Very, really, absolutely

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

very and really with ordinary adjectives, absolutely with strong ones: It was absolutely freezing, and we were really tired. From a blog post about Iceland in January to a game where every answer gets stronger: Cold? It was absolutely freezing!

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very coldabsolutely freezingreally good

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Reading: Iceland in JanuaryReading comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find very, really and absolutelyGrammar exercise
  6. 6very, really, absolutelyGrammar rule
  7. 7very or absolutely?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Which words fit?Grammar exercise
  9. 9Say it strongerGrammar exercise
  10. 10Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12Cold? It was absolutely freezing!Speaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: a message from collegeGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: which is correct?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: the seasons where I liveDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Have you ever been outside in really cold weather? How cold was it?
  2. Do you prefer vacations in hot places or in cold places? Why?
  3. When you travel, do you write about it, post photos, or just enjoy it?

Grammar rule

very, really, absolutely

Ordinary and strong adjectives

Ordinary adjectives can be a little or very: cold, tired, big, good. Strong adjectives already mean "very": freezing (= very cold), exhausted (= very tired), enormous (= very big), amazing (= very good).

ordinary: cold, bigstrong: freezing, enormous
very✓ very cold✗ very freezing
really✓ really big✓ really enormous
absolutely✗ absolutely big✓ absolutely freezing
  • really goes with both kinds. It is very common in speech.
  • not very + an ordinary adjective is a soft way to say the opposite: The test wasn't very difficult. (= it was easy)
  • Absolutely! on its own = Yes, definitely! "Can I sit here?" "Absolutely!"
  • The word goes right before the adjective: The movie was absolutely amazing.

Watch out

  • Not very with a strong adjective: The service was very excellent. → It was absolutely (or really) excellent.
  • Not absolutely with an ordinary adjective: The test was absolutely easy. → It was very (or really) easy.
  • Before a verb, use really, not very: We really miss our old neighbors. (not We very miss them)

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