A Complete Guide to Adverbs of Degree in English

May 06, 2025 Post a Comment

1. Introduction

In the English language, adverbs are essential building blocks that add depth and detail to communication. They modify verbs, adjectives, or even other adverbs to provide more information about how something happens, when it happens, how often, or — in the case of this article — to what extent.

Among the various types of adverbs, adverbs of degree serve a specific purpose: they help express intensity, quantity, or emphasis. These words can subtly change the tone or strength of a statement, making them particularly important for clarity and precision. For instance, saying “She is quite happy” conveys a different level of emotion than “She is absolutely happy.”

This article aims to guide learners through the concept of adverbs of degree by explaining what they are, how they work in a sentence, and how choosing the right one can completely alter the message being conveyed. Whether you're writing a formal essay, holding a casual conversation, or composing creative fiction, understanding adverbs of degree will help you communicate your thoughts with more accuracy and expression.

2. What Is an Adverb of Degree?

An adverb of degree is a word that describes the intensity or level of an action, quality, or another modifier in a sentence. It tells us how much, how little, or to what extent something happens or exists. Without these adverbs, many sentences would sound vague or emotionally flat. For example, consider the difference between “He is tired” and “He is extremely tired.” The second sentence provides a clearer picture of his condition.

Adverbs of degree are versatile because they can modify:

Adjectives: The movie was very interesting.
Verbs: She almost cried during the speech.
Other adverbs: He drove too quickly.

These adverbs play a subtle but powerful role in English. They don’t just add detail — they shape the meaning of a sentence. In fact, changing just one degree adverb can shift the tone from neutral to intense, from negative to positive, or from uncertainty to confidence. This makes them especially important for both precise and expressive communication.

3. Common Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree come in many forms, each expressing different levels of intensity. Some suggest a high degree of something, while others indicate a moderate or minimal level. Becoming familiar with these adverbs helps learners choose the right words based on the emotion or emphasis they want to convey.

Here are some of the most commonly used adverbs of degree, grouped by intensity:

High Intensity

These adverbs express strong emphasis or completeness. They are often used for dramatic or definitive statements:

Absolutely – She is absolutely certain about her decision.
Completely – The room was completely silent.
Extremely – It was extremely cold last night.
Totally – He was totally shocked by the news.
Utterly – The plan failed utterly.

Medium Intensity

These adverbs suggest a moderate or reasonable degree — not too strong, but not weak either:

Quite – The book is quite interesting.
Rather – I find this topic rather confusing.
Fairly – She speaks English fairly well.
Pretty – It’s pretty late already.

Low Intensity

These are used when the speaker wants to tone down the description or indicate a very slight degree:

Slightly – He seemed slightly annoyed.
Barely – She barely passed the exam.
Hardly – I hardly know him.
Just – I just finished my homework.

Special Cases

Some adverbs of degree have unique placement or usage rules:

Enough – This comes after the word it modifies: She’s strong enough to lift it.
Too – Indicates excess or an undesirable amount: It’s too hot to go outside.

By learning these common adverbs and understanding their nuances, English learners can begin to express ideas not only more clearly but also more accurately and naturally.

4. Sentence Placement of Adverbs of Degree

Understanding where to place adverbs of degree in a sentence is just as important as knowing their meaning. The position of these adverbs can affect clarity, tone, and even grammatical correctness. Although English is a flexible language, adverbs of degree usually follow certain patterns depending on what they modify.

1. Before Adjectives

When an adverb of degree modifies an adjective, it is typically placed directly before the adjective:

She is very intelligent.
This food is too spicy for me.
It’s fairly difficult to understand.

2. Before Other Adverbs

When modifying another adverb, the adverb of degree also comes before it:

He drives quite fast.
They responded extremely well under pressure.
She sings very beautifully.

3. Before the Main Verb (Sometimes)

Some adverbs of degree, like almost, barely, just, and hardly, are placed before the main verb:

I just arrived.
She barely made it on time.
He almost missed the train.

⚠️ Note: These adverbs are usually not placed between the subject and an auxiliary/modal verb. For example:

✅ She has just finished the report.

❌ She just has finished the report.

4. After the Word They Modify (Special Cases)

Certain adverbs, especially enough, are placed after the adjective or adverb they modify:

He is tall enough to reach the shelf.
She didn’t run fast enough to win.

5. Mid-Position with Auxiliary Verbs

Some adverbs of degree can be placed between the auxiliary and main verb:

They have completely forgotten.
We will totally support you.

Understanding these placement rules will help learners avoid awkward or incorrect sentences and improve the natural flow of their English communication.

5. Impact on Sentence Meaning

Adverbs of degree don’t just add information — they shape the emotional tone and clarity of a sentence. By changing the intensity of a word, these adverbs can subtly (or dramatically) affect the message being delivered.

Let’s explore how the use of different adverbs of degree can alter meaning:

1. Changing the Level of Emotion or Intensity

Compare the following examples:

She is slightly annoyed.
She is deeply annoyed.

The first sentence suggests mild irritation, while the second one implies serious emotional disturbance. Both are grammatically correct, but the tone and implication differ significantly.

