Adverbs – Adverbs of Degree (To what extent?) – 23 Common Grammar Topics in the Cambridge Starters Exam

Adverbs of Degree describe to what extent something happens or is true. They modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to show intensity. Common examples include very, too, quite, almost, and extremely. For instance, “She is very happy” shows a high degree of happiness, while “It’s too cold to swim” indicates excess. Adverbs like enough follow the adjective or adverb they modify, e.g., “She’s not tall enough.” These adverbs help us express intensity, giving clarity to how much or how little something is true. They are crucial in making sentences more precise.

The position of Adverbs of Degree depends on what they modify. Here’s a breakdown of their common positions:

1. Before an adjective or another adverb

Adverbs of degree usually come before adjectives or other adverbs to modify their intensity.
Very (Rất); Quite (Khá); Too (Quá); Extremely (Cực kỳ); Fairly (Tương đối); Rather (Hơi, khá (thường mang ý ngạc nhiên hoặc nhấn mạnh)); Nearly (Gần như)

📌 Very: Modifies adjectives/adverbs to show a high degree.
🎉 She is very excited about the upcoming holiday.
🌡️ The soup was very hot, so I waited to eat.
🏃 He runs very quickly during the race.

📌 Quite: Indicates a moderate degree.
📚 The book was quite interesting, and I couldn’t put it down.
🗣️ She speaks English quite fluently for a beginner.
🧥 It was quite cold outside, so we wore jackets.

📌 Too: Means more than is necessary or desirable.
🚫 The coffee is too hot to drink right now.
🚗 She drives too fast on the highway, which is dangerous.
👜 This bag is too heavy for me to carry alone.

📌 Extremely: Intensifies adjectives/adverbs to a very high degree.
🎥 The movie was extremely long, lasting more than three hours.
💤 He was extremely tired after working all day.
🗣️ She spoke extremely quickly, making it hard to understand.

📌 Fairly: Means to some extent, but not completely.
📝 The test was fairly easy, and most students finished early.
👀 It’s fairly obvious that she needs help with her homework.
🌤️ The weather was fairly warm, so we decided to go hiking.

📌 Rather: Expresses surprise or emphasizes a degree.
🎁 She was rather surprised by the unexpected gift.
🧐 It’s rather strange that he didn’t show up to the meeting.
🥳 The room was rather messy after the party.

📌 Nearly: Means almost, but not quite.
⏱️ She was nearly late for the important appointment.
📊 The project is nearly finished, just a few tasks remain.
😴 He was nearly asleep when the phone rang.

2. After an adjective or another adverb

Enough (đủ)

🔑 The house is large enough for our whole family to live comfortably together.
🌳 The tree is tall enough to provide shade during the entire afternoon.
💡 The room isn’t bright enough for reading without additional lighting in the evening.
🏃 She didn’t run quickly enough to win first place in the school race.
🎤 He spoke loudly enough for everyone at the back of the room to hear him.
✈️ The plane flew high enough to pass above the storm without any turbulence.

3. Before or After a verb

Almost (hầu như); Nearly (gần như); Partially (một phần); Greatly (rất nhiều); Highly (rất); Absolutely (tuyệt đối); Utterly (hoàn toàn); Really (thực sự); Slightly (hơi, một chút); Barely (hầu như không); Hardly (hầu như không); Completely; Entirely; Totally (Hoàn toàn); Almost never

📌 Almost: Nearly, but not completely. It indicates that something is very close to happening, but doesn’t fully happen.
🔑 He almost lost his keys while running to catch the bus.
📚 She almost forgot to bring her notebook to class, but remembered just in time.
🍕 We almost ordered another pizza, but then decided we had enough food.
🚗 We drove almost 200 kilometers today, and the journey isn’t even halfway done yet.
🎨 She has finished almost painting the entire wall, but a small section still needs more color.
📖 He has read almost all the books in the series, just one more to go!

📌 Nearly: Almost, but not quite. It shows that something is very close to being completed, but not fully done yet.
🚗 He nearly hit another car while changing lanes on the busy highway.
🎒 I nearly left my backpack on the bus, but remembered to grab it at the last moment.
🏃‍♂️ We nearly missed the train, but luckily it was delayed by a few minutes.
🏃 He won the race nearly, but his friend crossed the finish line just a second before him.
🚢 They missed the ferry nearly, but luckily, it was delayed for a few minutes.
🎯 She hit the target nearly, but her arrow landed just outside the bullseye.

📌 Partially
📝 She partially completed the project before the deadline, leaving some sections unfinished due to time constraints and resource limitations.
🛠️ The mechanic partially fixed the car, but some issues remained that required more time and additional parts to repair.
🌧️ The sky cleared partially after the rain, allowing the sun to shine through but still leaving some clouds behind.
🌱 The field was plowed partially due to the heavy rain, preventing the workers from finishing the task completely.

