Adjective Gradability
Adjectives describe qualities (characteristics) of nouns.
Some qualities can vary in intensity or "grade", for example:
rather hot, hot, very hot; hot, hotter, the hottest
The adjective hot is gradable.
Other qualities cannot vary in intensity or grade because
they are:
extremes (for example: freezing)
absolutes (for example: dead)
classifying (for example: nuclear)
The adjectives freezing, dead and nuclear are non-
gradable.
Gradable Adjectives
A gradable adjective can be used with "grading adverbs"
that vary the adjective's grade or intensity. Look at these
examples:
grading adverbs + gradable adjectives
a little, dreadfully, extremely, fairly, angry, big, busy, clever, cold, deep, fast,
hugely, immensely, intensely, rather, friendly, good, happy, high, hot, important,
reasonably, slightly, unusually, very long, popular, rich, strong, tall, warm, weak,
young
"Gradable adjectives" are also called "qualitative
adjectives". "Grading adverbs" are also called
"submodifiers".
A gradable adjective can also have comparative and
superlative forms:
big, bigger, the biggest
hot, hotter, the hottest
important, more important, the most important
Look at these example sentences:
My teacher was very happy with my homework.
That website is reasonably popular. But this one
is more popular.
He said that France was a little cold and Denmark
was rather cold. But Sweden was the coldest.
Non-gradable Adjectives
A non-gradable adjective cannot be used with grading
adverbs:
It was rather freezing outside.
The dog was very dead.
He is investing in slightly nuclear energy.
Non-gradable adjectives do not normally have comparative
and superlative forms:
freezing, more freezing, the most freezing
dead, deader, the deadest
nuclear, more nuclear, the most nuclear
Don't try to learn lists of gradable and non-gradable
adjectives! It's better to understand what makes an
adjective gradable or non-gradable. This is a matter of logic
and common sense. Most native-speakers have never heard
of gradable and non-gradable adjectives. They just "feel"
that it doesn't make sense to say "fairly excellent" or "very
unique". You probably have the same idea in your language.
Often, non-gradable adjectives are used alone:
It was freezing outside.
The dog was dead.
He is investing in nuclear energy.
However, a non-gradable adjective can be used with "non-
grading adverbs" (which usually just give the adjective extra
impact), for example:
non-grading non-gradable
adverbs adjectives
absolutely awful extreme
utterly excellent
completely terrified
totally dead absolut
e
nearly impossible
virtually unique
essentially chemical classifyi
non-grading non-gradable
adverbs adjectives
mainly digital ng
almost domestic
Here are some example sentences containing non-grading
adverbs with non-gradable adjectives:
Her exam results were absolutely awful. She will have
to take the exam again.
Is there anything like it in the world? It must
be virtually unique.
It starts an essentially chemical reaction.
Gradable / Non-gradable Adjectives
Some adjectives may have more than one meaning or sense.
It's possible for the same adjective to be gradable with one
sense and non-gradable with another sense. For example:
example sentence adjective sense
He's got a very old car. gradable not
young
I saw my old boyfriend yesterday. non- former,
gradable ex-
example sentence adjective sense
He has some dreadfully gradable vulgar
common habits.
"The" is a very common word in gradable prevale
English. nt
The two countries' common border non- shared
poses problems. gradable
Adverbs used with gradable and non-gradable
adjectives
The adverbs really (very much)
and fairly and pretty (both meaning "to a significant
degree, but less than very") can often be used with gradable
and non-gradable adjectives:
gradable non-gradable
Please don't forget! He was really terrified.
It's really important.
He's a fairly rich man. It's a fairly impossible job.
He's pretty tall. It's pretty ridiculous when
gradable non-gradable
you think about it.
"Quite" with gradable and non-gradable
adjectives
The sense of the adverb "quite" changes according to the
gradability of the adjective that we use it with:
adjective sense
It's quite gradable fairly, rather
warm today.
Are you quite non- completely,
certain? gradable absolutely
Reference
Non-gradable adjectives
Although we don't recommend that you learn lists of non-
gradable adjectives, here are some for reference. You can
decide for yourself whether they are extreme, absolute or
classifying.
alive, awful, black, boiling, certain, correct, dead,
domestic, enormous, environmental, excellent,
freezing, furious, gigantic, huge, immediately,
impossible, minuscule, mortal, overjoyed, perfect,
pregnant, principal, ridiculous, superb, terrible,
terrified, unique, unknown, white, whole
Non-grading adverbs
Again, no need to learn lists. Here are a few examples.
There are many more. Remember that you cannot use all
non-grading adverbs with all non-gradable adjectives. Some
collocate (go together). Some don't.
absolutely, almost, completely, entirely, exclusively,
fully, largely, mainly, nearly, perfectly, practically,
primarily, utterly, virtually