How to identify intensifiers

Intensifiers are adverbs which are used with gradable [> 6.5] adjectives and advebrs (very slow slowly) and in some cases verbs (I entirely agree) While an adverb of degree normally weakens or limits the meaning of the word it modifies an intensifier normally strengthens (or 'intensifies') the meaning Your work is good

Your work is very good(intensifier meaning strengthened) your work is quite good(adverb of degree meaning weakened)

7.51 'Very', etc.[compare > 6.9]

Very is the most common intensifier We use it before
adjectives Martha has been very ill

adjective + noun Boris is not a very nice person
adverbs The wheels of bureaucracy turn very slowly

very on its own cannot go before comparatives but very + much can very much better/faster. Nor can it go before many predicative adjectives like alone [> 6.8.2] except with much

Since her husbands death Mrs Kay has been very much aloneCombinations with not (not very good not very well) are often used in preference to positive forms because they are sometimes more polite Your work is not very good)

Very can be used before gradable adjectival present participles (very interesting) and adjectival past participles (mostly ending in -ed e q very interested [> App 10] and a few others e g very mistaken) wnen past participles are used to form verb tenses they can sometimes be preceded by much or very much

These developments have very much interestedus (Not 'very') 7.51.1 Very, very much, so , such a/an Much, with or without very or so can be used in mid-position

Byron is very much/so much/muchadmired in Greece very much and so much (but never much on its own) can also go in me end position

/ enjoyed your party very much so muchbest) but we must use very much and so much before a superlative (the very

BEST) we must use very much or so much before a comparative (so much better) [> 6 27 5] The very can also combine with a few nouns (the very beginning) [> 6 9] Very can be replaced by most before some adjectives describing personal feelings attitudes (most obliged most concerned, etc )

Such a/an + ad ective + noun can be used in opace of so + adjective

It was such a nice party'/The party was so nice'Compare so a/an in

It was so important an occasionwe couldn't miss it

7 Adverbs

So + adjective can replace very _t informally, e g in exclamations:

This new cheese is so good¹[> App 7.18] For extra emphasis, very may be repeated:

This new cheese is very very good(also: so very very good)

7.51.2 'Jolly', 'pretty' and 'dead' in place of 'very'

Jolly and the weaker pretty can be used in (informal) BrE in place of very before adjectives or adverbs:

She's a jolly goodplayer The traffic is moving pretty slowlyPretty can also combine with well to mean 'nearly':

The film was pretty wellover by the time we got to the cinema Dead is used, usually informally, with a limited selection of adjectives (not adverbs):dead certain dead drunk dead level dead quiet dead right, dead straight, dead tired, dead wrong

You re dead right¹The war in Europe did end on May 7 1945

7.51.3 'Indeed' and 'not(...) at all'
Very (but not so) can be intensified by indeed in affirmative sentences:

That's very good indeedI enjoyed it very much indeedAt all (with or without very much) can be used in negatives: Mike doesn't enjoy classical music (very much) at all

7.52 -ly intensifiers used in place of 'very'

A few-ly adverbs such asextremely particularly, really and(informally) awfully frightfully, and terribly are commonly used for extra emphasis in place of very with:

- adjectives:Miss Hargreaves is extremely helpful

- adverbs:Dawson works really slowly

- past participles: I'm terribly confused by all this information —/ng-form adjectives:The information is terribly confusing

- adjective + nounDawson is a particularly good workerSome -ly adverbs will combine with verbs:

/ really appreciate all you ve done for me