Modifiers –
Talking About
Degree
We use modifiers to talk about how much or how
little something is true.
Using 'Quite'
- Less strong than 'very'
Examples:
- That’s quite interesting.
- That’s quite an expensive hobby.
- That’s quite a lot of money.
Structure: Quite
- quite + adjective
→ It’s quite difficult to find a job.
- quite a/an + adjective + noun
→ That’s quite a difficult language.
→ She’s quite an easy-going person.
Other Modifiers
Modifiers with similar meaning to 'quite':
- relatively
- fairly
- pretty
- reasonably
Examples:
- This area is relatively cheap.
- He is fairly happy.
- My life is pretty good.
Using 'a bit more / a lot
more'
- a bit (more/less): small amount
- a lot (more/less): large amount
Examples:
- I’d like to travel a bit more.
- She’d like to be a bit more healthy.
- He’d like to see his friends a lot more.
- She’d like to spend a lot less.
Fun Practice – Modifiers
Let’s try:
1. That movie was _____ boring. (quite / very / a bit)
2. He wants to exercise _____ more. (a bit / a lot)
3. This coffee is _____ strong. (pretty / quite / fairly)
4. My weekend was _____ relaxing. (very / reasonably
/ absolutely)
Will practice describing it
using modifiers + adjectives
Fairly / Relatively /
Quite Reasonably
“That room looks quite “The furniture is fairly
cozy.” modern.”
“That rug seems relatively
“The couch is quite soft.”
comfortable.” “The room layout is reasonably
organized.”
“The sofa arrangement
seems quite A bit (more/less)
spacious.” “It’s a bit dim in the corner.
“The colors are a bit muted.”
Pretty (informal:
“fairly”) “That lamp is a bit low for
reading.”
“The lighting is pretty A lot (more/less)
warm.” “The seating area is a lot more
“That decor style is inviting than the hallway.”
pretty stylish.” “This room is a lot larger than
my living room at home.”
“The view outside looks “The soft lighting makes it a lot
pretty nice.” more relaxing.”
How would you describe this room?
Use a modifier in your sentence
Example Sentences Using
Modifiers
Using “Fairly / Relatively /
Using “Quite”
Reasonably”
That’s quite nice. This phone is relatively cheap.
It looks quite expensive. It’s reasonably comfortable for the
price.
This place seems quite This area is fairly quiet.
peaceful.
Using “A bit (more/less)”
It’s quite a strange photo.
It’s a bit too dark.
Using “Pretty” (informal; This dress is a bit more stylish.
means “fairly”)
He looks a bit bored.
The view is pretty amazing. I’d like it to be a bit cleaner.
He looks pretty tired. Using “A lot (more/less)”
That’s a lot more exciting!
This food smells pretty
good. This room is a lot bigger than
mine.
She seems a lot happier today.
This photo is a lot less interesting.