2. Shifting from Neutral to Emphatic

The explanation was fairly clear. → suggests it was mostly understandable, with possible room for confusion.
The explanation was absolutely clear. → leaves no doubt; it was perfectly understandable.

The choice of adverb affects how strongly you communicate your opinion or observation.

3. Expressing Limitations or Excess

He’s just tall enough to ride the roller coaster. → indicates he barely meets the requirement.
He’s too tall to fit in the ride. → suggests he exceeds the limit.

Both sentences refer to height, but with completely opposite implications. One indicates adequacy, the other indicates excess.

4. Influencing Reader or Listener Perception

Using strong adverbs like totally, completely, or absolutely can make statements sound more confident or emotional:

I totally agree with you. → strong, enthusiastic agreement.
I somewhat agree with you. → polite, partial agreement.

These variations help convey attitude, certainty, or hesitation — all with just a small word added.

6. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

While adverbs of degree are relatively simple to understand, many English learners (and even native speakers) make small but important mistakes when using them. These errors often involve word choice, placement, or confusion between similar expressions. Let’s look at some of the most frequent issues — and how to avoid them.

1. Confusing “Too” and “Very”

❌ I am too happy today.
✅ I am very happy today.

Explanation:
“Too” usually implies excess in a negative way — something more than desired or acceptable. Saying “too happy” may sound unnatural unless you're intentionally exaggerating or expressing irony. In contrast, “very happy” simply intensifies the emotion in a positive way.

✅ Use “too” when there's a negative result:
The coffee is too hot to drink.

2. Misplacing Adverbs of Degree

❌ She very much likes this book.
✅ She likes this book very much.

Explanation:
Some adverbs, especially phrases like “very much”, should follow the verb, not precede it. English sentence rhythm often sounds awkward if these adverbs are placed too early.

3. Overusing Strong Intensifiers

❌ It was absolutely amazing, absolutely perfect, and absolutely beautiful.
✅ It was amazing, perfect, and absolutely beautiful.

Explanation:
Using strong intensifiers like “absolutely” too often in a sentence can weaken their impact and make writing sound unnatural or overly emotional. Use them selectively for stronger effect.

4. Using Two Conflicting Degree Adverbs Together

❌ She is quite very tired.
✅ She is very tired.
✅ She is quite tired.

Explanation:
It’s incorrect to stack two intensifiers that serve the same purpose. Choose one based on the level of emphasis you want to express.

5. Forgetting Special Placement Rules

❌ She enough studied for the test.
✅ She studied enough for the test.

Explanation:
As mentioned earlier, some adverbs like “enough” have fixed positions. Misplacing them often results in ungrammatical sentences.

✔ Tips to Avoid These Mistakes:

Read your sentence aloud — does it sound natural?
Think about the tone you want to create: mild, strong, negative, or neutral.
Review example sentences from trusted sources (books, dictionaries, or educational websites).
When in doubt, keep it simple: one clear intensifier is usually enough.

7. Practice Examples

To truly understand how adverbs of degree work, it’s important to apply what you've learned through practice. Below are a variety of exercises designed to help reinforce your knowledge. These include fill-in-the-blanks, sentence correction, and open-ended questions — all aimed at improving your ability to recognize and use adverbs of degree accurately.

A. Fill in the Blanks with the Appropriate Adverb of Degree

Choose from: very, quite, too, enough, slightly, absolutely, almost, fairly

She was __________ surprised by the unexpected gift.
It's __________ cold today; make sure you wear a jacket.
He runs __________ fast for someone his age.
This problem is __________ difficult to solve without a calculator.
I __________ forgot about the meeting!
The food was __________ cooked, so I put it back in the oven.
They were __________ exhausted after the long hike.
Is the water warm __________ for swimming?

B. Correct the Mistakes in the Following Sentences

Each sentence below contains one error related to the use of adverbs of degree. Find and correct it.

I am too excited for the trip next week.
She enough speaks English to pass the interview.
He is completely very tired after work.
They absolutely likes chocolate.
That movie was rather amazing and extremely great.

C. Write Your Own Sentences

Create original sentences using the following adverbs of degree. Try to vary the sentence structure:

totally
fairly
just
almost
extremely

8. Conclusion

Adverbs of degree may seem like small words, but they carry significant weight in shaping how we express ourselves in English. They allow us to clarify intensity, emphasize feelings, and fine-tune our message for maximum accuracy and impact.

Throughout this article, we’ve explored what adverbs of degree are, how they function, where to place them in a sentence, and how even a slight change in word choice can alter the entire meaning of a statement. We’ve also looked at common pitfalls and provided practical exercises to strengthen your understanding.

By mastering adverbs of degree, you’re not just expanding your vocabulary — you’re gaining control over how much meaning you want to express. Whether you're aiming to sound more polite, more assertive, or more precise, these adverbs give you the linguistic tools to do so.

Keep practicing, and soon, you’ll find that using words like slightly, utterly, barely, or absolutely becomes as natural as the ideas you’re trying to convey.

SIRHARI