Vocabulary and patterns for emphasis and exaggeration

1. EMPHASISING AND
EXAGGERATING

2. INTENSIFYING ADVERBS
ADVERB
VERY, EXTREMELY, INCREDIBLY, TERRIBLY,
AWFULLY, FAIRLY, A BIT
ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY, TOTALLY,
UTTERLY
ADJECTIVE
WEAK (GRADABLE ) ADJECTIVES: BIG,
SMALL, DIRTY, CLEAN, ...
STRONG (UNGRADABLE) ADJECTIVES:
HUGE, TINY, FILTHY, SPOTLESS, ...
Really can be used with most adjectives - it doesn't matter what type they are.
That's a really interesting/fascinating book.
Quite can also be used with both, but its meaning changes.
That book's quite interesting. ( = a bit) BUT It's quite an interesting book.
That book's quite fascinating. ( = absolutely) BUT It's quite a fascinating book.
Be careful. If you make an adverb from a strong adjective (e.g. incredibly, amazingly),
it is used with weak adjectives. For example:
This is awfully difficult.
He's amazingly good at cooking.

3. BITTERLY (strong negative emotion) complain bitterly
bitterly disappointed
DEEPLY (emotions in general) deeply hurt
deeply offended
HIGHLY (probability words) highly unlikely
highly profitable
RIDICULOUSLY (difficult to believe) ridiculously easy
ridiculously cheap
STRONGLY (verbs related to opinion strongly deny
strongly support
UNBEARABLY (not compatible with life) unbearably hot
unbearably dark
ABSOLUTELY/UTTERLY absolutely appalling
EXTREMELY/ INCREDIBLY utterly dependent
extremely successful
incredibly vibrant
Intensifying Adverbs

4. Match the adjectives on the left with the extreme
phrases on the right
ADJECTIVE EXTREME EXPRESSION
HUNGRY ABSOLUTELY AGONIZING
ANGRY ABSOLUTELY APPALLING
TIRED ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHING
DIRTY ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS
BEAUTIFUL ABSOLUTELY FILTHY
LARGE ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED
SCARY ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS
PAINFUL ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS
UGLY ABSOLUTELY HIDEOUS
SURPRISING ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS
BAD ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING
FUNNY ABSOLUTELY STARVING

5. Choose the correct option
 I'm _____ sleepy. I'm going to bed.
a. incredibly b. absolutely c. totally d. utterly
 It was _____ impossible to decide what to do.
a. extremely b. absolutely c. incredibly d. rather
 I bought some ____ cheap shoes at the weekend.
a. extremely b. absolutely c. utterly d. totally
 Sam's got a very ____ nose.
a. enormous b. huge c. large d. massive
 I was ______ disappointed by the food in the new restaurant.
a. utterly b. terribly c. completely d. totally
 Your children are ____ noisy! I wish they'd be quiet!
a. utterly b. totally c. completely d. incredibly
 The meal Sarah cooked for us was absolutely _____.
a. delicious b. tasty c. nice d. good
 Frank's girlfriend was wearing ____ short skirt.
a. an utterly b. an awfully c. a quite d. a totally
 Don't ask Simon to help - he's _____ useless.
a. completely b. very c. extremely d. utterly
 I was a bit ____ when I went to bed after watching the horror film.
a. terrified b. petrified c. scared d. horrified

6. EXTREME VERBS
devastate, crawl, stink, rocket, soar, dash, bombard,
smash, plummet...
• Cars were crawling after the accident.
• We dashed into the office to get the Alhambra tickets.
• Prices soared in the area because of tourists.
• House prices have plummeted in this area in recent months.
• The tourists bombarded the guide with many questions
about the history of the castle.

7. SO + ADJ + THAT
It was so polluted in Beijing that I could barely
see my hands.
LIKE
Driving in Delhi was like playing Russian roulette
at the wheel. It was chaotic!
It was absolutely scorching! It was like I was in
hell.
AS … AS …
Mosquitoes in Palenque are as big as elephants.
You’d better take a mosquito repellent with
you.