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Understanding Adverb Intensifiers

Intensifiers are adverbs that emphasize the meaning of verbs, adverbs, or adjectives in English. Common intensifiers include 'quite', 'very', 'so', 'too', and 'such', each with specific usage rules. The document also discusses emphatic, amplifying, exaggeration, and downtoning adverbs that modify intensity in various ways.

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5 views4 pages

Understanding Adverb Intensifiers

Intensifiers are adverbs that emphasize the meaning of verbs, adverbs, or adjectives in English. Common intensifiers include 'quite', 'very', 'so', 'too', and 'such', each with specific usage rules. The document also discusses emphatic, amplifying, exaggeration, and downtoning adverbs that modify intensity in various ways.

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Intensifiers

Intensifiers are adverbs whose purpose is to emphasize and give


intensity to a word that is constructed upon. Adverbs
intensifiers in English are necessary to expand the meaning of
a verb, adverb, or adjective and other times to belittle
the word.

frequent English intensifiers:


Quite
Quite has two meanings depending on the adjective that precedes it. If the
an adjective describes a quality that can be graded then
means a lot. Example:
The orange juice is quite good but the apple juice is very good.
The orange juice is not as good as the apple juice.
orange is quite good, but apple juice is very
well - the orange juice is not as good as the juice of
apple)

When the adjective has no degrees, it means 'completely.' Example:


The snake is quite dead
dead)

Quite can be used before an adjective + noun (in singular).


Example:
She reads quite lovely stories
Very.
It is placed before most adjectives and adverbs. It does not
can be used before comparative adjectives or adverbs.
Examples:
Kelly is a very friendly girl
She dances very well

So
It is used before adjectives that are not followed by a noun.

Examples:
Lucy is very charming and pretty
Michael eats so fast

It is also used before 'much' or 'many' which can indeed go


followed by names.
She works so much

Too
It is placed before an adjective or adverb and generally has a
meaning of 'very, too much, more than enough'. Examples:
The meat is too salty.
She dances too fast
Such
it is used before a noun or before a noun + adjective. When the
name is singular and is preceded by an article, such is placed
in front of the article. For example:

Carl is very foolish


I watched such an interesting movie.

English intensifiers are used to amplify meaning.


of adjectives, but it is not necessary to use them with adjectives that already
they have a superlative meaning, such as:

brilliant (genius, excellent)


delicious
huge, enormous
excellent
terrible, awful (horrible, terrible)

The house is enormous.


The house is very huge.

Only intensifiers can be used: 'absolutely', 'really'


"totally" or "completely" with these superlative-valued adjectives.
Emphatic adverbs in English (emphasizers)
Apparently: The Korean ship was apparently undamaged.
Basically, the system ought to have worked.

Amplifying adverbs in English (amplifiers)


Absolutely: Affection is desirable. Money is absolutely indispensable!
Amazingly: People are just amazingly ignorant about the Middle East.

Exaggeration adverbs in English


Guatemala is indescribably beautiful.
My sister’s son is incredibly talented.

Downtoners or adverbs that minimize the intensity of a verb,


adverb or adjective:
A bit: My mother’s a bit of an eccentric.
A little neglect may breed great mischief.

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