Understanding Adverbs Of Degree: A Beginner’s Guide

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Adverbs of degree are words that tell us about the intensity, extent, or degree of an action, adjective, or another adverb. These adverbs help us understand how much or to what extent something happens.

For example, in the sentence She is very happy, the adverb very shows the degree of happiness. Understanding and using adverbs of degree correctly can make your sentences clearer and more precise.

What is an Adverb of Degree?

An adverb of degree shows how much or to what extent something happens. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Example Sentences:
She is extremely talented.
I am quite tired after the long trip.
He ran very fast in the race.

How to Identify an Adverb of Degree

You can identify these adverbs by asking:

How much?
To what extent?
To what degree?

These adverbs usually appear before adjectives or adverbs and after verbs in sentences.

Example:

She was extremely tired.

The word extremely modifies the adjective tired, showing the degree of tiredness.

He ran quite quickly.

Here, quite modifies the adverb quickly, showing how fast he ran.

Common Adverbs of Degree List

Very
Extremely
Quite
Too
Almost
Just
Fairly
Slightly
Somewhat
Completely
Totally
Absolutely
Highly
Partially
Rather
Perfectly
Incredibly
Extremely
Nearly
Completely

Understanding Adverbs of Degree: A Beginner’s Guide — Adverb of Degree in English

Usage of Adverb of Degree

Adverbs of degree are used to modify the intensity or extent of an action, quality, or another adverb. Their placement depends on what they are modifying:

Before adjectives or adverbs

She is very kind.

The adverb very modifies the adjective kind, showing intensity.

After a verb

They worked hard enough.

The phrase hard enough tells how much effort was put in.

Before a main verb (sometimes)

I completely agree.

The word completely modifies the verb agree, showing total agreement.

Comparison of Adverbs of Degree

Some adverbs of degree can be compared using more and most.

Degree	Example Sentence
Comparative	He is more careful than his brother.
Superlative	She is the most careful person I know.

Rules of Adverb of Degree

1. Positioning

Adverbs of degree usually go before the word they modify, except when modifying a verb, where they can come after.

✅ She sings quite beautifully.

✅ He worked hard enough.

2. Avoiding Double Negatives

Do not use adverbs like too or enough in negative sentences unless intended.

✅ He didn’t run fast enough.

❌ He didn’t run too fast enough.

Common Mistakes with Adverb of Degree

1. Misplacing Adverbs

Beginners often place adverbs incorrectly in longer sentences.

❌ She speaks fluently English very.

✅ She speaks English very fluently.

2. Overusing Intensity

Too many adverbs of degree in one sentence can confuse the reader.

❌ She is too very tired.

✅ She is very tired.

3. Using “too” Incorrectly

Too indicates a negative situation or excess.

❌ She is too happy.

✅ She is very happy.

Examples of Adverbs of Degree in Sentences

Adverb	Meaning	Example Sentence
Very	High degree	She is very excited about the trip.
Too	Excessive	He is too tired to continue.
Almost	Nearly complete	I almost forgot to call her.
Enough	Sufficient	She is old enough to vote.
Quite	Moderate intensity	The movie was quite interesting.