OXFORD LEARNER''''S GRAMMAR 7 pptx

185
Th
e order of adjectives
speaker's opinion, c
ome
fir
s
!.
Words expressing
purpo
se
or type, such as
el
ec
tromc,
come
later.
B
We
sometimes use two
noun
s togethe
r.
the
town
wall lhe Finance Minister
winter
evenings
Here we usc the nouns town
and
finance

lik
e adjectives,
to
modify wall and
minister. When we use both adjective and
noun
modifiers, then the
adjectives
come
fir
s
!.
the
old
lawn wall the
former
Finance Minister
dark
winter evenings
C
The
different kinds
of
modifi
er
usua
ll
y go
in
the following order.

An
adjective
in
Group I
come
s first, and a word from Group 1 J goes closest
to
the
noun
.
1 Opinion: beautiful,
ni
c
e,
wonderful, excellent, awful, etc
2
Size: lon
g,
large, small, short, tall. etc
3 Most other Qualiti
es:
clear, busy, famous, friendly. soft. qUiet, etc
4 Age: new, old
5 Shape: round, s
quar
e, fal, chin, wide, narrow, etc
6 Colour:
bJue,
re
d,

while, black.
etc
7 Participle form
s:
running. m
iss
ing, covered, broken, etc
8 Origin: Brit
is
h, lealian, American, C
hin
ese,
etc
9 Material:
sandy. wooden, brick. paper. p
las
ti
c,
etc
10
Type: el
ec
tronic,
human
, chemicaJ, domestic, urban,
money (problem
s),
etc
II
Purpos

e:
alarm
(cl
oc
k), tennis
(c
ou.rl)
, walking (boot
s),
etc
Here are s
ome
examples.
an
old
cardboard box
(age
+ material)
a German industrial
company
(origin + type)
a large black pocket handkerchi
ef
(s
ize + colour + typ
e)
plastic packaging mmerials (material +
purpo
se
)

a
small
square room
(s
ize + s
hap
e)
a
new
improv
ed
formula (age + parriciplc
form
)
a nice, friendly person (
opinion
+ quality)
two excellent public tennis
co
urts (opini
on
+ ty
pe
+ purpose)
In general, the modifier closest
lO the n
oun
has the clos
est
association with

the
noun
. For exampl
e,
in the
phra
se
cwo
exce
ll
ent public tennis courts,
th
e
wor
d te
nni
s is
clo
se
ly
associated
w
ith
cou
rt
s, wher
eas
excellent
do
es

not h ave
sllch a clear c
onn
ection
wi
th
court
s.
The rules are not absolute, and the
order
can somet
ime
s
be
different. For
exampl
e,
we so
metim
es prefer
to
put a short adjective before a long
one
.
a big horrible building
NOTE
Otd
am
i
YOll

ng
referring
lO
people o
ft
en
co
me next to the noun.
a dignified old lady a pale young
mall
Here old and young arc not st
ro
n
gly
stresse
d.
253
Adjectives
o A mod
ifi
er
can
l:onsist
of
a
rw
o
~wo
rd
compo

und
.
a powerful
high
~s
peed
el
ec
tric drill
an
IB
~c
arat
gold chain
an old
pal
e blue football shirt
E Somet
im
es we u
se
two adjectives of sim
il
ar m
ean
ing, for
example
two from
Group 3
in

C.
When
thiS
happen
s,
th
e shorter
one
o
rt
en
co
mes first.
a bright, cheerful sm
il
e a soft, comfortable chair
So
metimes
(\"0
different
orders
are
both
possi
hl
e.
a pea
ce
ful
,

happy
place I a
happy,
peaceful place
V'
le
often
put
a
co
mma
(o
r a s
hort
pau
se in spe
ec
h) betw
ee
n two adjectives
o(
sim
il
ar m
ean
ing.
F
We
sometimes
put

and
be
tween
two attributive adjec
ti
ves.
a s
oft,
co
mfortable chair I a s
oft
and
comfortable chair
We
can do this when the adjectives have a similar
meaning.
But
we
do
not
normally use
and
be(\veen adjectives with diff
ere
nt
kin
ds
of
meanings
.

a beautiful sandy beach (
opinion
+
mate
rial)
We
use and when the adjectives refer
to
different
parts
of
some
thing
.
a black
and
.white sweater
(panly
black and
pa
rtly while)
We
use but when me
ad
j
ec
tives
ref
er
to

t
wo
qua
lities in contrast.
a cheap
but
effecrive
solution
G The order of pre
di
ca
ti
ve
adjec
ti
ves is less
fi
xed
than
the
order
before a
noun
.
We
norma
ll
y use mId before the last adjective.
The chair
was

soft
and
co
mfortable.
We
were
a/l cold, wet,
and
hungry.
An
adjec
ti
ve
expressing an
opinion
often
comes
last
The
city
is
old alld bea
utiful
.
We
can use bllt when the two quaJiries
are
in
co
ntr

ast.
The
so
/ulion
is
cheap bllt effective I cheap
and
effective.
Nom
In
informal English we can u
se
n
ice
andllovely
and
before
an
adjective expressing a
desirable qualilY·
The
room
UHIS
nice
and
warm
.
(=
nice
ly

warm)
186
Gradable
and
ungradable
adjectives
254
Most
adjectives are gradable - they express qualities which
can
exist in
different grades
or
degrees. For exa
mpl
e,
we
can
ta
lk
about
different degrees
187
Amusing
and
amused. interesting
and
Interested
of warmth, difficulty, or tiredness.
/t's very/extremely

warm
today.
I thought the test questions were
fa
irly difficul
l.
f feel a
bit
tired now.
Some adjectives are ungradabl
e.
Many of
them
express qualities such as
magnificence
or
perfection, which
cannot
exist in different degrees. We do
not norma
ll
y usc words like
/Jery
, extr
eme
ly,fairly, or a
bit
with an ungradable
adjec
ti

ve,
but
we
can use absolutely.
It
's
absol
ute
ly boiling toda
y.
I feel
abso
l
ute
ly exhaust
ed
now
.
With some ungradable adjectives we can also u
se
completely or totally.
You're
asking
so
mething
that's
comple
tely impossible, I'm afraid.
It's a totally incredible
sw

ry.
Here arc
some
examples of ungradable adjectives.
absurd
delicious
exhausting ideal
stunning
amazed
delighted extraordinary
impos
sible terrible
amazing
determined false incomprehensible terrific
appalled
devastated fascinated incredible terrified
appalling devastating fascinating
ludicrous terrifying
aWful dreadful ghastly magnificent thrilled
brilliant enormous
gorgeous
marvellous thrilling
certain essential horrible
pe
rfect useless
complete exhausted huge
ridiculous vast
We
can
li

se really
and
so
with both gradable
and
ungradable adjectives.
The food was r
ea
ll
y good/so good.
The food was really delicious
/s
o delicious.
TIP
Don't use very
with
an ungradable adjective like
fr
eezing or
ex
cellent.
Say It
's
freezing
or
]t
's
very cold
but
NOT

~e"
freezing.
Say I
t's
excellent
or
/t"s
very good
but
NOT
It's
l;Ie"
exeelielH.
NOTE
a
So
metimes in informal speech, rather, fairly, or pretty
is
used with an
ungradabJe adjective.
The
task ts fairly
ir1l1mssible
. I feel pretty ex
haus
ted
flOW
.
h For the
meanmg

of quite \vith a
gr<ldab
lelungradablc adjectiv
e,
> 1
97
.
~7
Amusing
and
amused, interesti
ng
and
interested
Co
mpar
e the adjectives ending
in
·ing
and
-ed.
255
Adjectives
The
film
made
us laugh a lot.
Il
was
very

amusing.
I talked
to
an
int
eresting
man.
I find these statistics confusing.
This
weat.her is depressing, isn't it?
Adjectives e
nding
in
-ing
express
the
idea that
so
mething
affects us. A film
is
amusing
becau
se
it
makes
us
laugh.
It
ca

n al
so
he
interesting,
The
audience
laughed
a lot.
They
were very
amused.
I was
interested
in
what
he
was
telling :
me.
I'm.
confused
by these statistics.
Don't
you
[eel
depressed
when
it
rains so
much?

