IS. (Non-)gradable adjectives

Дата публикации: Feb 08, 2016 11:56:37 AM

Adjectives can be either gradable or non-gradable

Gradable

Gradable adjectives are adjectives like ‘cold’ ‘hot’ and ‘frightened’. You can be very cold or a bit cold. Gradable adjectives show that something can have different degrees.

Non-gradable

Non-gradable adjectives are adjectives like ‘married’ or ‘wooden’. You can’t be very married or a bit married. Non-gradable adjectives do not have different degrees.

Adjectives like ‘terrifying’, ‘freezing’ ‘amazing’ are also non-gradable adjectives. They already contain the idea of ‘very’ in their definitions – ‘freezing’ means ‘very cold’ etc.

Using adverbs of degree

When we use adverbs of degree to modify adjectives we usually have to use different adverbs for gradable and non-gradable adjectives.

NOT I’m completely hot.

NOT It was very fantastic!

With gradable adjectives

It’s a bit cold in here. Shall I turn the fire on?

He’s very interested in history. Why don’t you buy him a history book?

This exercise is really difficult. I don’t know any of the answers.

I’m extremely tired. I’m going to bed.

The adverbs a bit, very, really, extremely and quite can all be used with gradable adjectives.

With non-gradable adjectives

It’s absolutely freezing in here. Shall I turn the fire on?

He’s completely fascinated by history. Why don’t you buy him a history book?

This exercise is absolutely impossible.

That film is really terrifying. Don’t go and see it on your own.

The adverbs absolutely and completely can be used with non-gradable adjectives.

Notice that really can be used with both gradable AND non-gradable adjectives.

I speak very good Italian but my French is terrible.

What an absolutely gorgeous skirt! Where did you buy it?

You should have come to the party. It was really fantastic.

Sorry. I'm a bit late, aren't I?

Have you seen that film? It's completely amazing!

Cartier-Bresson was highly praised for his coverage of Gandhi's funeral in India in 1948

Mario Testino was highly qualified in many fields before he moved to London to train as a photographer

The film was totally unbelievable yet strangely moving.

One Hour Photo is a film starring Robin Williams about a painfully shy photo technician.

Modern Art was often heavily criticised while it was being produced.

The banning of photographers from the area was totally unjustified.

utterly impossible

utterly useless

- heavily

- highly

- painfully

- totally

- utterly (=fully) весьма, крайне, очень, чрезвычайно

- utterly

7ab

8. Don't use superlative degrees of ungradable adjectives! Use gradable instead.

9. Correct the adverbs if they are wrong

I thought it was a very excellent photograph.

I thought it was a really/truly/absolutely excellent photograph.

We were a bit/very/extremely tired after our visit to the Louvre.

I was very devastated when they said the exhibition was closed.

I was completely/totally/absolutely devastated when they said the exhibition was closed.

The photographs were extremely terrible.

The photographs were really/truly/absolutely terrible.

When we had finished going round the photo exhibition we were absolutely/completely/thoroughly/totally/utterly exhausted.

thoroughly adverb BrE /ˈθʌrəli/ ; NAmE /ˈθɜːrəli/ (полностью, вполне, совершенно, совсем; основательно, тщательно)

1. very much; completely

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

I'm thoroughly confused.

a thoroughly professional performance

I can thoroughly recommend it.

2. completely and with great attention to detail

Wash the fruit thoroughly before use.

The work had not been done very thoroughly.

Extra examples

I felt thoroughly ashamed of myself.

She behaved throughout in a thoroughly professional manner.

The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

10. Identify the adverb-adjective combinations in the text. Are there any combinations that don't go together?

The National Gallery of Ireland has a very excellent collection of European fine arts. (really/truly/absolutely)

It opened in 1854 and now has over 2,500 paintings. Admission is very cheap.

It has a wonderful Irish collection, including works by Jack B. Yeats, and the Flemish and Dutch collection is very enormous. (absolutely)

There is even a Vermeer. There are also works by Caravaggio, Picasso and Monet.

We were absolutely hungry at the end of our visit and luckily the cafe has great food. (really/extremely/very)

The shop is located in the new wing, which is itself an extremely fascinated piece of architecture. (absolutely/completely/totally)

For such a small country this collection is absolutely interesting and most visitors have a really wonderful day. (1. really/extremely/very)