Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree (sometimes also referred to as adverbs of quantity) describe to what degree, level or extent something is done.
- almost
- nearly
- quite
- just
- too
- enough
- hardly
- scarcely
- completely
- very
- extremely
Like all adverbs, they can refer to a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
When they refer to an action they are usually placed before the verb expressing that action.
Likewise, if they are meant to modify an adjective or another adverb they are placed before the adjective or the adverb they modify.
Contents |
Enough
The adverb of degree enough means to the necessary degree and it is placed after adjectives and adverbs.
When enough is placed before a noun it no longer functions as an adverb, but as a determiner meaning as much as it is necessary.
When used with adjectives enough can be followed by:
1 for somebody/something
2 to + infinitive
Too
The adverb of degree too means more than is necessary or useful and it is placed before adjectives and adverbs.
When used with adjectives too can be followed by:
1 for somebody/something
2. to + infinitive
Very & Not Very
The adverb of degree very is placed before an adjective or an adverb to intesify it.
Not very can be used to give a negative connotation to an adjective or an adverb. This allows us to keep a positive outlook, which is often lacking when we use a word with the opposite meaning.
See which of these statements sounds more positive to you.
Very vs Too
When we use very we make a statement and simply state a fact.
When we use too we tend to make a subjective statement and imply there is a problem.
