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)

Answers here!