ADJECTIVES

Gradable vs ungradable adjectives

Gradable adjectives can be used with grading adverbs such as very or extremely to say that a thing or person has more or less of a particular quality.

Grading adverbs: very, extremely, a bit, dreadfully, hugely, immensely, intensely, rather, reasonably, slightly

Gradable adjectives: angry, big, busy, clever, common, different, fast, friendly, happy, important, low, popular, quiet, rich, strong, weak, young

For example: She was extremely rich. It’s hugely popular. The people there are reasonably friendly. They are slightly different.

Non-gradable adjectives are not used with adverbs such as very or extremely because these adjectives do not refer to qualities which have different degrees. With non-gradable adjectives we can use non-grading adverbs which emphasize their extreme or absolute nature, such as absolutely, completely, etc.

Non-grading adverbs: absolutely, completely, entirely, perfectly, practically, simply, totally, utterly, virtually, almost, exclusively, fully, largely, mainly, nearly, primarily

Non-gradable adjectives: awful, excellent, huge, impossible, superb, terrible, unique, unknown, wrong

For example: She was completely wrong. He was practically unknown to the public. It was absolutely superb.

The adverbs fairly, really, and pretty are commonly used with both gradable and non-gradable adjectives.

For example: She’s fairly popular at school. I’m really busy at the moment. It was a fairly awful film. The flooding was really terrible.

However, note that we don’t generally use fairly (or very) with gradable adjectives which indicate that something is very good or necessary.

For example:

Experience is really / pretty essential for the job. (not … fairly essential…)

The weather was really / pretty perfect. (not … very perfect.)

This also refers to: essential, invaluable, superb, perfect, tremendous, wonderful (e.g. Her advice was really invaluable but not: fairly invaluable; The view from the window was pretty wonderful but not: fairly/very wonderful).

Adapted from: Hewings, M. (2013). Advanced Grammar in Use. Third Edition. Cambridge University Press. p. 134

Here are some gradable adjectives with their non-gradable extreme equivalents.

small ➡️ tiny, minute

big ➡️ enormous, huge, gigantic

good ➡️ fantastic, great, amazing, incredible

bad ➡️ terrible, awful

hot ➡️ boiling

cold ➡️ freezing

tired ➡️ exhausted

angry ➡️ furious

dirty ➡️ filthy

pretty ➡️ beautiful, gorgeous

old ➡️ ancient

tasty ➡️ delicious

hungry ➡️ starving

interesting ➡️ fascinating

Remember:

before gradable adjectives we can use these adverbs: very, extremely, a bit, slightly, really
before non-gradable adjectives we can use these adverbs: absolutely, completely, totally, utterly, really.