Base/Normal/Gradable Base/Normal/Gradable adjectives and Strong/Ungradable Strong/Ungradable Adjectives
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Base / Normal / Gradable G radable adjectives Some adjectives are normal normal or or base adjectives (good, bad, dirty ). ). These adjectives adjectives are that a thing/person ha has s more or less of a certain quality quality which gradable . They suggest that can be made stronger or weaker.
boiling
hot
warm
cool
cold
freezing
Other gradable adjectives are:
angry bad - big busy busy comfortable comfortable common common difficult difficult dirty dirty - good - happy - important influential - popular powerful powerful pretty pretty - quiet rich rich small small - strong unimportant unimportant - weak young –
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If you want to describe these adjectives in more detail, there are certain adverbs (of degree) degree) to choose from. For example, example, we can use "very" with a gradable adjective e.g. good . Here are some other adverbs which you can use to describe gradable gradable adjectives:
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Strong / Ungradable adjectives Other adjectives are strong adjectives ( adjectives (fantastic, fantastic, awful, filthy, beautiful , etc). These adjectives are ungradable and cannot be made stronger or weaker because they are already extreme. Thus, boiling and hot/warm/cool and hot/warm/cool and cold cold are are gradable.
freezing above are ungradable whereas
Other ungradable adjectives are:
amazed amazing amazing - awful beautiful - clear - dreadful fantastic filthy - furious huge huge identical - impossible invaluable invaluable possible possible - terrible unchanged unchanged useful useful - useless - wonderful –
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If you want to describe these adjectives in more detail, there are certain adverbs (of degree) degree) to choose from. For example, example, we can use "absolutely " with a strong adjective e.g. absolutely absolutely terrible terrible . Here are some other adverbs which you can use to describe ungradable ungradable adjectives:
absolutely - compl etely – enti enti r ely – pre pr etty – r eall y – per per f ectl ctly y - seve severr el y - simpl y – totally – utterl utte rl y - vir tuall y
Base/Normal/Gradable adjectives and Strong/Ungradable Adjectives 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 / good. The concert was pretty fantastic /
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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 effective, difficult, hard angry, disappointed, sorry entertaining, enjoyable, successful
Ungradable adjectives absolutely
simply
utterly
clear, necessary, sure, true awful, enormous, terrible exhausted, unbearable, unrecognisable
Base/Normal/Gradable adjectives and Strong/Ungradable Adjectives 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.
badl
enormousl
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boring important sorry
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erfectl
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severel
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acceptable adequate clear
damaged needed wrong
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terribl - virtuall
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handicapped limited weakened
……………...
popular influential powerful
S o u rc A
:
e
G
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2
/9
3
8
u
,
iU
identical impossible unchanged
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