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Adverbs of degree in English: The usage & exercises

Adverbs of degree are one of the important grammar items in English. What adverbs of degree are commonly used? In this article, PREP will help you better understand this topic. Let's learn more about it together!

I. What are adverbs of degree?

1. Definition

Adverbs of degree are used to modify, describe, or define the level, or intensity of an action, adjective, or other adverb. Corresponding to each level will be multiple descriptive adverbs that can replace each other. Below are some adverb of degree examples:

She was very excited about the upcoming trip.
She was extremely happy with her test results.
The movie was utterly boring and uneventful.
She is totally committed to her new job.

2. Category

Adverbs of degree are divided into 3 types based on intensity. Let’s see the adverb of degree list in the below table:

Intensity	Adverb of degree	Example
Weak Intensity	Barely (by the smallest amount)	He barely passed the exam with a minimum score.
	Scarcely (almost not)	He scarcely had any money left in his wallet.
	not at all (used to say "no" or "not" strongly)	A: “Did the noise bother you?” B: “Not at all, I barely noticed it.”
	slightly (a little)	The temperature dropped slightly overnight.
	a bit (a slight but not serious amount or type of something)	I’m feeling a bit tired after staying up late last night.
	a little (a small amount of something)	I need to rest for a little while before continuing with my work.
Medium Intensity	fairly (more than average, but less than very)	The movie was fairly entertaining.
	just (now, very soon, or very recently)	She just arrived at the airport.
	quite (completely)	The movie was quite entertaining. I really enjoyed it.
	pretty (quite, but not extremely)	She’s a pretty talented artist. Her paintings are amazing.
	rather (quite; to a slight degree)	I am rather tired, so I think I’ll go to bed early.
	moderately (in a way that is neither small nor large in size, amount, degree, or strength)	The temperature is moderately high today.
	almost (nearly)	She has almost finished reading the book.
Strong Intensity	very (to a great degree or extremely)	I’m very excited about my upcoming vacation. I’ve been planning it for months.
	really (in fact)	The concert was really fantastic. The band put on an amazing performance.
	absolutely (completely)	I absolutely love this song. It’s my favorite.
	completely (in every way or as much as possible)	She completely changed her mind.
	entirely (whole or complete, with nothing missing)	I admit it was entirely my fault.
	intensely( extremely or strongly)	They are intensely focused on their work.
	profoundly (deeply or extremely)	Her words deeply and profoundly moved the audience.

II. Common adverbs of degree in English

Adverbs of degree in English are used to describe the increasing or decreasing level of an adjective or another adverb, helping to convey the meaning more accurately in sentences. Let's list out some common adverbs of degree in English together with PREP!

Adverb of degree	Meaning	Example
Very	to a great degree or extremely	The food at that restaurant is very delicious.
Enough	as much as or more than is wanted	You are running fast enough.
Quite	completely	It’s quite difficult to solve this puzzle.
Fairly	more than average, but less than very	The price of the item is fairly reasonable.
Pretty	quite, but not extremely	It’s a pretty good book.
Rather	quite; to a slight degree	It's rather cold today, isn't it?
Slightly	a little	The coffee is slightly too sweet for my taste.
Intensely	extremely or strongly	He was intensely focused on his studies, ignoring all distractions.
Profoundly	deeply or extremely	The speaker’s words resonated with the audience and profoundly impacted their thinking.
Completely	in every way or as much as possible	She completely forgot about the meeting and missed it.
Almost	nearly	I almost missed the bus this morning, but luckily I arrived just in time.
Barely	by the smallest amount	He barely passed the exam with a score of 51.
Just	now, very soon, or very recently	I just finished reading the book last night.
Little	small in size or amount	She has little knowledge about computer programming.
Nearly	almost, or not completely	The project is nearly complete, with only a few minor tasks remaining.
Scarcely	almost not	They scarcely spoke to each other during the entire journey.

III. The position of adverbs of degree in sentences

Where do adverbs of degree typically appear in an English sentence? Let's explore the positions of these grammar items together with PREP!

Adverbs of degree often come before adjectives. For example:
- She was very happy to receive the award.
- The movie was extremely exciting.
- I’m really tired after a long day at work.
Some adverbs of degree such as almost, barely, hardly, just, little, nearly, rather, really, and scarcely can be placed before the main verb of the sentence, modifying the verb. For example:
I almost missed the bus this morning.
The restaurant was so crowded that we could barely find a table.
I just finished cooking dinner.
He has little experience in public speaking.
The project is nearly complete.

IV. Inversion of adverbs of degree in English

In the inverted sentences, the adverb of degree is moved before the main verb to create a different grammatical structure and emphasize the meaning of the adverb. Let's explore inverted sentence structures with common adverbs of degree together with PREP!

Inversion structure of adverbs of degree:

Adverb of degree + auxiliary verb + S + V

Here are some common adverbs of degree often appearing in inverted sentences that PREP has discovered. Please pay attention:

Adverb of degree	Meaning	Example
Never	not at any time or not on any occasion	He never eats vegetables.
Rarely	not often	They rarely have time to relax.
Scarcely	almost not	We scarcely had any time to prepare for the presentation.
Not only…But also	used to say that two related things are true or happened, especially when this is surprising or shocking	She not only sings well, but she also plays multiple musical instruments.

V. Adverb of degree exercises with detailed answers

Below are 2 exercises on adverbs of degree provided by PREP for you to practice. Remember to complete them fully and then check the answers below to better understand the knowledge from this article!

Exercise 1: Rewrite the following sentences in the inverted form with an adverb of degree.

I never want to see you again.

➡ Never ……………………………………………………………………

She rarely goes out at night.

➡ Rarely …………………………………………………………………….

He not only studies law, but he also works part-time.

➡ Not only …………………………………………………………………

He scarcely spoke during the entire meeting.

➡ Scarcely …………………………………………………………………

She seldom wears dresses; she prefers jeans.

➡ Seldom …………………………………………………………………………

Exercise 2: Identify the adverbs of degree in the following sentences

The garden is pretty beautiful.
The difficulty level of the game is moderately high.
The price is fairly reasonable.
She is really talented in singing.
The movie was quite entertaining.
I absolutely love this book.
I totally forgot about our meeting.
He barely passed the exam with a minimum score.
The book had a profoundly impact on me.
The food was terribly salty.

Detailed answers:

Exercise 1:

Never do I want to see you again.
Rarely does she go out at night.
Not only does he study law, but he also works part-time.
Scarcely did he speak during the entire meeting.
Seldom does she wear dresses; she prefers jeans.

Exercise 2:

pretty
moderately
fairly
really
quite
absolutely
totally
barely
profoundly
terribly

Adverbs of degree are one of the important grammar items in English. You must have a firm grasp of this knowledge to avoid losing points during real tests. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and PREP will be ready to answer you!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Mr. Tú Phạm is the founder of PREP, a Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of teaching and test preparation experience, he has assisted thousands of students in achieving high scores on the IELTS exam. Additionally, Mr. Tú Phạm serves as a consultant for British Council programs and as a speaker at numerous premier education events, programs, and seminars.