Название: Business Grammar Builder. Деловой английский: грамматика (Л.В. Корухова Н.Н. Новосельцева) Жанр: Гуманитарный Просмотров: 4102 |
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Unit 33 adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree show how big or important something is. They make the meaning weaker (small degree) or stronger (large degree). Small degree: a little, a bit, slightly Medium degree: quite, fairly, pretty rather, reasonably, relatively Large degree: extremely, really, very, absolutely, completely
Look at these examples. With adjectives: It was a little expensive/rather strange/very professional. With adverbs: It was done a bit late/quite quickly /very professionally. With verbs:. / really disagree. They've increased their offer a little. With comparatives: It's a bit/slightly/considerably/much/a lot cheaper.
Too, enough, not enough B
Too means 'more than is necessary or good'. Not enough means 'less than is necessary or good'. Enough means 'as much as is necessary' or 'sufficient'. Adjectives: The salary is too low. The salary isn't high enough. Adverbs: I'm sorry, it goes too slowly. I'm sorry it isn't fast enough. Nouns: There's too much work. There isn't enough time.
Note the positions: too comes before adjectives, adverbs and nouns; enough comes after adjectives and adverbs, but before nouns.
We use too many/few + plural nouns and too much/little + uncountable nouns. There are too many people involved in the project. I think we spent too much money on the consultants.
We can leave out the noun if the meaning is clear. Just a little milk, please. Not too much. Here are six chairs. Is that enough?
Other structures with too and enough C
After too and enough we can use a phrase with for. Their delivery times are too long for us.
After too, enough we can use an infinitive. Sales are too slow to make much profit.
So and such D
We use so and such for emphasis. So with adjectives and adverbs: The meeting finished so quickly Such a with adjective + singular noun: It was such a quick meeting. Such/So many/So few with plural nouns: You have such friendly colleagues. Such/So much/So little with uncountable nouns: It was such good advice.
So/such and too are different. So/such express an opinion which can be either positive or negative. Too suggests a difficulty, that something cannot be done. There are so many people involved in the project, (it's just my opinion) There are too many people involved in the project, (we need to reduce the number) So/such can be used with that to express a result. Too cannot be used with that. The meeting finished so quickly that I was home by 5.30. (NOT too quickly that)
Quite, fairly, pretty or rather? E
Quite, fairly and pretty mean 'a medium amount'. 'Like most businesses, we're fairly cautious about what might come in the next couple of years, mainly because of the Asian situation.' (business review weekly website)
In American English pretty is a common way of saying 'very'.
We can change the meaning of quite in British English by stressing the adjective in speech. The meaning changes to 'very'. This is called understatement. The restaurant was quite good. (normal meaning: it was OK) The restaurant was quite good. (understatement: it was very good)
Rather also means 'a medium amount', but it often suggests that something is bad, surprising or unusual. It is more formal. It's rather late to do anything now. (It's a little too late, I'm afraid) The restaurant was rather good. (I enjoyed it, surprisingly)
With a comparative we can only use rather, not quite. The meeting took rather longer than I expected.
With some adjectives quite means 'absolutely' or 'completely'. These include: absurd, certain, different, hopeless, impossible, ridiculous, right, sure, true, wrong. I’m quite certain about this. (=absolutely certain) Are you sure that’s quite right? (=completely right)
Exercise 1 ( B, C, D) Underline the correct words. PRACTICE ADVERBS OF DEGREE
1 The salary they are suggesting sounds 50 good/too good to be true! 2 There were so few/so little customers that I went home early. 3 We can't pull out now. There's too much/too many money involved. 4 It was such/so a boring meeting that I nearly fell asleep. 5 The meeting was such/so boring that I nearly fell asleep. 6 I had to say 'no' - the cost was so much/too much for the budget I was given. 7 We had so much/so many new business that we needed extra staff. 8 I had so much/so many reports to write that I put the answering machine on. 9 We have so few/so little information that we can't make a decision. 10 The meeting was so short/too short to cover all the points properly. 11 Can you help me? I'm not enough tall/tall enough to reach the top shelf. 12 There isn't enough money/money enough in the budget for your idea.
Exercise2 ( B, C, D) Complete the sentences with one of these words: too, enough, so, such, much, many, little, few.
1 Is your coffee ..... hot? Would you like a little more milk? 2 I had ..... trouble finding somewhere to park that I arrived late. 3 I had ..... problems finding somewhere to park that I arrived late. 4 There were ..... replies to the last mailing that we won't do another. 5 I had ..... cash on me that I couldn't even buy a sandwich. 6 The price of their shares is ..... high to buy any more right now. 7 We're making ..... progress that we should finish a week early. 8 We're expecting a lot of people. This room won't be large ..... . 9 I couldn't do any work on the train. I was ..... tired that I fell asleep. 10 She speaks ..... quickly for me to understand. 11 They pay ..... late that we won't receive the money until June. 12 That's ..... a good idea. It'll save us thousands of dollars.
time.(=to criticize or punish someone for something) Exercise3 ( B,D) Complete the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the first sentence and contains the word in brackets.
1 I didn't buy that laptop because the screen was too small. (enough) I didn't buy that laptop because ..... . 2 The problem was so difficult that I referred it to my line manager. (such) It ...... that I referred it to my line manager. 3 There weren't enough copies of the agenda,.(few) There ..... of the agenda. 4 There's not enough space on this spreadsheet for all the results. (little) There's ..... on this spreadsheet for all the results. 5 It was such a good presentation that they gave us the contract immediately. (so) The ..... that they gave us the contract immediately. 6 I sold too few units last month to get a bonus. (enough) I ..... last month to get a bonus. 7 I've got such a busy schedule that I can't meet you until next Tuesday. (so) My schedule .... that I can't meet you until next Tuesday. 8 We've sent out lots of brochures and we'll need to print some more. (many) We've sent out ..... we'll need to print some more. 9 I haven't got enough time to prepare for the meeting. (too) I've got ..... to prepare for the meeting.
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