Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs and indicate the intensity or degree of the quality expressed. They answer the question "How much?"

Common adverbs of degree:

 * Intensifiers: These adverbs increase the intensity of the word they modify. Examples include:

   * very

   * extremely

   * quite

   * rather

   * terribly

   * incredibly

   * absolutely

   * completely

 * Moderators: These adverbs lessen the intensity of the word they modify. Examples include:

   * fairly

   * pretty

   * somewhat

   * slightly

 * Minimizers: These adverbs indicate a low degree of intensity. Examples include:

   * hardly

   * scarcely

   * barely

Placement of adverbs of degree:

Adverbs of degree are usually placed before the word they modify.

 * Examples:

   * The water was extremely cold.

   * She is quite intelligent.

   * He barely spoke.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, "enough" is usually placed after the adjective or adverb it modifies.

 * Examples:

   * The coffee is hot enough.

   * She sings well enough.

Other points to consider:

 * Some adverbs of degree can be used with both gradable and ungradable adjectives. For example, "very" can be used with both "hot" (gradable) and "freezing" (ungradable).

 * Some adverbs of degree have a stronger meaning than others. For example, "extremely" is stronger than "very".

 * The choice of adverb of degree can affect the meaning of the sentence. For example, "The water was very hot" is different from "The water was extremely hot".