LIFE 6, Unit 3

Four walls: language use

What is an intensifying adverb?

It is an adverb that adds strength to the meaning of another word.

Note: intensifying adverbs are often placed early in the the sentence to add emphasis.
Example: w/o intensifying adverb vs. w/ intensifying
adverb

That sunset is beautiful.

That sunset is incredibly beautiful.

Intensifying adverb examples:

so very really extremely unbelievably

quite exceptionally amazingly terrifically

astoundingly astonishingly incredibly

vastly totally simply completely

absolutely
Gradable vs. ungradable adjectives

Gradable= can be measured on a scale. Ex. small

Ungradable (limit adjectives)= cannot be measured on a scale. They only express

qualities. Ex. empty/ wonderful
Examples:

Ungradable Absolutely Gradable very

tiny small

excellent good

boiling warm/hot

enormous hot

terrible big

freezing bad

exhausted cold

furious tired
Uses of gradable and ungradable adjectives

We combine gradable adjectives and ungradable adjectives with adverbs to

create collocations.

Adverbs with gradable adjectives: very, extremely, a bit, slightly

Adverbs with ungradable adjectives: absolutely, completely, totally, utterly.

Really is used with both.

More examples...

Really + gradable adjective: Really + ungradable adjective:

That classroom layout is really good. That mouse is really tiny.

So + gradable adjective:

It is so hot outside right now. So + ungradable adjective:

He was so unbelievably rude to me in line at the

grocery store.
http://www.fcepracticetests.com/fce-english-in-use-collocations-4/
 CREATE
YOUR OWN!
Using emphatic structures to add intensity:

IT’S
WHAT/THE THING
The way he chews his food annoys me.
I don’t understand why we have to learn this
It’s the way he chews his food that annoys me.
What I don’t understand is why we have to learn
this.

OR

The thing I don’t understand is why we have to learn

this.
Using emphatic structures to add intensity:

DO/DOES/DID

You look pretty in that outfit.

You do look pretty in that outfit!

He likes exotic plants.

He does like exotic plants.