intensity

ALL + preposition + noun phrase

A2, ADVERBS, DETERMINERS, emphasis, intensity, modify, NOUNS, phrases, PREPOSITIONS

At A2 level in the Oxford learner’s dictionary, ‘All’ as an adverb can mean ‘completely’.
Adverbs pre-modifying prepositions are found at A2, B1, and C1 levels in the English Grammar Profile.
The iWeb corpus was searched for ALL + prepositional phrases using the pattern _DB _II _A _NN. However, not every result represents ‘all’ as an adverb.
Some of the most common phrases include ‘All around the world’, ‘All across the country’, and ‘All along the way’, among others.
Each phrase is used in a unique context. For example, ‘All around the world’ is often used when referring to a global phenomenon or distribution, as in “Television rights have been sold all around the world”. Similarly, ‘All along the way’ can be used to indicate a consistent pattern or presence across a process or journey, as in “Black girls are overrepresented all along the way”.

too | very | so + many | few

C1, intensity, modify, PRONOUNS, quantity

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. …

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completely | totally | extremely + ADJECTIVE

ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, C1, degree, intensity, modify, range

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 …

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adverb + ENOUGH

ADVERBS, C1, degree, initial, intensity, modify, position, stance

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 …

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extreme adverb + adjective

ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, C1, degree, extreme, intensity, modify

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. …

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EVEN + comparative adjective

ADJECTIVES, B1, comparatives, emphasis, intensity, modify, predicate

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: …

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HALF

ADVERBS, DETERMINERS, intensity

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 …

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JUST

A2, ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, DETERMINERS, intensity

The word ‘just’ is most often used as a general adverb. Here are a few examples that showcase its usage in this context: “He’s just a beginner in playing the piano.” In this sentence, ‘just’ is used to convey that the person is only a beginner and implies a sense of being at the early …

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(slightly | a bit | much) + COMPARATIVE

ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, B1, B2, C1, comparatives, degree, intensity, modify

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 …

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‘major cities’, ‘very beginning’ (major | very + noun)

academic, ADJECTIVES, attributive, C2, degree, intensity, NOUNS, position, range

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 …

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