Base/Normal/Gradable adjectives and Strong/Ungradable Adjectives

Lindsey Haas/EnBW/Thorsten Ruprecht/Autumn 2010 1

boiling hot warm cool cold freezing

Base / Normal / Gradable adjectives

Some adjectives are normal or base adjectives (good, bad, dirty). These adjectives are
gradable. They suggest that a thing/person has more or less of a certain quality which
can be made stronger or weaker.


Other gradable adjectives are:






If you want to describe these adjectives in more detail, there are certain adverbs (of
degree) to choose from. For example, we can use "very" with a gradable adjective e.g.
very good. Here are some other adverbs which you can use to describe gradable
adjectives:






Strong / Ungradable adjectives

Other adjectives are strong adjectives (fantastic, awful, filthy, beautiful, etc). These
adjectives are ungradable and cannot be made stronger or weaker because they are
already extreme. Thus, boiling and freezing above are ungradable whereas
hot/warm/cool and cold are gradable.

Other ungradable adjectives are:





If you want to describe these adjectives in more detail, there are certain adverbs (of
degree) to choose from. For example, we can use "absolutely" with a strong adjective
e.g. absolutely terrible.

Here are some other adverbs which you can use to describe ungradable adjectives:






1
2
amazed amazing - awful beautiful - clear - dreadful fantastic filthy - furious huge
identical - impossible invaluable possible - terrible unchanged useful - useless - wonderful
angry bad - big busy comfortable common difficult dirty - good - happy - important -
influential - popular powerful pretty - quiet rich small - strong unimportant - weak -
young
deeply - dreadfully - enormously - extremely fairly hugely immensely
pretty (informal) rather really reasonably - slightly - very
absolutely - completely entirely pretty really perfectly - severely - simply totally
utterly - virtually
Base/Normal/Gradable adjectives and Strong/Ungradable Adjectives
Lindsey Haas/EnBW/Thorsten Ruprecht/Autumn 2010 2

NB: Very fantastic or absolutely good are incorrect. However, we can use "really" or
"pretty" with a base and/or strong adjective: The concert was really fantastic/really
good. The concert was pretty fantastic/ pretty good.


Adverb/Adjective collocations

Be careful! Certain adverb/adjective word pairs work. Others don't. With time, you can
get a feel for them. There is no explanation why some work and others don't. Example:

I'm hugely sorry that you didn't get the job. I'm extremely/terribly sorry that you
didn't get the job.
Typical word pairs

Gradable adjectives Ungradable adjectives
extremely
effective, difficult, hard
absolutely
clear, necessary, sure, true
dreadfully
angry, disappointed, sorry
simply
awful, enormous, terrible
hugely
entertaining, enjoyable,
successful
utterly
exhausted, unbearable,
unrecognisable

3
Base/Normal/Gradable adjectives and Strong/Ungradable Adjectives
Lindsey Haas/EnBW/Thorsten Ruprecht/Autumn 2010 3

1) Choose an appropriate adverb to describe each of these adjectives.
2) Give an example for each.
a. an absolutely amazing story

1 __________________________________ amazing
2 _________________________________ interesting
3 __________________________________ nervous
4 __________________________________ frightened
5 __________________________________ hilarious
6 __________________________________ incredible
7 __________________________________ funny
8 __________________________________ dirty
9 __________________________________ perfect
10 __________________________________ thrilled
11 _________________________________ enormous
12 __________________________________ tasty
13 _________________________________ enjoyable
14 __________________________________ fantastic
15 __________________________________ pretty
16 __________________________________ angry
17 __________________________________ furious
18 __________________________________ lucky
19 __________________________________ terrified
20 __________________________________ exciting


Which adverb can describe these adjectives? It must be able to describe all 3. Choose from the box.





boring acceptable handicapped
. important . adequate .. limited
sorry clear weakened

identical damaged popular
. impossible . needed ... influential
unchanged wrong powerful

badly enormously perfectly severely terribly - virtually
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