Adjectives
end
ing in -ed
express
the
feelings
we
have
about
something.
We
are
amused
whe
n we
se
e
somet
hing
funny
.
We
can
also
be
imerested,
exc
iled
,
or

bored.
exciting,
or
boring .
.
~

-



Some pairs
of
adjectives
like
this
are:
alarming,
amazing, amusing,
annoying, boring, confusing,
depressing, disappointing, exciting,
exhausring, fascinating, frightening,
interesting, pleasing, puzzling,
relaxing, shocking, surprising,
thrilling, tiring, worrying
alarm
ed,
amazed,
amused,
annoyed, bored, confused,

depressed,
disappointed,
excited,
exhausted, fascinated, frightened,
interested, pleased,
puzzled,
relaxed, shocked, surprised,
thrilled, tired, worried
188
The
+ adjective
A
The
poor,
the
disabled, etc
Z56
We
can
use the +
adjective
to
refer
to
some
groups
of
people
in
SOCie

ty.
In those days
the
poor
had
a miserable
time
.
(=
poor
people
in
general)
There are
more
churchgoers among
the
old than
among
the
young.
(= old/y
oung
peopl
e in
general)
We
can
al
so

say
poor
people, old people, etc
with
the
same
general
meaning.
In
those days
poor
people
had
a miserable time.
\.vhen we
want
to
talk
about
a
spec
ific
person
or
group
of
p
eop
le,
we

use
a young
man,
the
old
people, etc.
A
young
man
ha
s been arrested. (NOT A-yottng-has

)
The
old
people
have
gone
on
a coach trip.
(NOT
-Fhe-oId-httfte-gOtte

)
The
+ adjective
take
s a
plura
l verb.

The
old are
more
frequently ill
than
lhe
rest
of
the
population.
But
we
do
not
add
an
·s to
the
adjective.
(N
OT
t-Ite-t!ld3)
So
me adjeclives
and
participle
forms
llsed in
this
way

are: hlin.d, dead, deaf,
disabled,
disadvQlllaged, elderly, handicapped, homeless,
hungry,
tilling,
middle-aged,
old
, poor, privileged, rich, sick, Sighted, strong, underprivileged,
unempLoyed, weak, young.
188
The
+ adjective
The adjective can have an adverb in front
of
it.
the very rich lhe severely disabled lhe partially sighted
Some
adjectives normally have
an
adverb.
the more/less fortunale the
mentally
ill
NOTE
a
In
a few
wntCX
IS,
the

+ participle
can
mean
a specific group
of
people rather than
people
in
gencwl.
The
injured
were ltlkctl to
JlOspiUlf
.
It
can
also
mean
one
specific p
erSf)ll
.
The accused was
found
not gw/cy
b
There
are
a
few

words Ihal can
come
after
alan
referring to a specific person.
Now a superstar, size was
all
unknown
only
cwo
years
ago.
c
There
are a few adjec
ti
ves that we ca
ll
use as
nouns,
such as colour words. T
he}'
can
furlll a plural with -5.
a
black
(= a black person) the Greens
(=
supporters
of the green movemcnl)

d
Some
adJecllves of nationality can
be
llsed with the
10
mean
a whole people, e.g the
French, the Swiss
B The supernatural, the absurd,
etc
There are some adjectives and participle forms that we can use after the tD
refer
to
things
in
general which have a particular quality.
Lots
of
people believe in the supernatural.
It
was a journey into the
unknown.
The supernatural
means
'supernatural
happening
s
in
general'.

Here the
+ adjectivel participle takes a singular verb.
Th
e
new
takes ouer from the old.
Some words used in this way are absurd, mysterious, new, old, ordinary,
supernal.ural, unexplained, unknown.
C The unexpected,
the
good
thing, etc
There are a few words
that
we
can use after the with a more speci
fic
meaning.
Arid lhell, suddenly,
the
unexpected
happened. (= something that was
unexpected)
Have you heard
the
latest? (= the lat
es
t news)
We
fear

the
worst,
but
we
must
hope
for
the
best.
At
this lime
of
year / leave
home
in
the
dark.
I'm
sorry,
but
you're asking the impossible.
We
use the + adjective/participle +
thing
to talk about a particular aspect
of
a
situation. This
pattern
is

rather informal.
The good
thing
about
friends
is
that you can choose
them
, finlike relatives.
The
annoying
thing
(aboUl
it)
was that there were
empty
seats in tile
s
tadium
,
but
they still wouldn't lel us in.
We
cannot leave out
thing
here.
In
Ihis pattern with
thing
we can use

many
difFerent words.
So
me
of
these
are: amazing, annoying, awful,
best, funny, good, greal, interesting, nice, odd,
remarkable, sad, strange, worst.
257
Adverbials
189
Introduction
A Each of these
sentences
contains
onc
or
mor
c
adver
bials.
Slowly
we
were moving forwards.
The queue stretched
around
the
block.
We

have
now
been
wai
lin
g
forty
minutes
.
Ellentuaily we
reach
ed
lhe entrance.
Very ofwn an adverbial
is
an
extra
clement
w
hich
co
uld be left o
ut
. F
or
example, we could say We reached
the
entran.ce witho
ut
an

adverbial. Putting
in an adverbial
adds
something
to
the
meaning
.
It
tells us
how
,
when,
or
where so
mething
happ
ene
d.
B
An
adverbial
can
be
a
si
ngle word
or
a
phras

e. A co
mmon
kind
of
adverbial
is
a
pr
epositional
phra
s
e.
Th
e queue stretched
arollnd
the
block. I wish I'd stayed
at
home.
An
adverbial
can
also be a
simp
le adverb. e.g.
fon
l.l
ards. patiently.
Ther
e can

be an adverb
of
degree
(e.
g.
ve1Y)
in front
of
the adverb.
The queue was moving forwards. Everyone waited very
patiently
.
An adverbial can also
be
a
noun
phr
ase,
although
this is less frequent.
We
hav
e been wailing forty minutes. f heard
th
e news last week.
TIP
Try
not
to confuse the words adverb
and

adverbia
l.
An
adverb
is
a word class, like a
noun
or adjective. An
adverb
is a w
ord
like softly, carefully, now, today, there,
ce
rtainly.
An
adverbiaJ is a
se
ntence
elem
ent, like a s
ubject
or
object. It
can
be
a
Single-word adverb, or
it
can
be

a phrase.
Examples
are
badly, maybe,
in
a strange way, at the
moment,
outside the college, this morning.
C Sometimes
an
adverbial
is
necessary
to
co
mplete
a
sentence.
> 4
The queue stretched
around
the
block.
The first performallce
is
tomorrow
.
J put the tickets in
my
wallet.

