had done enough coursework and could do things that interested us.
6. Hopes for her recovery were ……………… high after the operation.
Notice that somewhat has approximately the same meaning as rather: try substituting it for
rather in the sentences above.

Task 5
‘Quite’ has 2 meanings and is listed in groups 2 and 3. It is usually stressed when it means
‘completely’ (group 3), whereas the adjective is stressed when it means ‘fairly’ (group 2).

With a partner, take it in turns to read the following examples out loud. Which word
did you stress? If you stressed ‘quite’, then make sure that it means ‘completely’ and
fill in (C). If you stress the adjective or adverb that follows, mark (F) for ‘fairly.
1. 83, said yesterday. ‘He was quite active in his younger days but ( )
2. Robinson sat back and laughed quite helplessly , and so did I. Righ ( )
3. . ‘In the beginning they were quite amusing , but after a year of tw ( )
4. k took four and a half hours, quite apart from eight hours of class ( )
5. safety of towns and cities. I quite often see a fox strolling past ( )
6. breweries of this century were quite cold , but they were followed by ( )
7. be a great champion. ‘He is a quite extraordinary young man, and sp ( )
8. the estate is, in one sense, quite easy . It consists of five-store ( )
9. peculation” and added: “It is quite wrong for these stories to be a ( )
10. moral abyss? This week three quite separate surveys have together ( )
11. vileged occasion. It would be quite inappropriate for us to comment ( )

Notice how, again, the weaker meaning (fairly) goes with the ‘weaker’ adjective or adverb
(e.g. amusing); the stronger meaning (completely) goes with the stronger ones (e.g. wrong).
Note:
1. Adjectives such as ‘alive’, ‘married’, ‘male’ and Victorian cannot be used with
intensifiers. This because they cannot be compared or do not express maximum/minimum
qualities.
X He is totally alive, married, male, Victorian.

2. People play with language, especially in informal situations (speaking, blogging,...).

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You may therefore come across combinations that are not possible in academic writing. The
language is being used for effect and there is likely to be a slight shift in meaning or
connotation. There often is an element of exaggeration and/or humour.

 It should come as no surprise that she was totally angry. (group 3 intensifier with a gradable
adjective)

 The good news is that I am now writing from a new Quad Core PC which is significantly
superior to my previous (very dead) machine. (group1 intensifier with a strong adjective)
Key

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Task 1 Task 9 see WebCT
1. terrifying 2. impossible 3. valuable 1. controversial
4. amazing 5. disgusting 6. freezing 8. steep 9. 2. impressed
suicidal 10. fascinating 11.excellent 3. grateful
Task 2 4. critical
1. absolutely 2. extremely 3. extremely 4. very 5. 5. opposed
very 6. absolutely 7. extremely 6. damaged
Task 3b 7. taxed
1. deeply 2. highly 3. highly 4. highly 5. highly 6. 8. dependent
deeply 7. highly 8. deeply 9. highly 9. improbable
Task 4 10. hurt
1. rather 2. fairly 3. fairly 4. fairly 5. rather 6. 11. suspicious
fairly 12. explosive
Task 5 13. increased
1.F 2.C 3.F 4.C 5.F 6.F 7C 8F 9C 10C 11C 14. contagious
Task 6 see WebCT 15. ambiguous
1. somewhat 2. absolutely 3.delighted 4. a most 16. restricted
Task 7 see WebCT 17. committed
1. I feel ____rather___________ ill: I’d better go 18. liked/enjoyed/admired
home. 19. unusual
2. I think that lecturer is ______rather_________ 20. offended
stupid. Task 10 see WebCT Suggestions:
3. It was ______fairly_________ warm this 1. very
morning, although I still had to wear a coat. 2. severely
4. This car is ____rather___________ more 3. highly
expensive than that one. 4. highly
5. Our house is ___fairly____________ large, but 5. gravely/seriously/deeply/highly
we would really like a larger one. 6. severely
6. Our house is ____rather___________ large, so 7. highly
we’re looking for something smaller. 8. heavily
7. This species of fish is __fairly_____________ 9. highly
common in South America. 10. greatly
8. The students thought the examination was 11. highly
___fairly____________ easy. 12. strongly
9. The lecturers thought that the examination was 13. heavily - seriously
_____rather__________ too easy. 14. deeply
Task 8 see WebCT 15. seriously
1. completely 16. greatly
2. fairly 17. highly – highly
3. completely 18. severely
4. fairly Task 11 see WebCT
5. fairly 1. strange
6. fairly 2. a rather
7. completely 3. highly
8. completely 4. common
9. completely 5. perfectly
10. fairly 6. destroyed
11. completely Let’s return to the question from the beginning of the
12. fairly class.
13. completely easy is a gradable adjective. Therefore, we do not use
adverbs expressing totality with it. This excludes A, B
and D. The correct answer is C. Hopefully, you now
think that this question is indeed extremely easy!

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i
Partially written by T. Johns, collated and updated by EVG, 2010.