# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Disappearing Computer: An Exclusive Preview of Humane’s Screenless Tech | Imran Chaudhri | TED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Look at these examples to see how gradable and non-gradable adjectives are used.

It's really cold.
It's absolutely freezing.
This exercise is really difficult.
This exercise is completely impossible.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Adjectives: gradable and non-gradable: Grammar test 1

Grammar explanation

Gradable adjectives

Most adjectives are gradable. This means we can have different levels of that quality. For example, you can be a bit cold, very cold or extremely cold. We can make them weaker or stronger with modifiers:

She was quite angry when she found out.
The film we saw last night was really funny!
It can be extremely cold in Russia in the winter.

Here is a list of some common gradable adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.

Non-gradable: absolute adjectives

Some adjectives are non-gradable. For example, something can't be a bit finished or very finished. You can't be a bit dead or very dead. These adjectives describe absolute qualities. To make them stronger we have to use modifiers like absolutely, totally or completely:

Thank you, I love it! It's absolutely perfect!
Their farm was totally destroyed by a tornado.
My work is completely finished. Now I can relax.

Here is a list of some common absolute adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.

Non-gradable: extreme adjectives

Adjectives like amazing, awful and boiling are also non-gradable. They already contain the idea of 'very' in their definitions. If we want to make extreme adjectives stronger, we have to use absolutely or really:

Did you see the final match? It was absolutely amazing!
After 32 hours of travelling, they were absolutely exhausted.
My trip home was really awful. First, traffic was really bad, then the car broke down and we had to walk home in the rain.

Here is a list of some common extreme adjectives and some modifiers that we can use with them.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Adjectives: gradable and non-gradable: Grammar test 2

Language level

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you know how to use adjectives in phrases like a bit cold, really cold and absolutely freezing? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are two main reasons why knowing a bit about the gradabilty of adjectives is useful to students.

1. - it largely decides what intensifiers, adverbs like quite, very and absolutely, we can use before them.

2. - learning some strong versions of gradable adjectives will increase your vocabulary, and make your English more varied and interesting.

For this reason, I will only be looking here at those adjectives that we often use intensifiers with. There are a lot of ungradable adjectives like metal, married or pregnant, where we don't normally use intensifiers. I won't be discussing these here.

As usual in my lessons, I won't be telling you much, you will need to work it out for yourselves through the exercises. If you simply want an explanation, there are some links below.

Looking for a list of gradable and ungradable adjectives?

If you've landed here because you're trying to find out whether a particular adjective is gradable or not, you might not find the answer here, but you could try my newer post where I list a lot adjectives as being gradable, extreme or absolute. You can find it here.

Click and Drop where you see this symbol ? mouse over it for instructions

There are three main types of adjective we use intensifiers with: gradable, strong (also known as extreme) and absolute.

Exercise 1 - Gradable and non-gradable ?

Complete the descriptions of different types of adjective with examples from the box.

The most common intensifiers

Exercise 2 - Basic intensifiers (one or two perhaps not quite so basic) ?

Which of these words can be used with the following. Enter the pairs in the same order as they are in the box:

These are the most commonly used intensifiers. We shall be looking at a few more a little later.

The word really is a very useful word in informal English for two reasons:

1. As you can use it with both gradable and non-gradable adjectives, you don't have to worry about the grammar side of things.

2. It has more emotional content than very. Look at these sentences:

Thanks for the party, I had a very good time.

Thanks for the party, I had a really good time.

The first is polite enough, but the second sounds as though you really mean it. As if it came from the heart.

In formal writing, however, it is best to try and find more specific intensifiers.

How can we tell if an adjective is gradable or not?

There is no hard and fast way that we can tell whether an adjective is gradable just by looking at it, but there are a couple of tests we can do.

1. Can we make comparative and superlative versions of the adjective?

It's hotter today than it was yesterday. (gradable)

It's more boiling today than it was yesterday. (strong)

This house is more unique than that one. (absolute)

Usually we only make comparisons with gradable adjectives. So try using a comparative and if it sounds OK, then the adjective is probably gradable. But notice that:

Some adjectives normally considered strong or extreme, for example, tiny, do in fact have comparative and superlative versions, although they aren't used very often. - Smallest Frogs Found-Each Tinier Than an M&M (National Geographic)

We sometimes use a comparative after even with strong adjectives, especially when we are not directly comparing something with something else, but in a more abstract way. - The view from here is even more amazing than I remember it.

2. Can we use the determiner very before the adjective?

If so, it's probably gradable.

Exercise 3 - Gradable, strong or absolute?

Decide which category these adjectives fit into, using the selectors. Try using them with very and absolutely and see which sounds best.

Why do we use intensifiers with non-gradable adjectives?

Grading adverbs such as quite, very and extremely are used to put an adjective somewhere on a scale.

But absolute and strong adjectives cannot be given a degree like this. When we use intensifiers like absolutely, completely and totally, we are using them for emphasis rather then degree.

