D Write: Show where the adverbs in brackets can go in the sentences that follow them. WHERE DID I PUT MY TEETH?

(1ever) Have you forgotten something on a train or bus? Have you ever forgotten..? (2never) Don't say you have! (3always) (4 occasionally) We can't be … careful with our things and most of us …must have left something behind when getting off a bus or train. (5never) There can't be anyone who… forgets anything. (6regularly) Over 150,000 items a year are… dealt with by London Transport's Lost Property Office. (7normally) …People don't carry stuffed gorillas, but someone recently left one on a train. (8 most often) The things people… lose are umbrellas and keys. (9 sometimes) But there are… items that are not very common. (10 ever) Can you… imagine losing a bed and not claiming it? (11often) Prams and pushchairs are… lost. (12 frequently) But it is unbelievable that people… forget false teeth and even glass eyes when they get off a train! (13often) Yet they do!

7.5 Adverbs of degree 7.5A The two meanings of 'quite' [> LEG 6.5, 7.41-42]

1 Quite, fairly and rather are common adverbs of degree. They can make the word they modify weaker or stronger and their effect depends on stress and intonation. If we say: The film is quite / good! and our voice 'goes up!, this means 'I enjoyed it on the whole'. The film is quite\good and our voice 'goes down', this means 'I didn't really enjoy it'. We can put quite in front of ordinary adjectives (quite good), adverbs (quite slowly), and a few verbs (I quite enjoy). Regardless of stress, the meaning is 'less than'.

2 We can also use quite with 'absolute' adjectives (dead, empty and full), and with 'strong' adjectives like amazing and wonderful. Then it means 'completely'. The voice 'goes up'. The man was quite dead! The bucket is quite full! The film was quite wonderful!

 

Write: Answer these questions in full with quite, and say whether quite means 'less than' or 'completely'. 1 What was the film like? (good)... 2 How was the exhibition? (amazing)... 3 What's Pam like? (wonderful)... 4 How was the play? (awful)... 5 How was your holiday? (quite enjoy)... 6 Do you eat snails? (quite like)...

 

7.5B 'Fairly' [> LEG 7 43] Fairly often goes with 'good' adjectives and adverbs (good, nice, well, etc.). It is generally 'less complimentary' than quite. We do not use 'enough' [> 16.4B] to mean quite or fairly. What's Yoko's English like? - It's quite good, ('complimentary')

Not 'enough good': What's Yoko's English like? - It's fairly good, ('less complimentary')

Not 'enough good’: We can't use fairly with some 'absolute' adjectives: Not 'fairly dead/fairly wonderful'

Write: Add quite and fairly. Mark as 'complimentary', 'less complimentary' or 'completely'.

1 She sings... quite ('complimentary') /fairly ('less complimentary^’) well. 2 The dinner is... spoilt. 3 I feel... sick. 4 She's... clever. 5 I think he's... mad... 6 You're... incredible!...

 

7.5C 'Rather' [> LEG 7.44] Rather is stronger than quite and fairly and suggests 'inclined to be'. It often goes with 'bad' adjectives (bad, poor, awful, unpleasant, etc.). When it goes with 'good' adjectives (good, nice, tasty, etc.) it often means 'surprisingly' This ice-cream is rather good, (perhaps I didn't expect it to be)

Write: Add quite and rather to each sentence, where possible. Say if they mean 'inclined to (be)', 'less than' or 'completely'.

1 I'm afraid Jane's health is quite ('completely')/rather ('inclined to be') poor. 2 Don't worry! Your son is... all right! 3 Your work has been... unsatisfactory. 4 I'm afraid an appointment tomorrow is... impossible. 5 Last night's documentary was... interesting...

 

7.5D 'Much', 'any', 'far' and a lot' as adverbs of degree [> LEG 5.12.3,7.45]

1 We can use much and far with comparatives and superlatives to say 'to what degree': Jane is much better today. London is far bigger than Edinburgh. This Indian cookery book is by far the best. London is much the biggest city in Britain.

2 We can use a lot and any with comparatives: It's a lot bigger. Is it any better?

3 Not much and not any go with a few adjectives: This battery isn't much good/any good.

4 We can use not much and (not) a lot with verbs such as like and enjoy. I don't much like fish. I don't like fish (very) much. I (don't) like fish a lot.

5 We often use much and far with prefer and would rather [> 16.8B, 11.8]: I much prefer tea to coffee. I'd far rather have tea than coffee.

Write: Add much, any, far or a lot and give alternatives where possible.

1 I'm not much/any good at maths. 2 You're... quicker than me. 3 This is... more expensive. 4 This is... the best way to enjoy yourself. 5 I can't go... faster. 6 Those two recordings aren't... different. 7 I don't... like people who show off. 8 I... prefer swimming to cycling. 9 This machine isn't... use. 10 You're... thinner than when I last saw you.