Degree Adverb Uses

MODIFIYING A VERB MODIFIYING AN ADVERB MODIFIYING AN ADJECTIVE

Modifies the intensity of the action telling us 'how much'. Modifies the intensity of the adverb. Modifies quality or character.

He talks excessively all the time. He talks extremely fast. He is extremely talkative.

He rather loves his audiences. He communicates rather well. He is rather attractive.

He hardly stops to breathe. He reasons very quickly. His ratings are very high.

Logic suggests not using degree modifiers with absolute words; for example, "He's rather dead." Test this by using rather before:
absolute, entirely, eternal, fatal, final, finite, identical, immortal, infinite, mortal, opposite, perfect, right, straight, opposite, or unique.

DEGREE
A degree adverb may have a secondary meaning.
He was especially good at debating espeecially particularly, extremely
I'm terribly sorry. terribly very, very
He was suspiciously quiet. suspiciously unusually
He is easily the best speaker. easily clearly
He communicates fairly fluently. fairly adequately, sufficiently
He was well recommended to us. well highly, top level
Degree Adverbsintensity vs. completeness

INTENSITY
Some degree adverbs indicate intensity from very much to very little (or none).
He is extremely excited about his work.
He is somewhat excited about his work.
He is hardly excited about his work.
COMPLETENESS
Some degree adverbs indicate completenessfrom very complete to partially complete.
He is completely done with his work.
He is almost done with his work.
He is partly done with his work.

Degree Adverbsother meanings & expressions

UNIQUE MEANINGS
Some degree adverbs take on new meanings, different from their meanings when used as adjectives.
He is wonderfully excited about his work. creatively
We are deeply saddened to hear about his death. profoundly
The house is easily accessible. without difficulty
He is highly regarded. top level
It is virtually trouble-free. practically
He's awfully mad. very
EXPRESSIONS
Other degree adverbs are used in expressions. (These are learned over time.)
He is plain / dead wrong. completely "dead right" but not "plain right"
You are mighty kind. extremely (nice, tall, smart, pleased positive)
He is damn rude. extremely (very informal)
It's downright unfair. completely, totally
He's real / really / pretty smart. very
He's a jolly good fellow. / He'll jolly well do. very

Degree adverbs
-a partial list

egree Adverbs with -ly Suffix

absolutely very amazingly surprisingly awfully very barely negative

completely totally, all parts considerably dreadfully very easily clearly, without difficulties
enormously entirely especially exceedingly
excessively extensively very extremely very fairly
fantastically fully greatly hardly not much
highly very hugely immensely incredibly very
infinitely extremely intensely very largely mostly literally
moderately nearly noticeably particularly
partly perfectly completely positively practically almost; nearly
profoundly purely really reasonably acceptably
relatively remarkably seriously alarming degree simply
slightly strikingly strongly surely sufficiently
supremely suprisingly unexpected degree suspiciously terribly very
totally tremendously very truly unbelievably
utterly virtually wonderfully

is also a focusing adverb.

literally (1) the primary or strict meaning of a word; (2) word for word; (3) without exaggeration, actually; (4) in effect, very nearly;
virtually

Degree adverbs without -ly suffix

about almost altogether downright

however indeed jolly just
least less mighty more
most not quite rather
so somewhat still too
very very much way far well
as as too to... sothat enough

(Huddleston 5834)
Adverbs for Degree
Modifying a Verb

Placement

BEFORE THE VERB BETWEEN AUXILIARY AND MAIN VERB AFTER THE VERB
Place the degree adverb before This usual placement is after the auxiliary verbs and Longer expression tend to be placed after the
the verb. before the main verb. verb.

He totally loves giving speeches.

He will totally love giving speeches. He loves giving speeches very much.
adverb -
aux - adverb - verb object verb object adverb
verb object

He loves giving speeches. He will love giving a speech. He loves giving speeches .
Word Use for "Degree"

SENTENCE DEGREE SYNONYMS

He ____ loves public VERY, VERY absolutely, completely, enormously, excessively, fully, greatly, highly, hugely,
speaking. verb MUCH immensely, infinitely intensely, profoundly, totally, tremendously, utterly
VERY MUCH moderately, noticeably, positively, really, simply , truly, very much

NOT MUCH hardly, barely, not (doesn't)

Word Use for "Completeness"

SENTENCE DEGREE SYNONYMS

We ____ agree. verb COMPLETELY completely, strongly, perfectly, totally, entirely, largely, positively, simply, for the most part
PARTLY almost, nearly, partly, kind of, somewhat, hardly,

NOT hardly, barely, not (don't)

Adverbs for Degree
Modifying an Adverb

Placement Modifying Adverbs

BEFORE THE ADVERB BEFORE AND AFTER

Place longer expressions after the adverb. See so, too,
Place the adverb before the adverb.
enough below.

The politician speaks rather persuasively. This politician speaks as persuasively as

Churchill. (unequal comparison)
This politician speaks so persuasively that everyone
follows him.
persuasively (adv.) in a manner that makes other people believe *This politician speaks too persuasively to believe.
something or do what you ask This politician speaks persuasively enough to believe.

