Adverbs of degree

Common adverbs of degree:

Almost, nearly, quite, just, too, enough, hardly, scarcely, completely, very, extremely.

Adverbs of degree are usually placed:

1. before the adjective or adverb they are modifying:
   e.g. The water was extremely cold.
2. before the main verb:
   e.g. He was just leaving. She has almost finished.

Enough, very, too

Enough as an adverb meaning ‘to the necessary degree’ goes after adjectives and adverbs.

It also goes before nouns, and means ‘as much as is necessary’. In this case it is not an adverb, but a ‘determiner’.

Too as an adverb meaning ‘more than is necessary or useful’ goes before adjectives and adverbs, e.g.

Enough and too with adjectives can be followed by ‘for someone/something’.

We can also use ‘to + infinitive’ after enough and too with adjectives/adverb.

Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.

If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can use a word of opposite meaning, or not very.

BE CAREFUL! There is a big difference between too and very.

Other adverbs like very

These common adverbs are used like very and not very, and are listed in order of strength, from positive to negative:

extremely, especially, particularly, pretty, rather, quite, fairly, rather, not especially, not particularly.

Note: rather can be positive or negative, depending on the adjective or adverb that follows:

Positive: The teacher was rather nice.
Negative: The film was rather disappointing.

Note on inversion with negative adverbs

Normally the subject goes before the verb:

However, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion – the order is reversed and the verb goes before the subject:

Negative inversion is used in writing, not in speaking.

Other adverbs and adverbial expressions that can be used like this:

seldom, scarcely, hardly, not only …..
but also, no sooner …..
than, not until, under no circumstances.