Here the
se
nten
ce would not m
ake
sense w
ithout
the
adverbial.
D S
ome
adverbials can also
be
u
se
d
to
modi
fy
other
part
s
of
the
se
ntenc
e. For
258
ex
ample, an adverbial

can
come
after a noull.
:>
14
3
The performan
ce
yesterday was brilliant.
The
car in
front
.
of
us was going very slowly.
The
annoufl
ce
melll last week ca
me
as a shock
to
all
of
us.
190 The
position
of
adverblal
s

An
adverb of de
gr
ee can
mOdi
fy
an adjective or an adverb. > 196
The performance was
quite
good.
Everyone wailed very patie
ntl
y.
,
190
The position
of
adverbials
A
Introduction
The position of adverbials is a comp
li
cated area of grammar. There is usually
morc than one possible
pl
ace
in
a
Se
ntence where

an
adverbial can
go.
Ba
sica
lly
,
it
can
go
at the beginning, in
the
middle, or at the end of a
se
nten
ce.
Front position:
Naturally
, we were
hoping
for
good
new
s.
Mid
position: We were
naturally
hoping
for
good

new
s.
End position:
We
were hoping
for
good
news,
naturally
.
For more details about each of these positions, > 8-
F.
Where we put an adverbial depe
nd
s
on
a
number
of
factors, such as what
type of adverbial
it
is
- manne
r,
or time, or frequency, and so on. For details
about the position of the different types
of
adverbial, >
19

3-2
02
.
The best position m
ay
also depend
on
how long the adverbial
is
- whether it
is a single word or a longer phrase. The choice is often a matter of sty
le:
for
example, a long phrase goes better
at the beginning or end of a sentence
rather than in the middle.
I can't answer
that
qu
es
tion
in
a satisfactory way.
(No'r f-crm 'f
in
a
smis.facttwy-way-tt~l
-
h{t
{-t

ftte$fffJn
.)
Another factor is the information structure of the se
nt
ence.
We
sometimes
choose
to
put an adverbial
in
front position
ro
link with
th
e
pr
ev
ious sen/cnce
or
to
giv
e great
er
emphasis to the adverbial. >
34A
The
man
was
taken to a police station. There he was searched

and
found
to
be carrying a
quantity
of
heroin.
I
had
a long wail.
In
the
end
1
gOl
to see a do
clO
r.
Sometimes (he choice
of
position can affect
th
e meaning
of
a se
nt
en
ce.
Clearly, he
didn

't explain things.
(;
It is clear that he didn't explain things.)
He
did,,', explain
thin
gs
clearly. (:: He didn't explain things
in
a clear way.)
NOTE
We
somclimes use
commas
wilh adverhials.
Co
mmas are more
lik
ely with longer phrases
and
wilh certain Iypes
or
adve
rbi
a
l,
such as a
Inuh
adverbial.
B Front position

Front position
is
at the beginning
of
a clause.
Sure enough, there was
an
enormou
s
qu
eu
e.
Just wait a moment, could you?
After a while I got used £0 the
noi
se
of
the traffi
c.
Most types of adverbial ca
ll
go
here.
259
Adverbials
If there
is
a
con
jun

ct
ion (e.g. but, because),
it
.comes before the adverbial in
front po
si
tion.
The noise
of
the traffic was terribl
e.
BUl
aftrr
a
whil
e J got used
to
il
.
We invest in shares because
in
the long
ru~
their value will increase.
We
often
put
an
adverbial
In

front position when
it
relates to what has gone
before.
We
sLOppe
d
10
get
so
me petr
ol.
And
then
the car wouldn't star
t.
l'l
l€
go
t a bus)1 week. On Tuesday J have
to
go
to London.
Fo
r morc examples,
:>
34A.
C
Mid
pos

i
tio
n
260
Mid position is close to the verb.
If
th ere is an
aux.i
li
ary ver
b,
the
a
dv
erbial
usua
ll
y comes
immediate
ly a
ft
er it.
Those kids are always hanging around the str
eets.
The adverbial also comes immediately after the ordinary verb be.
This came
ra
is
defillitely faulty.
If there is a

si
mp
l
c·rc
nse verb,
the
adverbial comes before it.
We usually deal with the
mail
first.
Here are s
ome
more
exa
mple
s
of
adverbials
in
mid
po
si
tion.
(A
uxiliary)
(O
tdin
ary
S
ubj

ec
t
verb
be)
Adverbial (Verb)
It
doe
sn't
often
rain
in the Sahara.
I
've j
ust
had
a chat with Jill.
Things
will very soon start
to improlle.
The story
is
probab
ly ,untrue.
So
m eone
probably
made
'the
stOlY
up.

You
always
look smart.
If there are two auxiliaries,
then
mid posi
ti
o
njs
usually after the first
one
.
I've just been chatling
to
Jill.
Things
will s
oon
be
looking up.
But
adverbs of m
an
n
er
and
s
ome
ad
verbs of degree

go
after the second
auxiliary in mid position.
We've been
patient
ly queuing for tickets.
You
could
have
completely spoiled everythin
g.
NOTe
In
a quest
ion
Ihere
is
Inversion
of
subject
and
aux.iliary before an adverbial in mid pos
it
ion.
fiaue you
just
had
a chat with Jill?
How
doe~

Mat/hew always look
so
sma
rt
?
Here the adverbial rollows
the
subjecL
l
,
190 The pos
it
ion
of
adverbials
D
Phrases
in mid position
Most types
of
adverbial can go in mid position. Advcrbials
in
mid position arc
usua
ll
y single-wo
rd
adverbs,
but
a short

phra
se with
an
adverb of degree
such as very, quite,
or
hardly
is
also possible.
I would very
much
like to visit
your
CDum
-
ry.
We
hardly
eller
go
out
in
lhe
evenings.
Must
other
kinds of
phrase
cannot
go in mid position. Compare these

sente
nce
s.
You
always
look
smart.
(adverb in
mid
position)
You look
sma
rt
all
the
lime. (phrase
in
end
po
si
tion)
(NOT ¥(tu-all-the-time laak Sf1l8:1 t.)
But phrHses
which
are
trulh
adverbials,
comment
adverbials,
or

linking
adverbials
can
so
metimes
go in mid position.
The experiment has
on
the
whole
proved unsuccessful.
This
pattern
is rather formal.
E
Mid
position
before
an auxiliary
When there is
an
auxiliary
ve
rb, a mid-position adverb usually
comes
after
the auxiliary.
> C
['ve
always

liked
the
Bealle
s.
You
Ire
obviously
dying
to
make
a
sl
an
But we
sometimes
put
an
adverb after the
subject
and
before an auxiliary or
before the ordinary verb
be.
1
always
did
lik
e the Beatles.
You
obviously

ARB
in.
a
bit
of
trouhle.
This
happens
with
emphatic
do,
or when
the
verb
is
stressed
(o
bviously ARE)_
Some adverbs such as truth adverbs usually
come
before a negative auxiliary.
You
obviously
haven'l been lislening to me.
It
probably
doesn't
maller
very
much.

Some adverbs
can
co
me
before
or
after
the
negative auxiliary. l.ook at these
examples with
really
and
deliberately.
I really don't
know
the (.mswe
r.
(I
don
't know
at
aiL)
I
don't
really
know
(h
e answer. (I am unsure.)
[ deliberately
didn

't leave (he
compuler
on.
(T
left
it
off
on
purpos
e.)
I
didn
't deliberately leave the
comp
uter on.
(I
left it
on
by mistake
.)
Luuk
aL
Lhe
se
examples where words arc le
ft
out
after the auxilia
ry
(wdl, do).

