I. Are the underlined adjectives gradable or ungradable? Suggest an appropriate adverb to complete each sentence. Try to use a different adverb each time. (A)
1 The play was marvellous. 7 The answer was absurd.
2 The answer is simple. 8 The questions were hard.
3 His new flat is enormous. 9 Her books are popular.
4 He was devastated by the news. 10 I was terrified by the film.
5 The instructions were complicated. 11 He's a(n). ..successful artist.
6 I was disappointed. 12 He's a(n) essential member of the team.
II. Use an adverb + adjective in your response, as in 2. (A) How would you feel if:
1 a friend said s/he had just won a million pounds? I'd be absolutely delighted.
2 your best friend told you s/he was emigrating to Australia?
3 someone broke a window in your house or flat?
4 a complete stranger told you that you were very beautiful/handsome?
5 you lost some airline tickets you had just bought?
III. Put the adjectives in brackets in these sentences in the most appropriate order. (B & C)
1 Mine's the car. (blue, Japanese, small)
2 I rent a(n) house, (furnished, large, old)
3 I've just bought a table, (beautiful, coffee, wooden)
4 Their. forces soon overcame the invasion, (combined, military, powerful)
5 Have you seen this invention? (fantastic, German, new)
6 There was a rug on the floor, (soft, wonderful, woollen)
7 She gave me a box. (jewellery, metal, small, square)
Do the same for these. Write and between the adjectives if possible.
8 Cycling is a(n) activity, (outdoor, popular)
9 They live in houses, (mud, straw)
10 He was a doctor, (famous, medical)
11 There was an meeting, (important, urgent)
12 I've just finished a novel, (boring, depressing)
Make corrections where necessary. (A-D)
Dear Alan,
I'm writing this Letter from my new beautiful flat in Stratford. Although it's modern, it’s in an entirely old building which was totally renovated last year, and the wooden original beams have been kept in the sitting room. It's quite small, and is a best for one person flat, but it’s completely comfortable for me. The sitting room leads on to a similar to yours garden which is full of wonderful yellow red flowers at the moment. Stratford is a small nice town and is very quiet in the winter. At the moment, though, in the middle of the tourist season, the traffic is extremely terrible. But despite this I think I’m going to be absolutely happy here, and I hope you'll get over to see me soon.
All the best,
Mark
Keys
1
Suggested adverbs are given.
1 really marvellous (ungradable)
2 very simple (gradable)
3 simply enormous (ungradable)
4 utterly devastated (ungradable)
5 extremely complicated (gradable)
6 deeply disappointed (gradable)
7 totally absurd (ungradable)
8 pretty hard (gradable) (informal)
9 immensely popular (gradable)
10 completely terrified (ungradable)
11 hugely successful (gradable)
12 absolutely essential (ungradable)
2
Suggested answers:
2 I'd be incredibly upset.
3 I'd be pretty angry.
4 I'd be rather embarrassed.
5 I'd be extremely annoyed.
3
The most likely order is given,
without special focus
1 small (= aze) blue (= colour) Japanese (= origin)
2 large (= aze) old (= age) furnished (= participle adjective)
3 beautiful (= opinion) wooden (= material) coffee (= purpose)
4 powerful (= opinion / physical quality) combined (= participle adjective) military (= type)
5 fantastic (= opinion) new (= age) German (= origin)
6 wonderful (= opinion) soft (= physical quality) woollen (= material)
7 small (= aze) square (= shape) metal (= material) jewellery (= purpose)
8 popular (= opinion / physical quality) outdoor (= type)
9 mud and straw (= both materials; ungradable)
10 famous (= quality) medical (= type)
11 important, urgent or important and urgent (= both quality; gradable)
12 boring, depressing or boring and depressing (= both participle adjectives; gradable)
4
Suggested corrections are in italics.
Dear Alan,
I'm writing this letter from my beautiful new flat in Stratford. Although it's modern, it's in a very old building which was totally renovated last year, and the original wooden beams have been kept in the sitting room. It's quite small, and is a flat suitable for one person / a suitable flat for one person, but it's extremely comfortable for me. The sitting room leads on to a garden similar to yours / a similar garden to yours which is full of wonderful yellow and red flowers at the moment. Stratford is a nice small town and is very quiet in the winter. At the moment, though, in the middle of the tourist season, the traffic is absolutely terrible. But despite this I think I'm going to be very happy here, and I hope you'll get over to ase me soon.
All the best, M ark