📌 Greatly
🌱 The community greatly benefited from the new park, which provided a green space for everyone to enjoy.
📈 The company greatly expanded its market share after launching a series of successful products.
🛠️ His skills have improved greatly since he started taking advanced courses in carpentry and craftsmanship.
💡 The project’s visibility increased greatly after it was featured in several high-profile media outlets.

📌 Slightly
🌧️ It slightly rained during the night, but it wasn’t enough to cause any flooding in the area.
🍰 She slightly adjusted the recipe by adding less sugar to make the cake healthier for her family.
🏃 He hesitated slightly before deciding to join the marathon, unsure if he was prepared enough for the race.
🎤 They modified their presentation slightly after receiving feedback from the professor about improving the clarity of their arguments.

📌 Barely
🚶 He barely managed to catch the last bus before it left the station, running as fast as he could.
📝 She barely completed the assignment on time, submitting it just a minute before the deadline closed.
✈️ They caught the flight barely before the gate closed for boarding.
🚪 She entered the conference room barely before the doors were locked for the important meeting.

📌 Hardly: Barely; almost not. It shows that something happens to a very small degree, or is very unlikely to happen.
🌧️ It was raining so hard that we hardly went outside the entire day.
👂 I hardly heard what he said because the music was too loud at the party.
🛑 They hardly stopped at the traffic light before speeding through the intersection.
☕ He drinks coffee hardly these days because he is trying to cut back on caffeine.
🗣️ They talked hardly during the meeting, as both were too focused on their work.

📌 Totally: Completely, fully. It emphasizes that something is done to the fullest extent possible.
🖼️ I totally forgot about the art exhibit, and now I can’t make it to the show.
🎉 They totally enjoyed the surprise party that was thrown for their graduation.
🏆 She totally deserved to win the award for her excellent performance this year.
🎬 He enjoyed the movie totally, especially the action scenes and special effects that made it thrilling from start to finish.
💻 She understood the instructions totally after reviewing the tutorial video a couple more times to clarify any confusion she had.
🎶 They loved the concert totally, as the live performance exceeded their expectations with incredible energy and sound quality.

📌 Completely: Fully, 100%, with nothing left undone. It shows that something has been finished or done in its entirety.
📝 She completely finished her homework before dinner and had time to relax.
🎥 They completely forgot to watch the movie that was recommended to them last week.
🚴 He completely mastered riding his bike after practicing every day for a week.
🏡 They renovated the house completely, changing everything from the roof to the basement.
🧹 She cleaned the room completely, making sure every corner was spotless before the guests arrived.
📝 He understood the instructions completely after reading them twice, and he was ready to start.

📌 Entirely: Completely or wholly, indicating that something is done to its full extent without anything left out.
🌧️ She entirely misunderstood the weather forecast, so she didn’t bring an umbrella and got soaked in the rain.
🎬 They entirely missed the beginning of the movie because the traffic was much worse than they had expected.
📅 He entirely forgot about the meeting and didn’t show up, which caused a delay in the project timeline.
🏞️ The landscape changed entirely after the storm, with new paths and fallen trees everywhere.
🎥 The plot of the movie shifted entirely, surprising the audience with an unexpected twist.
🚪 They remodeled the entrance entirely, giving it a modern look with a new door and lighting.

4. Only after a verb

Enough (đủ); A lot (nhiều); Much (nhiều (thường dùng trong câu phủ định và câu hỏi)); At all (một chút nào, hoàn toàn); Any (một chút nào)

📌 Enough
🚲 He didn’t train enough to complete the marathon, so he struggled to finish and felt disappointed with his performance.
🎵 She didn’t practice enough to perfect her performance, causing mistakes during the concert and feeling embarrassed afterward.

📌 A lot
🎵 She sings a lot during choir practice to improve her vocal skills and prepare for the upcoming concert next weekend.
⚽ He trains a lot to enhance his football abilities and aims to join the national team in the near future.

📌 Much
🏃 He doesn’t exercise much during the week, but he stays active on weekends by hiking and biking with friends.
🎸 She hasn’t practiced guitar much lately because she’s been busy studying for exams and working on school projects.

📌 At all
🎭 Despite rehearsing for weeks, he didn’t remember his lines at all during the final performance on the grand stage.
🏀 The basketball team didn’t coordinate at all in the crucial game, resulting in a disappointing loss in the championship.

📌 Any
🌧️ It hasn’t rained any this month, causing the farmers to worry about the drought impacting their crops and livelihoods significantly.
🚶 She didn’t walk any today because her ankle hurt, so she rested at home to recover before the marathon.