Will
you
be
going w the party?
,
Yes,
[
probably
will.
My
husband
u
sually
gets
up
early,
but
[
never
do.
Here the adverb comes after (he subject
and
before the auxiliary.
An
adverb also goes before hUlIe
lO,
used
to,
and
oughe

to.
I
never
have
to
wail long for a bus.
There
definitely used to be a jo(){pmh
through
the woods.
NOTE
With used to we can put the Hdverb afwr used, bill
this
is
rather
formal.
There used definilely w he (1 jvolpfIlll through
tile
woods.
261
Adverbials
F E
nd
p
os
iti
on
Sometimes
an
adverbia

l
comes
at
the
end
of
a
clause
.
II
doesn't often min in the Sahara.
Everyone waired
very patie
ntl
y.
I wish I'd stayed
at
home
.
Almost
all
types
of
adverbial
can
go in
end
position. For details
abo
ut

more
than
one
adverbia
l in
end
position, > 191.
If
th
ere
is
an
object,
then
the
adverbial usually goes
after
it.
1 wrapped the parcel
ca
refully. (NOT
/ wrapped
ctlrejitHy-ffte-p<treel.
l
We
'll finish lhe joh
next
week. (NOT
Wt-H-{tttisft ne:xt
-week-fflt!jttb.)

But a
short
adverbial
can
go
before a l
ong
object.
I wrapped carefully all lhe glasses
and
ornaments.
Here the
adverb
of
manner
can
also
go
in
mid
position.
J car
ef
ull
y wrapped all the glasses
and
ornaments.
When
th
ere

are
two clauses,
the
position of
the
adverbial
can
affect
the
meaning
.
They agreed immediately that the goods would be replaced.
(an
immediate
agreement)
They agreed that the goods would
be
replaced im
med
iately.
(
an
immediate
repl
acement)
TIP
Don't
put
an
adverb in front

of
a
short
object.
Say
We finished the job quickly, NOT
Wt-jinishet1-qttie1<ly-the-job
.
191
Order
of
adverbials in end position
A Sometimes
there
is
more
(han
one
adverbial in e
nd
po
sition. U
sua
ll
y a
shorter adverbial goes before a longer onc.
Sam waited impatiently outside the posr office.
We
sat
indoors most

of
the afternoon.
A policeman
in
spected the car thorough
ly
in a very officious
man
n
er.
B When there is a close link in
meaning
between a verb
ana
an adverbial.
the
n
the adverbial goes directly after the verb. For
examp
le, we usually
put
un
adverbial of place next
to
go,
come, ClC.
f don't want
to
go
to

school today.
Why
did you come home
lale?
C Phrases of lime
and
place
can
go in
ei
ther order.
262
There
was an accident last night
Oil
the by-pass.
There
was an accidem on the by-pass last night.
192
Adverb
forms
o Mi:lIlIler, lime,
and
place usually c
ome
before
fr
equency.
Sarah gets
up

e
arl
y occasionally.
I can
find
my
way around
quit
e
eas
ily,
usuall
y.
The adverb
of
frequen
cy
can also go in front or mid
po
si
tion.
Usually I can
find
my
way arou
nd
quite
easily.
I
ca

n usually find
my
way
around
quite
easily.
E When certain types
of
adverbial come in
end
position, we usually put
them
last, as a kind
of
afterthought.
Simon has been delayed by the traffic, perhaps. (
truth
adverbial)
Someone handed tile money in
at
(h
e police s
lati
on, incredibly.
(co
mment
ctdverbial)
I've got a bicycle. I
don'
t

ri
de it very often,
how
cuer.
(li
nking adverbi
aJ)
This
happen
s
mor
e often in speech
than
in
writing.
1192
Adverb
forms
A Look at these two examples.
I'
m going on holiday soon.
I'm going on
holiday shortly.
Some adve
rb
s,
lik
e soo
n,
have a form wh

ic
h is
unr
elated
to
other word
s.
Adverbs
of
this kind include always. just, often, neve
r,
perhaps,
qu
i
te,
racher,
seldom, soon, very.
Many adve
rb
s are formed from an adjective
and
·
Iy
,
li
ke shortly, which is
related
to
the
adjective short.

The
re
are
some spelling rul
es
for
adverbs
ending
in
-I
y.
After a cons
onant
, final y c
hange
s
to
i. e.
g.
easy
-+
easily. >
280A
With a
consonant
+ Ie,
Ie
changes
to
-Iy, e.g. probable

-+
probably. > 278D
The
e
nding
-ic c
han
ges
to
ically, e.g. magic
-+
magically. > 278D
After
II
we
add
-y, e.g. full-+ fully. > 279B Note
B
There
arc so
me
ad
jectives which e
nd
in
-I
y,
e.g. friendly. We cannot add
anoth
er

-
1)
1
(0
such an adjec
ti
ve. Ins
tead
we
can
use a phrase with manner,
way.
or
fashion.
Adjecti
ve:
We received a frie
ndly
gr
eet
in
g.
Adver
bi
a
l:
They greewd
us
in
a

fri
e
ndly
mann
er.
(NOT
/1
i
tJfltihlj
)
Sometimes
we
can
use anOt her
adverb
f
or
med
fr
o;n
an
adjective
of
similar
meaning
.
Adjecti
ve:
That
's

not
very likely.
Adverbial: That probably won',
ha
ppen.
Some
adjectives
en
ding
in
-
Iy
are cosl
ly,
cowardly, friendly, likely,
Ii
IJely.
lonely, lovely, sill
y,
and
ugly.
263
Advcrbials
Participle forms stich as
annoy
ing and surprising f
orm
adverbs in -
iy.
Il

was surprisirlgly cold for the
tim
e
of
year
Rut
we cannot usua
ll
y form adverbs from participles
en
din
g in -ed.
El
le
ryone stared
in
astonishm
e
nt
. (
(NOT
£tJerytme-staretl
a518rtishedly
.) t.
The only exceptions are a few participles ending in -lell,
e.g.
excited, ex
haU
Sled.
The crowd shouted excitedly.

C Some adverbs ha
ve
the
same
form as adjec
ti
ves.
Adjective
Loui
se
caught the
fast
train.
We didn't have a
long wail.
I had an early night.
Adverb
The train was going
quite
fast
.
We
didn't
hav
e to wait
long
.
I we
nt
to

bed e
arly
.
Here are
some
mor
e adverbs
of
the same kind.
Th
e
man
pointed the gun straight
at
me.
Can't
you sit still just Jar a minute?
The aircraft flew low over the town.
He threw the ball high in the
ai
r.
We
were all trying
hard
not
to
laugh.
For
pahs
of adverbs such as hard

and
hardly, >
E.
o
So
metimes
the
adverb can be with or without I-ly. In
the
se
exa
mpl
es
th
ere
is
264
no difference in meaning,
but
it
is
more informal
10
leave
out
-Iy.
If
you buy goods in bulk, you can se
ll
them

cheap
/c
heaply
.
Do
you haue to talk
so
loud/loudly?
Get there as
quick/qui
ck
ly as you can.
Go
slow/slowly round this
co
rner.
Others are
direct(/y), fair(/y),
and
tight(ly).
'A
re use the form without -ly on
ly
in frequent f
ombination
s like
talk
loud,
go slow, fly direct, or play fair. With longer or less
com

mon
expressions,
we
use -ly.
111e
chairman cleared his throat rather loudly.
We
TI
red to act
qui
c
kly
. :
NOTE
a Right and wrong are both adjectivl.'S
and
adverbs
vf
manner.
I'll t
ry
to
flo
it right tll
is
time. .
Rig/lil
y and
wrong
ly express a

comme
nt.
The caretaker decided rightly to
call the poli
ce.
b
Fir:;!
and
la
st arc botb adjectives and adverbs.
Karen
took
first place/came first
in.
tfle
race.
J-if'slly a
nd
l
as
tl
y are linking adverh
s.
First/Firstly, I'd like
10
thank
you all for coming.
192
Adverb
forms

