Totally Extreme and Completely Absolute!



Grammar activity – Non-gradable adjectives
Adjectives describe qualities or characteristics of nouns: small, curious, important, etc.  To give extra intensity, grade or impact, we can add an adverb before: very small, totally curious, really important, etc.
The problem is that the combination is NOT arbitrary
  • Some adjectives can vary in intensity. For example: “hot” and “cold”. We can say “it’s very hot” or “it’s very cold”.  The adjective hot and cold are gradable.
  • Other adjectives cannot vary in intensity or grade because they are:
    1. extremes (for example: freezing, unique, horrible)
    2. absolutes (for example: dead, red, wrong)
Extreme or absolute adjectives are often lonely!
Extreme and absolute adjectives cannot be used with adverbs like VERY, EXTREMELY, RATHER, etc. :  “The dog was very dead”  is incorrect.
Often these are used alone:  It was freezing outside. The dog was dead.    

Some extreme/absolute adjectives: alive, awful, black, boiling, certain, correct, dead, enormous, environmental, excellent, freezing, furious, gigantic, huge, impossible, miniscule, mortal, perfect, pregnant, principal, ridiculous, right, superb, terrible, terrified, unique, unknown, white, whole, wrong.

Extreme Adverb + Extreme/Absolute Adjective 
However, an extreme adjective is not entirely lonely! It can be used with "extreme adverbs", for example:
ABSOLUTELY –  TOTALLY – COMPLETELY
Here are some example sentences with this combination:
  • Her attitude was absolutely awful.
  • The story is totally unique.
  • It is completely true.
*Others: entirely, exclusively, fully, largely, nearly, perfectly, practically, primarily, utterly.


Regular & Extreme/Absolute Adjectives


Regular Adjective

Extreme Adjective
angry
furious
bad
awful, terrible, horrible
big
huge, gigantic, giant
clean
spotless
cold
freezing
crowded
packed
dirty
filthy
funny
hilarious
good
wonderful, fantastic, excellent
hot
boiling
hungry
starving
interesting
fascinating
old
ancient
pretty
gorgeous
scary
terrifying
small
tiny
surprising
astounding
tired
exhausted
ugly
hideous



Exercise: Complete the sentences with the correct choice.

1          I am ... exhausted today.      (a little – totally – very)
2          My cat is ... white. (extremely – completely – very )
3          The water is ... delicious to swim.  (slightly – totally – very )
4          Your work is ... excellent.     (very - absolutely – almost)
5          That movie is ... great!         ( very– absolutely – extremely )
6          People were ... terrified by the news. (completely – very – extremely )
7          I am reading a ... good book.         (completely – nearly – extremely )
8          The baby is ... gorgeous.     (rather - absolutely – very )
9          It's ... freezing outside. (totally – very –      slightly)
10       That dress was ... ridiculous. (very – completely – a little)




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