Exercise 6 - Cross out the wrong option. Click on an option to cross it out it. If you change your mind, click on one of the other options

More than one strong equivalent

Many gradable adjectives have more than one strong equivalent. Learning some alternatives will increase your vocabulary.

Exercise 7 - Divide these adjectives into six groups of four, according to meaning. You can copy and paste them into the six boxes.

In that last exercise you will have noticed we had the adjectives amazing and amazed and that their meanings were different. Although -ing and -ed adjectives usually have a similar meaning, eg: surprising / surprised, interesting / interested, some pairs can have different meanings:

amazing - really good

amazed - really surprised

stunning - really beautiful (also really surprising)

stunned - really shocked (also really surprised)

thrilling - really exciting

thrilled - really pleased, happy (also really excited)

Not all gradable adjectives have strong equivalents

Many gradable adjectives don't really have strong equivalents. These include:

describing people - busy, friendly, popular, rich

intermediates - warm, cool

attributes - fast, slow, strong, weak, young

dimensions - deep, shallow, high, low, long, short, tall, wide, narrow

Can we use both grading and absolute intensifiers with some adjectives?

The adjective certain is sometimes seen as a stronger version of sure. But I started thinking that we could use both very and absolutely with both these adjectives. And this turns out to be the case. It looks from this graph of use in books of fiction as though both words are in the process of changing from being gradable adjectives (the blue and green lines) to ungradable (red and yellow). So, for the moment at least, we can use both gradable and emphasising intensifiers with these words.

We'll look at a few others a bit later on.

Some more intensifiers

Exercise 9 - Decide whether these intensifiers go with gradable or ungradable adjectives. Try saying them with tired, exhausted and unique, and see which you think sounds better.

Bringing it all together

Exercise 10 - Underline the best option. Click on an option to underline it. If you change your mind, click on one of the other options

Afterthoughts and some Ngram links.

The more I do these exercises, the more I become convinced that it's not quite as black and white as some of the books make out. Earlier on we looked at sure and certain. Here are a few more examples, with links to Ngram graphs showing their use over the years in a selection of books:

Although I would say totally exhausted rather than very exhausted, I think I can also imagine myself saying rather exhausted, even though rather is normally used with gradable adjectives. Ngram

Satisfied seems to collocate equally well with very and completely Ngram

New - Although we can certainly use fairly, rather and very with new, totally and completely seem to be more popular. Ngram

Thrilled - Like sure and certain, thrilled also seems to be making the journey from gradable to strong. Ngram

Puzzled is another interesting case. More gradable than not, but emphasisers also possible.Ngram

And exceedingly appears to collocate with delicious (ungradable) almost as well as with tasty (gradable), even though exceedingly normally goes with gradable adjectives: exceedingly pretty, exceedingly fast, exceedingly thirsty etc. Ngram

Here are a couple more Ngram graphs from questions in the previous exercise:

This doesn't mean of course that the basic principle we have been looking at is wrong. After all, it only affects three questions out of the 25 in that last exercise, but it does suggest that there are a few grey areas where certain adjectives can be used with some grading adverbs and also with some emphasising adverbs.

But remember, when in doubt, really is usually safe enough. And as well as checking in a dictionary, you can always check possibilities out on Ngram. It's fun and very easy to use.

Here's how to do it. Enter two or more expressions, separated by commas (but no space). Try pasting this example into the box, then click on 'Go to Ngram':

made it very clear,made it absolutely clear

This little word raises passions like few others. Unique is relatively new to the English language (it was considered a foreign word until the middle of the 19th century). It's original meaning was being 'the only one of its kind', and therefore impossible to grade or compare, and so absolute.

In this use, I think emphasisers like absolutely and totally etc are OK.

Most people would also allow almost, nearly and practically with this meaning.

But there are some purists who believe that unique should remain totally unadorned - 'It is either unique or it isn't'!

From this came a secondary absolute with to, meaning - 'belonging only to somebody, something or somewhere'

In this use, I think any intensifiers, even absolutely or totally, would sound a bit strange, and so are best avoided.

Very soon, however, it started to be used with the sense of 'very special or unusual', and so to a certain degree, at least, gradable.

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary allows the use of the words like more and very in this meaning, and Merriam-Webster says that ' In modern use both comparison and modification are widespread and standard'.

But I'd be careful. Not everybody accepts this third usage, and consider the use of expressions like very unique and more unique to be incorrect. I wouldn't go that far, but I have to admit they sound strange, and I wouldn't use them myself. But I'd happily use absolutely, totally and possibly really.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are two main reasons why knowing a bit about the gradabilty of adjectives is useful to students. 1. - it largely decides what intensifiers, adverbs like quite, very and absolutely, we can use before them. 2. - learning some strong versions of gradable adjectives will increase your vocabulary, and make your English more varied and interesting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Test Prep: C1 Advanced (Certificate in Advanced English) | Multiple Choice Cloze Exercise 1 | esl-lounge Student

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Test preparation exercise for Cambridge C1 Advanced examination. Multiple Choice Cloze Exercise 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
If You Don't Pass This Quiz, You Don't Know English

# data[].attributes.body
VIDEO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Todd: So now Dan you live in Bali, Indonesia, which is a very beautiful place and you do a lot of business in Southeast Asia. Why do you think Southeast Asia is a good place to do business?