E
There
are
s
ome
pairs such as
hard
and
hardly
which are
both
adverbs
but
which have different meanings.
You deserve a rest hecause you'ue
!.l.Jorked
hard
.
It'll take
hardly
any
litne al all. (
hardly
any
= a
lmo
st
no
)
I often see

my
parents. They
Jive
quite
near.
Beckham
nearly
scored,
but
his
shot
went
just
wide.
(:=
almost)
I
had
to
stay
up
late
to
finish
my
homework.
I used to see a lot
of
Donna,
but

she
hasn
't been
around
lately. (= recently)
The
men
raised their hands high in
the
air.
The theory is
highly
conlroversiai. (= very)
How
deep
c
an
a
submarine
go?
The
new
tax
is
deeply
unpopular. (= very, intcnsely)
Employees
of
the
airline trallel free.

The prisoners can
move
around
freely.
(=
without
being
controlled)
The
thing
that
annoys
me
most
is
that
no
one
has apologized to me.
There
may
be
a
few
showers,
but
it will
be
mostly
dry.

(:::
mainly)
For
hardly expressing time,
e.g.
we
had
hardly
arrived
when,

, >
2380.
F Hourly, daily, weekly,
and
rnolllhLy
are
formed from hour, day, etc. They can
be either adjectives
or
adverbs.
Adjective:
The
company
publishes a
monthly
new
sletter.
Adverb: The newsletter
is

publi
s
hed
monthly.
G Good is an adjective.
I
think
it's a
good
design.
Well
is
the equivalent adver
b.
/ Ihink the design works well.
Well
can also be an adjecti
ve
meaning
'in
good health'.
Unfortunately
my
sister wasn't
well
enough
to
travel.
flow
are

you?-
Very well,
lhank
you.lFine,
thank
you.
We often
use
well with a participle.
The event was well organized.
A
well-built
man
in
his thirlies
came
into the room.
Other examples are: well-behaved, weLL-dressed, weLl-estahlished, welf-Je
d,
well-informed, well-meaning, well-preserved, weLL-timed.
Sometimes we
use
good with a participle.
Andrew
is basically a
good-natured
person.
(lIe
has a
good

nature.
)
We
do
this with participles formcd from
nouns,
e.g. good-hearted,
good-
humoured,
gOOd-tempered. Note al
so
good-looking.
NOTE
The phrase all being
tuelll
if
aU
goes well
means
'
if
everything !S all lighf'.
We
should
amve
lit
abollt fiue o
'cl
oc
k,

all being weu'
265
Adve
rbials
193
Adverbials
of
manner
A
Adjectives
and adverbs
Look
at
these
examples.
Adjective
We're
looking for a
quick
solution
to
the
problem.
Kate
is
fluent in Russian.
Try
to
make a sensible choice.
An

adjecti
ve
comes hefore a nOlln
(
e.g.
solution
),
or it
is
a
complement
of
be
(is fluent).
Adverb
We
want
to
solve
th
e
probl
e
l1'l
quickly
.
She s
peak
s Russ
ian

flu
e
ntly
.
Try to choose sensibly.
An
adverb
of
mann
er comes after a
verb (e.g. choos
e)
or
after a verb
+ object
(e.
g. solve
th
e
problem
).
Most adverbs
of
manner
are formed
from
an adjective + -ly.
Co
mpare these different £)'pes
of

verb.
Linking
verb
+ adjective
Act
i
on
ve
rb
+ adve
rb
The
offi
cial
was
very polite. He
IL
.tened
polit
e
ly.
(NOT
He
-
mlt",
eti-ptt/iff!.)
A
linking
verb is a
ve

rb like
be,
seem,
An
action verb is a verb like listen,
b
eco
me, feel, look. drive,
work
, argue, meet. > 51
So
me
ver
bs can
be
either a linking verb or an
act
ion verb.
Link
in
g verb + adjective
The
speake
r looked nervous.
(looked
= seemed
/a
ppear
ed)
TIle

atmosphere grew tense.
(g
rew = became)
The
milk
sm
e
lled
funny
.
(smelled
funny
=
had
a funny
smell)
Action verb +
adverb
He looked nervously
around
.
(looked = directed his eyes)
Th
e
plants
grew
rapidly
.
(grew = increased in size)
Steve smelled

th
e
milk
suspiciollsly.
(smelled
= sniffed, us
ed
his
no
se)
B Prepositional phrases
of
manner
266
We
ca
n often u
se
a
pr
e
po
siti
ona
l
phrase
to
ex
press
manner.

f had
(0
choose
my
words
ca.
refully / with care.
11le
poli
ce
man
inspecled lhe
ca
f officiously I
in
an
officious
manner.
am',
we
di
sc
uss
IIli
s sensibly I
in
a sensible way?
The
winning
numb

ers
ar
e randomly chosen/are chosen
at
random
.
194
Adverb.als
of
place and
ti
me
We
can o
ft
en u
se
an
adjective
or
adverb to intens
ify
the
mean
ing.
I
had
to c
hoo
se

my
words
wilh
greatlconsiderable
car
e.
The
policeman
in
spected
th
e car
in
a very/
an
ext
rem
ely officious marmer.
C Position
of
adverbials
of
manner
We
pUI
an
adverbial
of
manner
mo

stly in end position. Here are
some
real
examples from
storieb.
'I
didn
't
know
whether
to
tell you
or
not,' she s
aid
anxiously.
The s
u.n
sEill
shone
brightly
on
the
quiet
street.
We
continued
our
labours ill silence.
A

one·word
adverb can
sometimes
come
in
mid
position.
1
quickly
ran
and
got
my
coat.
The adverbial
can
sometimes
come
in front
po
sition for emphasi
s.
Gently
fry
the
banana
piec
es.
This is
more

common
in writing
than
in speech. The
la
st two examples
Clr
e
from a novel
and
a cookbook.
~
94
Adverbials
of
place and
time
A Position
Adverbials
of
pla
ce and time often go in
end
po
sition.
There
has
been
anoth
er s

hooting
incident
at
a
US
high
school.
It's
my
brother's
birthday
tomorrow
.
A ferry
was
being
repaired
last
night
after
running
aground
in
the
Thames
.
The office
is closed
for
two

weeks
.
For
more
than
one
adverbial in
end
po
sition, > 191.
Adverbials
of place and time
can
al
so
go
in front position. >
34A
We've
got
friends
staying till Friday.
And
on
Saturday
my
parents arrive.
Here
Saturday
contrasts with Friday.

So
me
short
adverbials of time
can
go in mid
pO
Sition.
I've
just
remembered
some
thing
. We'
ll
soon
be
home.
These includ
e:
already,
fJl
once, finally,
immediately,
just
(:::::
a
shan
time ago
),

no longer,
now,
recently, sin
ce,
soon, scifl, then, yesterday.
Phrases
of
time
and
place
can
also
co
me after a
no
un.
The
tenni
s co
urt
s
in
th
e
park
aren
't u
sed
very
much.