Excessive: (1) we don't believe him, or (2) there is no one like him before; unprecedented

Word Use for "Degree"

SENTENCE DEGREE SYNONYMS

EXCESSIVELY awfully, dreadfully, exceedingly, incredibly, terribly, too, excessively
The man extremely, really, remarkably, surprisingly, truly, downright, mighty, quite,
speaks persuasively. adverb VERY
rather, so, very, wonderfully
SOMEWHAT moderately, relatively, simply, somewhat
NOT VERY fairly, slightly, un (not)

Negatives

INTENSIVE ADVERB NEGATIVE VERB NEGATIVE ADVERB

Gives a compliment. Suggests a problem. Notes a problem.
He speaks very well. He doesn't speak very well. He speaks badly.
They work very well together. They don't work very well together. They work poorly together.

Adverbs for Degree

Modifying Adjectives

Placement Modifying Adjectives

 BEFORE BEFORE AND AFTER
Place the adverb before the adjective. Place longer expressions after the adjective. See so, too, enough below.

His speech was as amazing as Churchill's. (comparison)

His speech was so amazing that everyone cheered.
The speech was absolutely amazing. His speech was too fantastic to believe.
His speech was moderate enough to believe.

Word Use for "Degree" How much?

SENTENCE DEGREE SYNONYMS

The design awfully, dreadfully, enormously, exceedingly, extremely, incredibly, terribly,
EXTREMELY
is complex. adjective tremendously, too, excessively
amazingly, really, remarkably, surprisingly, truly, downright, mighty, quite, rather,
VERY
so, very, wonderfully
SOMEWHAT moderately, relatively, simply, somewhat, sufficiently

barely, fairly, slightly, un (not), hardly

NOT VERY
Word Use for "Completeness" How complete?

SENTENCE DEGREE SYNONYMS

The work is done. adjective COMPLETELY completely, thoroughly, practically, almost, nearly
PARTLY partly, partially, kind of, about, somewhat, relatively,

NOT hardly, barely, not (un)

An Ambiguous Modifier Placement

AMBIGUOUS MODIFIER (UNCLEAR) POSSIBLE MEANINGS

Sometimes a modifier can modify one of two In one interpretation it could modify the verb. In another it could modify the
words, but its not clear which one. object. If context does not clarify the meaning, then re-order the words.

He believes absolutely everything you tell

him. Which word does absolutely modify?
The modifier could modify word before or after
it. The meaning changes only slightly.
1) He absolutely believes everything you tell him. absolutely modifies believes
(v.)
2) He believes absolutely everything you tell him. absolutely modifies
everything (adj-det.)

ambiguous (adj) something that is unclear, confusing, or not certain, especially because it can be understood in more than one way
Special Adverbs
So/Very, Too, Enough

Using too, very and enough

SO / VERY TOO ENOUGH

Intensive Excessive (negative - a problem) Adequate (positive - no problem)
He speaks so / very slowly. (adv) He speaks too slowly. (adv) not good! He speaks slowly enough. (adv) good!
He is careful enough. (adj) good!
He is so / very careful .(adj) He is too careful. (adj) not good!
Expressions

SOTHAT TOOTO ENOUGHTO

So may include a that clause placed
after the adjective or adverb.
He speaks so fast that I can't
understand him. (adv)
He is so interesting that we love to
listen to him. (adv)
Too may include a for or to clause that is
placed after the adjective or adverb.
He speaks too fast for me to understand.
He speaks too fast to understand.
Enough may include a for or to clause that is
placed after the adjective or adverb.
He speaks slowly enough for me to
understand. (adv)
He is smart enough to do the job. (adj)

Negatives

NOT SO / VERY NOT TOO NOT ENOUGH

He doesn't work very hard. (problem) He doesn't work too hard. (no problem) He doesn't work hard enough. (problem)
He isn't too smart. (maybe a problem)
He isn't so smart. (a problem) He isn't smart enough. (a problem)
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions

Error and Solution

ERROR
*He earns too much money.

How can money (a good thing) be excessive?

*She is too beautiful. (negative meaning)

How can beauty (a good thing) be excessive?

~When he returned my lost iphone to me, I literally could have kissed his feet.

This is an additional meaning of "literally". Pop-Q "Literally"

*She's a rather unique singer.

*He's rather dead.

Pop-Q "Rather Unique"

SOLUTION
He earns so much money.
He earns too much money to pay middle-class tax rates.

Qualify how the money (a good thing) can be excessive.

She is so beautiful.

She is too beautiful for words. She is beautiful.

Qualify how her beauty (a good thing) can be excessive.

When he returned my lost iphone to me, I nearly kissed his feet.

Primarily, literally means (1) word for word; however, it can also mean figuratively, virtually, nearly, in effect. See dictionary
literally.
She's a unique singer. / She's a distinctive singer.

He's dead.

Not incorrect, but logic suggests not using degree modifiers with absolute words. For example, it is confusing to use rather before:
absolute, dead, entirely, eternal, fatal, final, finite, identical, immortal, infinite, mortal, opposite, perfect, right, straight, opposite, or
unique.