Dan: Well, one of the primary reasons is the lifestyle. If you are generating a reasonable income on western standards, you can-what we do is, you know, perform some global arbitrage. You can take that western level salary and move it to a developing area of the world like here in Southeast Asia, and your purchasing power is much greater.

So if you're selling products in a higher valued economy like Germany and you're living in Vietnam, you're going to be able to experience a much higher lifestyle. And we call that concept arbitrage. You know, currency markets and stock traders have used that kind of concept all the time because they're dealing with very liquid assets. In our case, you know, our locations weren't always so liquid. It wasn't always so easy to change your location. Now with internet style business, it's getting easier.

So primarily, the lifestyle, I found that that's a great tool for recruiting because staff, they want to have a great lifestyle too. So if you can set up an office in a place like Bali, Indonesia, it's like paradise on earth. It's so beautiful here, people want to join you, and so it's great for recruiting as well.

Todd: Do you find it's harder to get work done in a beautiful place. I mean, Bali is basically paradise. Can you still follow the nine-to-five work grind and get things done?

Dan: I find that I get more work done in Bali because the cost of living here is lower on all fronts. Not only is food cheaper, rent cheaper, but it's easier to get people to help you out to do things. For example, in United States, I can't afford to pay somebody to do my laundry. It's too expensive. But here in Bali, I have somebody do my laundry and that saves me two hours a week.

Simple things like that start to add up. It's a very relaxed and healthy place that helps me focus on work. I have a lot of friends that live in New York city for example and they spend so much time traveling on the train, making money to afford living there, and I see that as a much more stressful, difficult environment to really be productive and creative. Here in Bali, I have no problems focusing on my work.

Todd: So what kind of work schedule do you follow, like do you work every day? Do you work like eight hours straight? Do you work at night? Because you're dealing with different time zones with people all around the world. You said your market is mainly in the States. Could you talk a little bit about your work routine?

Dan: Sure. It's actually defined by what I feel like my biorhythms are. To use a really colloquial phrase, car guys in United States use a term called torque band. And that's when your engine is the strongest-at what time your engine the strongest? And for me that's 7:00 to 11:00 in the morning, and 7:00 to 11:00 in the evening, and right now it's sort of 2:33 PM. This is generally a time that I would relax. I would close my computer. I would get in the pool. I'd meet with some friends, maybe take a walk, listen to some podcasts, and relax until dinner time. After dinner time have a coffee and continue working.

So, it's primarily for me, that just seems to be when I'm most creative and I have no idea why.

Todd: It sounds like a nice life.

End of Transcript

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ESL students and teachers can access free listening lessons that come with audio, script, quiz and vocabulary support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why is Singapore so rich? | CNBC Explains

# data[].attributes.body
HOMEWORK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kim Kardashian West has angered people in Japan after launching a new line of lingerie called 'Kimono Intimates'. People in Japan have reacted with anger and have accused Kardashian of cultural appropriation. They say the lingerie greatly disrespects Japanese culture. The kimono is an iconic symbol in Japan and is considered the country's national dress. It is an exquisitely decorated, long-sleeved robe tied with an ornate sash. It is usually made of silk and is worn on special occasions. A Japanese woman explained to the BBC: "We wear kimonos to celebrate health, growth of children, engagements, marriages, graduations, at funerals. It's celebratory wear and passed on in families through the generations."

There has been a lot of backlash against Kardashian West on social media. Apart from the lingerie having no resemblance to real kimono or anything Japanese, the American socialite is also trying to trademark kimono-worded brands. She has filed trademarks for "Kimono Body", "Kimono Intimates" and "Kimono World". One Twitter user wrote: "What a disgusting thing to use the word 'kimono'. It's disrespectful to Japanese culture. True cultural appropriation." Another person tweeted: "I feel very sad that the name 'Kimono' is being used for something completely different from what we Japanese know about it. I feel this name choice is simply ignorant." She ended her tweet with #KimOhNo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kim Kardashian West angers Japan over 'kimono'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
English News Lessons: Free 27-Page lesson plan / 2-page mini-lesson - Cultural Appropriation - Handouts, online activities, speed reading, dictation, mp3... current events.

# data[].attributes.body
Speak about the text

# data[].attributes.body
Record yourself reading this text:

# data[].attributes.body
Explain this video with your words, do a text of 50 words

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Do My Colleagues Earn More than Me For the Same Job? (Pay Gap Documentary) | Real Stories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how to eliminate common errors with this online activity. The Virtual Writing Tutor ESL Grammar Checker finds errors, suggests corrections, and helps learners everywhere improve their English for free.