Exports
last
year
broke all records.
B Yet
We use yet to talk
about
so
mething
that is expected.
Have
you
found
a
job
yet?

N
o,
nol'
yet
.
I
gOI
up
lat
e,
I
haven
',

had
breakf
as
t yet.
Yet
come
s at the
end
of a question
or
negative sta1ement.
Adverbials
We
can usc yet in mid
po
sition,
but
it
is
a Iinle formal.
We
have
not
yet
reached a decision
on
the
malter.
Nail:
For

ye
t meaning 'but',
:>
235A.
eStill
We
use still to talk about
something
going
on longer
than
expected.
I
gOI
up
lat
e,
I'm
still
hOl
J
ing
breakfast
Is
your grandfather :;till working?
In
positive
statements
and
questions,

still goes in
mid
position.
In
negative statements, scill goes before the auxiliary.
The child still hasn't learned
co
read.
This
is more emphatic than The c
hild
hasn't {earned
CO
read yet.
NOTE
a
511/1
tan
go
after a negil{lve auxiliary
when
we ex
pre
ss
su
rprise.
You
don'l still use th
is
old software. do you?

This pattern is often followed by a
question
tag
b
We
can use still m front or end posillon to give
It
extra
emphasis.
You
mean he's
84
and
.ftilille hasn't rellred
1
You
meall
Ife's
84
and
he's working still!
o Already
We
use already to talk
about
something
happening
sooner
than
expected.

I got up early. I've
already
had
breakfast. ,
Have you
already
re
plied
to
the
letter? -
Yes,
1
answered
it
straight away.
We
use already
mainly
in mid position in posi9ve
statements
and
questions.
Already
in
front
or
end position has
more
emphasis.

Already
our
n
ew
boss has
made
big
changes.
Is
ie
lunch
time
already?
How
lime
flies.
Already can also
go
before a stressed auxiliary.
When are
you
going to reply to
the
lette
r?

I
already
HAVE
replied

lO
it.
E
No
longer, any more,
and
any
longer
26B
We
use no longer
to
talk
about
something
corring
to
an
end. It goes in
mid
pOSition.
J'm
afraid the person concerned
no
longer
l'vorks h
ere.
These products are
no
longer

manufactured.
No longer is a little
~ormal.
We
can also use a negative
sentence
with
anj
more
or
any
longer in
end position,
They
don't
make
these products
any
more
.
l'tn not going
to waie here
any
long
er.
195
Adve
rbi
als
of

frequency
F Long
and
far
We
normally usc the adverbs long
and
far
only
in
que
stions and negative
statements.
Have
you
bee"
waiting long?
It's
not
far
from
here to the mOfOrway.
In
posilive stat
ements
we use a long
time/a
long way.
I
had

to
wail
a
long
tim
e.
/ I
had
to
wait
ages.
It's a long
way
from here
to
Vladivostock.
But we use long
and
far
after
coo
,
so,
and
as,
and
before enough.
The speech
wen! 011 too long.
I'm

annoyed
because I've
had
10
wait
so
long
/wait such a long
lime
.
I
don
't live
as
far
from
the
office
as
you
do.
Let's go
back
now. We've walked
far
enough.
NOTE
We
can also use the comparative and
super

lnl
ive
forms of long and far
In
po
si
ll
ve
statements.
The Journey takes longer
in
the rush
hour
.
I
lille
furthest
from the uffice.
You
aUli/le Ilearer than. I do.
G
After
and
afterwards
We
do
not
often use after as
an
adverb.

VVe
usc afterwards
or
after thaI.
I'll video
the
talk, so we can play
it
back
afterwards.
It's extra
time
now,
and
after
thaI
it'll be penallie
s.
But
we
can
say
the
day
after
and
the
week
after.
I ordered a

CD,
and
it arrived
the
day
after
/ the
next
day / a day later.
I'm on
holiday next week, so
I'Ll
see
you
the
week
after.
Soon after
and
so
on
afterwards are
both
po
ssible.
The mall was
taken
to hospital
and
died

soon
after
/ soon afterwards.
95
Adverbials
of
frequency
A
An
adverbial
of
frequency says how often
somet
hing
happen
s.
1
sometimes
go
out
and
get a
take-away
meal.
The
comp
ul
er crashes occasionally.
Generally there'll
be

a party
somewhere
all
a
Saturd
ay
.
Here are
some
common
adverbs
of
frequency.
Full
fr
eq
ueney:
AJmost fu ll frequency:
High
frequency:
Medium frequency:
Low
frequency:
Zero frequency:
always
normally,
usually, generally
often, frequently
someti
lrl

eS,
occasionally
seldom, rareiy.
not

of
len
never,
not
. _. ever
269
Adverbials
Seldom
and
rarely are a little formal.
We
seldom/rarely travel abroad.
Often wilh the ncg;ltivc
is
neutral in sty
le
.
We dOIl't often travel abroad.
B
An
adverb of freq uency usua
ll
y goes
in
mid

po
sition.
The bus doesn't usually
SlOp
here.
I can never
open these packets.
It's always
bu
sy on a Friday.
I often wonder who buys these things.
C In a negative sentence, sometimes, occasiunally, and frequently
go
before
the
auxiliary in mid position.
It's often cruwded in here. You
sometimes
can
'I
get a cable.
Always and ever go after the negative auxiliary.
I
haven
't always done this for a Uving, you
know
.
As
a general rule, often, normally, usuaJly, and generally go
after

the
negative
auxiliary.
I
don',
often ride
my
bike 10 college.
NOTE
Often, normally,
u
.
~u(l.lIy,
and generally can sometimes come before the negative auxiliary.
The
re
is
liltle difference
in
meaning between these two examples.
The photocopier
is
"
'(
often working. (=
The
photocopier
is
seldom working.)
The

ph
otocopier often isn't working. (; The photocopier is often out of order
.)
D Somp. adverbs of frequency can go
in
front or
end
position.
Normally I tip taxi drivers.
We all
make
mistakes sometimes.
These adverbs are normally. usually, generally, frequently, sometimes,
and
occasionally.
Often can
go
in
end
position.
Doctors get called
out
at
night quite often.
This happens especia
lly
with
very or quite.
A lot meaning '
often'

goes in
end
position
(a
nd
not mid pOSition
).
I missed
I.all
my
schooling. I was ill a lot.
The
adverbs daily, weekly, etc
go
in
end
position.
Are you paid weekly or
monthly?
In
instruction
s,
always and never go in front position.
Never try to adjust the
machine
while it is
sw
it
c
hed

all.
NOTE
For !lever, seldom. and rarely
in
front position
wi
th inversion of subject and auxi
li
ary. >
lO
F.
Never have J felt betler.
E Never
is
a negative word meaning 'not ever'.
1 wOljld never do a Ihing like that. (= I
wouldn't
ever
do it.)
We never ask for
yo
ur
password.
(:::
We
don't
ever ask for your password.)
2
70
196 Adverbs

of
degree
We
use
ever mainly
in
que
stion
s.
Have you ever done
any
ballroom
dancing?-No,
never.
But we
can
also
use
ever with negative words such as
not
or
hardly.
I wouldn't ever do a thing like
that
.
You
hardly ever buy
me
flowers.
We do not normally use ever

in
positive statements.
I
always
buy
a lottery ticket. (
NO
T
f-ettet'
·-huy-tt-ittttery-tieket.l
Ever
can
add
emphasis
to a negative.
No
one
ever said that
to
me
before_
Nothing
ever happens in this
place_
I
never
ever
want
to
see

lhat
awful
man
again.
We
can
also
use
ever in a condition
or
a comparison.
If
you
ever feel like a chat.
just
drop
in.
The river
was
higher than I'd ever seen
it.
NOTE
If
ever
can
go
before the subject.
II
ever
you

