Adjectives – gradable and non-gradable

Adjectives – gradable and non-gradable

Do you know how to use adjectives in phrases like 'a bit cold', 'really cold' and 'absolutely freezing'?

Look at these examples to see how gradable and non-gradable adjectives are used.

• It's really cold.

• It's absolutely freezing.

• This exercise is really difficult.

• This exercise is completely impossible.

Multiple Choice

These shoes are ___ small.

• a bit

• absolutely

Multiple Choice

The pasta was ___ tasty.

• completely

• very

Multiple Choice

The dessert was ___ delicious!

• absolutely

• very

Multiple Choice

It's not ___ perfect, but it's good enough.

• completely

• very

Multiple Choice

I'm ___ late. I'm so sorry!

• completely

• very

Multiple Choice

We were ___ exhausted when we arrived home.

• absolutely

• very

Multiple Choice

My phone battery is ___ dead.

• totally

• very

Gradable adjectives

Most adjectives are gradable. This means we can have different levels of that quality. For example, you can be 'a bit cold', 'very cold' or 'extremely cold'. We can make them weaker or stronger with modifiers

She was quite angry when she found out.
The film we saw last night was really funny!
It can be extremely cold in Russia in the winter.

Here is a list of some common gradable adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.

Non-gradable: absolute adjectives'

Some adjectives are non-gradable. For example, something can't be 'a bit finished' or 'very finished'. You can't be 'a bit dead' or 'very dead'. These adjectives describe absolute qualities. To make them stronger we have to use modifiers like 'absolutely', 'totally' or 'completely':

Thank you, I love it! It's absolutely perfect!
Their farm was totally destroyed by a tornado.
My work is completely finished. Now I can relax.

Here is a list of some common absolute adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.

Non-gradable: extreme adjectives

Adjectives like 'amazing', 'awful' and 'boiling' are also non-gradable. They already contain the idea of 'very' in their definitions. If we want to make extreme adjectives stronger, we have to use 'absolutely' or 'really':

Did you see the final match? It was absolutely amazing!
After 32 hours of travelling, they were absolutely exhausted.
My trip home was really awful. First, traffic was really bad, then the car broke down and we had to walk home in the rain.

Here is a list of some common extreme adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.

Multiple Choice

The summers here are ___ hot.

• absolutely

• extremely

Multiple Choice

The house was ___ destroyed in the war.

• extremely

• totally

Multiple Choice

She was ___ angry.

• absolutely

• very

Multiple Choice

The interactive museum was ___ fascinating.

• a bit

• absolutely

Multiple Choice

We were ___ tired so we stayed in.

• completely

• quite

Multiple Choice

You don't have to pay. It's ___ free.

• completely

• very

Multiple Choice

The apartment looked ___ small in the picture.

• completely

• quite

Multiple Choice

In real life, it was ___ tiny.

• really

• very

Multiple Choice

I'm ___ late. I'm so sorry!

• completely

• very