In the English Grammar Profile, C1 point 102 in PRONOUNS/quantity is defined: MODIFIED: ‘few’ and ‘many’ with ‘very’, ‘too’, ‘so’ as intensifiers For example: If the chef answered YES to the number being less than 500, we‘d have four options, which is too many. TED It‘s been a crushing disappointment for me and for so many. TED And very few have it in them. LISTEN *’very few’ + noun is B2 A search in iWeb for: * * too|very|so many|few . 1 THERE ARE SO MANY. …
C1 point 60 in ADVERBS/modifiers is defined as: a wide range of adverbs with adjectives to express degree or intensity. A search in iWeb for: completely|totally|extremely _JJ 1 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT 110150 She’s a completely different person. Listen 2 EXTREMELY IMPORTANT 53789 It’s extremely important that I get an answer as soon as possible. Listen 3 TOTALLY DIFFERENT 47353 4 COMPLETELY NEW 39714 5 EXTREMELY DIFFICULT 36700 6 EXTREMELY HIGH 36501 …
Usually, when ‘enough’ is used as a postmodifying adverb (after another adverb), it means ‘to the necessary degree.’ However in the English Grammar Profile, C1 point 58 in adverbs/phrases is defined as: post-modify adverbs with ‘enough to intensify’. The English Grammar Profile examples are all stance adverbs in the initial position: Strangely enough, Luckily enough, Sadly …
Let’s look at a few student speaking test examples and one from an expert using extreme adverbs modifying gradable adjectives: There are a few cases in which the parents have been excellent guides to the students, and as you know guides are extremely important for a child‘s career. TLC male India C1 Native speaker: I haven’t read it but I‘ve seen the film, have you seen the film? Student: Yes, I have, but it’s totally different from the book. TLC male India B1 It’s absolutely necessary to find a solution, and I know that in some cases, for example, in some sports facilities built in Madrid, they are trying to remodel the space. TLC male Spain C1 These are all details that are incredibly easy to record contemporaneously but are also incredibly easy to forget later on. …
In this post, we explore ‘even + comparative’ which is used to emphasize qualities. In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 40 in ADJECTIVES is defined as: ‘even’ to modify and intensify comparative adjectives used predicatively after a verb, usually ‘be’ and ‘get’. We did an iWeb search for even _JJ and highlighted the A2 comparative adjectives: …
1 HALF The word ‘half’ is typically a before determiner or pre-determiner capable of pronominal function. (DB) 1183937 Here are 10 examples of the intensifier phrase ‘more than‘ premodifying the determiner ‘half’: 1 MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY 3921 It‘s been more than half a century. 2 MORE THAN HALF A MILLION 3884 3 MORE THAN HALF AN HOUR 1064 …
1 The word ‘JUST’ is most often a general adverb. (RR) 4 JUST ABOUT The intensifying phrase ‘just about‘ premodifies the determiner ‘every’ in the following sentence: Just about every person came. (RR21) 350827 5 However, ‘JUST’ can also be an adjective. (JJ)
At A2 in the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: a bit [singular] (used as an adverb) (especially British English) = rather; to some extent Here are comparative examples: You might need a bit more than that. Is that everything? I mean, it seemed like he said quite a bit more than that. Listen Now, let’s explain an expert example of the C1 grammar structure: ‘a bit’ + comparative adjective phrase. Remember that …
B2 modify and intensify comparative ADJECTIVES with ‘a lot’.
used predicatively after a verb, usually ‘be’
English Grammar Profile
How to extend comparatives for intermediate students
Which adjectives should I teach my intermediate class?
For this C2 grammar, ‘major’ is an adjective meaning: important, serious, or significant. ‘Very’ is an adjective meaning: actual or precise, with emphasis on the exact quality of the following noun or an extreme point in time/space. Point 73 under the category of adjectives in C2 on the English Grammar Profile these two vocabulary items …
‘major cities’, ‘very beginning’ (major | very + noun) Read More »