/t.'eJ
like a cliat, just drop in.
F
We
can
also use a
phrase
with every, most, or some to express frequency.
Ellery
summer
we all go sailing together.
The postman calls
most
days.
Some
evenings we don't have the television on
at
all.
These phrases can
go
in
front or end position.
We
can
also
use
once, twice, three times, etc.
The committee meets once a
month.
Two tablets to be taken three

times
a day.
The
c
ar
has
already been repaired several
times_
The!;e phrases usually go
in
end
position,
but
they
can
go in front po
sit
ion
for emphasis.
Seve1l days a
week
we
get lorries
thunder
ing past the building_
NOTE
Other phrases expressing
fr
equency include as a
rule

(=
normall
y),
from rime to time
(= occasionally), and lJowand then (= occasionally).
As
a rule, Monday isn't a
very
busy day.
Interest rates
may
be changed from time to
lime
.
196
Adverbs
of
degree
A
Modifying
an
adjective
or
adverb
We
can
usc
an
adverb of degree before
an

adjective.
/t's a
very
simple idea.
I get so bored with
nothing to
do.
I
think
so,
but
I'm not absolutely certain.
It's getting a
bit
hOl
in here.
For the use
of
these adverbs with
gradab
Je
and
ungradable
adjectives, > 166.
271
Adverbials
We
can also use
an
adverb

of
degree before
another
adverb.
YOll
co
uld improlJe your performan
ce
quite easily.
f'I/ have to decide fairly soon.
I Iwrdly
elJer
see
Kale
nowadays.
Here are
some
adverbs
of
degree.
Full
degr
ee:
High
degree:
Medium degree:
Low degree:
Very low degree:
Zero degree:
Comparison:

ab
so
lutely, completely, entirely.
quite
(=
completely>
197),
totally
awfully
(informal), extremely, real (informal), really,
terribly (informal)'
too,
very
fairly, pretty
(informal), quite (=
fairly>
197),
rather,
somewhat
a bit (informal). a little. slightly
hardly, scarcely
not

at all
as,
less,
least, more, most,
so
We can use a fraction
or

percentage.
I still reel
half
asleep.
The
foreca.H
WaJ
ninety per cent accurate.
B
More
details
about
adverbs
of
degree
272
After a phrase with very,
we
can add indeed for emphasis.
The customer was red in the face.
He
was very angry indeed.
Awfully can go with desirable qualilies as well as undesirable ones.
Thank you very
much
Tlral's aWfully kind
of
you.
You
mustlhink

me
awfully stupid.
Somewhat, a little, a bil,
and
slighrly do nut usually go with desirable
qualities. We tend to use
them
to
refer to undesirable aspects.
These diagrams are a bit confusing.
(BUT
NOT
:ntese
diagfflmJ
al
e
tl
bil
dear
,)
The journey
was
somewhat
stressful.
(BUT
NO r 'fhe-jourl1€)
wm
SOll1elth'lfll elljo)'able.)
BlIt
we can use

an
adjective expressing
something
desirable
if
it
is
in the
comparative form.
The
resl
of
[he journey was
somewhat
more enjoyable,
We
can also usc nol

very to express a low degree.
These diagrams aren't very clear.
The journey
wasn't very enjoya
ble.
We
often use nol very in a negative judgement.
The photos aren't very good.
This
is
more usual
than

The photos aren't good.
or
The photos are bad.
196 Adverbs
of
degree
At
all
can
go
in end position, or
it
can
go
before the word it modifies.
I didn', feel nervous
at
all. I '
didn
't feel
at
all
nervous.
NOT!
:
a Real
can
be
used instead
of

really. especially in in
fo
rmal American English.
Ie
felt real
good
to have a shower.
b In mformal English we can use ellat instead
of
so
wh
en
we are making a
cump,
llis
on
Maybe the idea isn't so silly I
thai
silly afrer all (=
nOI
as silly as I thoughl)
C
Modifying
a comparative
or
a superlative
Some adverbs of degree can come before a comparative adjective or adve
rb.
Tllis gadget
makes

the job
much
easier.
We'll
have
co
mov
e a bit
qui
cker
if
we
'
re
going
lO
get there on tim
e.
Our
pay
rise
is
so small
chat
we
're
no
beller off/we aren't
any
better off.

We
can use a
bit
. a little, a
laC
, any,
mu
ch, no, rather, slightly. somewhat,
and
very
much.
With a superlative we can use easily
or
by
far.
This is easily the most popular style.
We offer
by
far
the b
es
t value.
By
far
can
go
in
end
position.
We offer the best value by far.

NOT
E
Before
as
we can usc
lwi
ce
, th
ree
limes,
four
Urne
s,
ere,
Tile winner
gOI
twice
as
many
VOles
as llie
nomer
-
up
.
Tile
new mall
will
be
five tim

es
as big
a t
tile old
onc
.
We
can
also usc three times, four time
s,
etc
before a
co
mp
arat
i
ve
.
Tile
new
mall
wi
ll
be jive limes bigger tllan
ti,
e old oue
D
Modifying
a verb
VIe

can use an adverb of d
eg
ree to modify a verb.
Do
you
really
want
to be successful in life?
We
were
rather
hoping
10
hav
e a
look
around.
The
doorman
absolutely refused to let us in.
The suitcase was
so
heavy I could
hardly
lift it.
In
mid po
si
tion we can use absolutely. a
lm

ost.
co
mpl
etely, Izardly, just. nearly,
quile, rather, really,
sca
r
ce
ly, slightly,
and
tocally,
'We
often use an adverb of degree before a passive participle.
The c
ar
was
badly
oomaged
in
lil
t!
ac
cident.
Our sche
dul
e
has
been
comple
tely

disrupted
by
the delays.
Almost, just,
and nearly
go
berore a negative auxiliary.
I
just
don't
see
what
the problem
is.
Really can also
go
here. >
1911E
Absolutely, completely, rathe
r.
and lOcally can go in either e
nd
position or
mid position.
1 absolutely agree, I I agree
absolutely
.
I
comp
letely forgot the time. I I forgot the

time
comp
letely.
273
Adverbials
Some adverbs
go
only in end position.
First
impressions maller a lot.
I miss you lerribly.
These are a
bil
, a little, a lot, awfully, more, (the) most, somewhat,
and terribly.
We
can use much or very much
in
a negative sentence or a question.
I didn't enjoy the meal
much
I very
much
,
But in a positive sentence we use very much and not
much
on its own.
I enjoyed the
meal
very much.

