| EMPHASIZERS with
| EXAMPLE
|
| POSITIVE DEGREE
|
| very
| It’s very awkward.
|
| ever so
| The book is ever so interesting.
|
| too
| Everybody would be only too glad to see you.
|
| far too
| It’s far too expensive.
|
| most
| “Yes”, she thought, “everybody’s been most kind.”
|
| a most
| The 5th Symphony by Tchaikovsky is a most beautiful piece
of music.
|
| that
| Are things that bad with you?
|
| repetition of the
intensifier or the Adj
| I agree with every word you’ve said ― every single word.
You bad, bad boy. It’s very, very bad.
|
| COMPARATIVE DEGREE
|
| much, a lot, lots
| My brother is much younger [ than myself]
He thought how much more advanced the young were.
|
| a great / good deal,
a good bit
| The performance proved to be a great deal better than
I could ever expect.
|
| still
| The first edition is good, the new one is still better.
|
| ever
| Environmental issues acquire an ever greater scope.
|
| far
| I’ve been with good people, far better than you.
|
| Adj + by far
| He is funnier by far.
|
| no
| This method is no better than the one we’ve been using.
|
| none the + Adj
| He was none the wiser for that answer, but he didn’t try to
analyse it.
|
| all the + Adj
| His remorse was all the more painful because of the
irony of his mistake.
|
| Adj + and + Adj
| The sound grew fainter and fainter.
|
| SUPERLATIVE DEGREE
|
| by far
| “The Swan Lake” is by far the best ballet we have.
|
| Adj + possible
| It’s difficult to go about in the wrongest way possible.
|
| the very
| She put on her very best dress.
|
Idiomatic intensifiers. All the grammar rules are lavishly supplied with explanations and examples.
You can find all the linguistic terms and their Russian equivalents on pagecommon collocations.
The cake is rock hard!
He is bone idle and won’t do a stroke of work.
Ssh. The baby’s fast asleep at last!
She is fully conversant with the problems.
The boss has got a brand new car.
I slept like a log and now I’m wide awake.
