Adverbs for Degree

Express intensity — how much?

A Degree Adverb Modifies

MOIDIFIES A VERB

A degree adverb may be used to modify the intensity of an action. It

expresses "how much".

            
He talks excessively all the time.

         
He rather loves his audiences.

         
He hardly stops to breathe.

MODIFIES AN ADVERB

A degree adverb may be used to modify the intensity of an adverb. It

expresses "to what degree".

                         
He talks extremely fast.

                                      
He communicates rather well. 

                             
He gestures very quickly.

 
AN ADJECTIVE

A degree adverb may express a high degree of a quality for an adjective.

The degree adverb such may express a high degree in an adjective
phrase. What expresses a similar meaning in an interjection.

                   
He is extremely talkative. 
He is such a talkative man. (NOT: a such talkative man)

            
He is rather attractive. 
He is such a charismatic speaker.  What a speaker!

                         
His ratings are very high. 
His speech received such a high rating. What a rating!

A PREPOSITION

A degree adverb may modify the precisely, approximately or across a

distance. The degree adverb is placed before the preposition (PP).          

                   
He talked right in the middle of my speech.
He talked precisely in the middle of my speech.

                      
He talked almost into the middle of the afternoon.
He talked nearly into the middle of the night.

                                                   
He knocked his opponent clear out of the ring.  (informal)
We could hear him way over here.

 
Logically, degree modifiers are not used with absolute words; for example, "He's rather
dead."  Test this by using rather before: absolute, entirely, eternal, fatal, final, finite, identical,
immortal, infinite, mortal, opposite, perfect, right, straight, opposite or unique.

clear (v) – informal for completely

Also see How / What expressions.

(Swan 568)