(NO
T i-ffljoyeti-tite-Iftffil-mtteh.)
NOTE
a
Very
much usually goes in end position. In rather formal English
it
can
go
in
mid
poliition.
I would very
much
like
to
accept your offer.
b Before a paSSIve particlple
we
can usc either
mu
ch
or
very
much
.
Politicums are generally (very)
much
distrusted
by

the public.
E
Modifying
a
preposition
Some adverbs
of
degree can modify a preposition.
The
offic
es
are right in the centre
of
lown.
The way
Polly
was behaving seemed very
oul
of
character.
I walked slralgllt irrlO a lamp-post.
For more examples, > 2080.
F
Modifying
a
quantifier
274
We
can
use

these
combinations
of
adverb and quantifier.
very/ so/
too
+
many/
much/few
/little
Very few people
have
legs
exacrly the same length.
There are so
many
different products on the market.
I've got
100
much
work
to do.
such/rather/quite + a
lOI
(oj)
I've made
such
a
lot
of

mistakes.
There are
rather
a
lot
of
dishes to wasil up.
quite + a fewl a
bit
(of!
There are
quite
a
few
dishes to wash
up.
liost
quite
a
bit
of
money.
almost/nearly + all/every
Almost
all the chairs were occupied.
There seems to be a plane crash
nearly every week.
hardly any
There's
hardly

any
difference between the
two
designs.
196 Adverbs
of
degre
e
a loti
mu
c
hl
a bill a littLel
anyl
no +
mor
e/ less
You'd gel u lot less
money
without
a qualification.
There's
sun, s
and
and
sea
and
much
more
beside

s.
I'd like a
bit
mor
e
time
10 decide.
G Too and
enough
Too
come
s before an adjective
or
adverb.
The water
is
too cold
to
swim
in.
Hang
on. You'
re
going too fast.
Much, far,
or
rather can come before
toO
,
This coat is

much
too
big
for me.
A
game
of
chess would take
far
too long.
Enough
comes afler
an
adjective
or
adverb.
Are
you
old
enough
to drive a car?
I
didn
'{
react
quickly
enough.
Compare too
and
enough.

The water
is
too cold.
The water isn't
warm
enough.
Nom
For enol/gil as a
quantifier
,
">
173A.
There isn't
enough
time.
H Adverbs
of
degree and
a/an
We
can use
mo
st adverbs
of
degree between
a/an
and an adjective.
a very
warm
welcome

afairly
important
meeting a
rather
nice re
staurant
But not all adverbs of degree can
go
in phrases like these.
We
do
not normally
usc
so in this position.
We
received
such
a
warm
welcome. (NOT
~eome
)
It
was
such
a
good
opportunity. (NOT a
-s
o good-opptJftttttfty)

We use
the
same pattern with
quite
.
I had
quite
aH
important
meeting.
fl
was
quite
a
painful
blow to
th
e head.
This
is
more
usual
than
a quite
important
meeting or a quite painfu.l blow,
although a
quit
e

. is also possible.
With rather,
both
patterns arc possible.
I
had
ralher
an
important
meeting.
I
had a
rather
important
meeting.
Too
or as + adjective
go
before
a/an.
You've cut too short a piece. (NOT
~ieee)
YOIl
don
't gel
as
nice a view
on
lhi
s side. (NOT

COl
(1.1
ntee-uiew)
We can also
use
so
and
an
adjective before a/
an
, although the pattern with
such is more usual.
You
don
't get so nice a view/
such
a
nice
view.
275
Adverbials
We
can
use such. quite,
and
rather +
alan
+
noun
without

an
adjective.
Why are
you
making
such
a fuss?
We
had
to wait
quite
a while.
It
's
rather a
pity
we can't go out.
We
can
also use a bit
of
Sorry. The fiat's in a
bit
of
a mess.
We
sometimes
use quite in this
pattern
10

express
a
po
sitive feeling
about
something
impressive.
That was
quite
a party.
The
meaning
is
similar to
'that
was
some
party. > 172F
Note
b
197
More
details
about
quite
and
rather
A In British English.
quite
has

two meanings.
Medium degree: 'fairly'
The lask
is
quite
difficult.
The film was
quite
good.
1 feel
quite
tired.
Quite
mean
s 'fairly'
when
it
comes
before a gradable adjective.
Quite + like/enjoy
J
quite
enjoyed
the
jilm.
It
was
quite
good.
(

quite
= to
some
extent)
This expresses a positive
opinion
but
not
as positive
as
I really
enjoy
ed
the film
or
It
was very go
od
.
I'ull
degr
ee:
'c
omplet
ely'
The ta
sk
is
quite
impossible.

The
film was
quite
brilliant
.
I [eel
quite
exhausted
.
Quite
mean
s
'comp
letely'
when
the
adjective
is
ungradable.
Quite + agree!
und
ers
tand
1
quite
agree.
You're
quite
right.
(quite

=
complete
l
y)
N
ot
qllite
means
'not
comp
letely'.
What
you
said is flot
quite
true
.
Can I correct
ju
st
one
thing?
B Quire is
not
usually stressed b
ef
ore
an
adjective
or

adverb.
276
It's quite
WAHM
today. (focus
on
(he
warmth)
We were
home
quit
e LATE. (focus
on
the lat
'7
ne
ss)
Sometimes
we
ca
n stress
quite
before a gradable adj
ec
tive. We
do
This
to
limit
the

force
of
[he adjective
or
adverb
.
It's
QUTTE
warm,
bUl
not
as
warm
as it was. (focus
on
th
e
medium
degree)
We were
hom
e QUITIi lale
but
nOl
very late. (foclls on
the
medium
degre
e)
198 Only and even

C Qllite and
rmher
have a similar meaning, but
Lhere
are some differences in
use. When
we make a
fa
vourable
comment
about som
eL
hing, we usually
prefer
quite
to rather.
Il
's
quite
nice here.
It was
quite
a good party, wasn't it?
If
we
are being po
si
tive, then
quit
e is un

st
ressed.
In
unfavourable comments,
we
u
sua
lly prefer rath
er.
It'
s
rather
depressing/quite depressing here.
It was
rather
a
dull
party/quite a
dull
party. wasn't it?
The
new
timetable is rather confusing/quite confusing.
Rather
in a favourable comment often means '
to
a surprising or
unusual degree'.
I expected the party
to

be dull,
bu
t actually it was
rather
good.
The test paper
is
usu.ally difficult.
but
this
one
was
rather
easy.
198
Only
and
even
A
We
use
only
and
even to focus on a
panicular
word
or
phrase. To make clear
what we are focusing on,
we put

only
before the relevant word or phrase.
Most
of
the
guests were strangers lO
me
. 1
knew
only
Due
other person there.
I spe
ak
only
a little French, I'm afraid.
Only can also
be
in
mid position.
MOSl
oj
the guests were strangers
lO
me. I
only
knew
one
other person there.
I

ollly speak a little French. I'm afraid.
We
stress the word
we
want to focus on,
c.g.
one,
little_
In
official written English,
e.g.
on notices,
only
comes after the
\Yord
or
phrase
it
is
focusing on.
Wailing limited to
30
millut
es
only
.
Even
goes in mid position or before the word
or
phrase we are focusing on.

Emma
has
been
everywhere.
She's
even
been
to
the
North
Pole.
My
brother always
wear.~
shorts, even
in
wimer.
Both these examples express surprise.
N
OTE
Compare
even
and
also.
Ellel}'One lauglled.
eve
n tile
tMeller
(It
15 surprising thai the teacher l

aughed
1
WC
'I
r't
invited
the wI/ole class,
and
«Iso the teacher.
(We
have added the teacher 10 the invltallon
li
s
!.
)
B When we focus
on
the sub
je
ct,
we
PUI
only or even before
it
Only
you
would
do
a si
ll

y
rilin
g like thaI.
Even
th
e experts don't
know
the answer.
277