ADVERB COLLOCATIONS

Adverb + Adjective Collocations

Why don't we say "absolutely good" or "very fantastic"?
Well, adjectives like "good" are known
asweakorgradable adjectives, while adjectives like
"fantastic" and "perfect" are known
asstrongandungradable adjectives.
"Very" is used with weak adjectives.
Absolutely" is used with strong/ungradable
adjectives.
ADVERB
I'mverytired.
COLLOCATIONS
I'mabsolutelyexhausted.
 Adverb Adjective
+ weak (gradable) adjectives
very, extremely, incredibly, terribly,
good
awfully, fairly, a bit
surprised
(+ quite, really)
angry
+ strong / ungradable adjectives
absolutely, completely, totally, utterly fantastic
(+ quite, really) amazed
furious

Reallycan be used with most adjectives - it doesn't matter

what type they are.
That's areallyinteresting/fascinating book.

Quitecan also be used with both, but its meaning changes.

That book'squiteinteresting. ( = a bit)
That book'squitefascinating. ( = absolutely)

Incredibly ,amazingly are used withweakadjectives.

This isawfullydifficult.

 Bitterly
You can usebitterlywhen there is a strong negative emotion:
usually sadness (with disappointed, regret, and cry)
or annoyance/anger (with complain and resent)
bitterly disappointed
bitterly regret
cry bitterly
complain bitterly
bitterly resent
Bitterlyis also often used to emphasize weather that
is very cold!

Deeply
You can usedeeplywith emotions in general,
to emphasize that they are very strong.
deeply concerned
deeply hurt
deeply moved
deeply offended
 Highly
You can usehighlywith probability words
(likely/unlikely, probable, unusual)
highly unlikely
highly probable
highly effective
highly controversial
highly profitable
highly recommended

Ridiculously
You can useridiculouslywhen something is so extreme,
its difficult to believe.
ridiculously cheap
ridiculously easy
ridiculously long
ridiculously small
ridiculously early
 Strongly
You can usestronglywith verbs relating to
having or expressing opinions:

believe
deny oppose

STRONGLY
dislike feel

influence support
 Exercises
I'm _____ sleepy. I'm going to bed.
Incredibly absolutely totally utterly

It was _____ impossible to decide what to do.

Extremely absolutely incredibly rather

I bought some ____ cheap shoes at the weekend.

Extremely absolutely utterly totally

Sam's got a very ____ nose.

Enormous huge large massive

I was ______ disappointed by the food in the new restaurant.

Utterly terribly completely totally
 Exercises
I'm _____ sleepy. I'm going to bed.
Incredibly absolutely totally utterly
Incredibly

It was _____ impossible to decide what to do.

Extremely absolutely incredibly rather

I bought some ____ cheap shoes at the weekend.

Extremely absolutely utterly totally

Sam's got a very ____ nose.

Enormous huge large massive

I was ______ disappointed by the food in the new restaurant.

Utterly terribly completely totally
 Exercises
I'm _____ sleepy. I'm going to bed.
Incredibly absolutely totally utterly
Incredibly

It was _____ impossible to decide what to do.

Extremely absolutely incredibly rather
Absolutely

I bought some ____ cheap shoes at the weekend.

Extremely absolutely utterly totally

Sam's got a very ____ nose.

Enormous huge large massive

I was ______ disappointed by the food in the new restaurant.

Utterly terribly completely totally
 Exercises
I'm _____ sleepy. I'm going to bed.
Incredibly absolutely totally utterly
Incredibly

It was _____ impossible to decide what to do.

Extremely absolutely incredibly rather
Absolutely

I bought some ____ cheap shoes at the weekend.

Extremely absolutely utterly totally
Extremely

Sam's got a very ____ nose.

Enormous huge large massive

I was ______ disappointed by the food in the new restaurant.

Utterly terribly completely totally
 Exercises
I'm _____ sleepy. I'm going to bed.
Incredibly absolutely totally utterly
Incredibly

It was _____ impossible to decide what to do.

Extremely absolutely incredibly rather
Absolutely

I bought some ____ cheap shoes at the weekend.

Extremely absolutely utterly totally
Extremely

Sam's got a very ____ nose.

Enormous huge large massive
Large

I was ______ disappointed by the food in the new restaurant.

Utterly terribly completely totally
 Exercises
I'm _____ sleepy. I'm going to bed.
Incredibly absolutely totally utterly
Incredibly

It was _____ impossible to decide what to do.

Extremely absolutely incredibly rather
Absolutely

I bought some ____ cheap shoes at the weekend.

Extremely absolutely utterly totally
Extremely

Sam's got a very ____ nose.

Enormous huge large massive
Large

I was ______ disappointed by the food in the new restaurant.

Utterly terribly completely totally
Terribly
The painting he bought was absolutely ______.
Expensive priceless valuable pricey

Your children are ____ noisy! I wish they'd be quiet!

Utterly totally completely incredibly

The meal Sarah cooked for us was absolutely _____.

Delicious tasty nice good

Frank's girlfriend was wearing ____ short skirt.

an utterly an awfully a quite a totally

Don't ask Simon to help - he's _____ useless.

Completely very extremely awfully
The painting he bought was absolutely ______.
Expensive priceless valuable pricey
Priceless

Your children are ____ noisy! I wish they'd be quiet!

Utterly totally completely incredibly

The meal Sarah cooked for us was absolutely _____.

Delicious tasty nice good

Frank's girlfriend was wearing ____ short skirt.

an utterly an awfully a quite a totally

Don't ask Simon to help - he's _____ useless.

Completely very extremely awfully
The painting he bought was absolutely ______.
Expensive priceless valuable pricey
Priceless

Your children are ____ noisy! I wish they'd be quiet!

Utterly totally completely incredibly
Incredibly

The meal Sarah cooked for us was absolutely _____.

Delicious tasty nice good

Frank's girlfriend was wearing ____ short skirt.

an utterly an awfully a quite a totally

Don't ask Simon to help - he's _____ useless.

Completely very extremely awfully
The painting he bought was absolutely ______.
Expensive priceless valuable pricey
Priceless

Your children are ____ noisy! I wish they'd be quiet!

Utterly totally completely incredibly
Incredibly

The meal Sarah cooked for us was absolutely _____.

Delicious tasty nice good
Delicious

Frank's girlfriend was wearing ____ short skirt.

an utterly an awfully a quite a totally

Don't ask Simon to help - he's _____ useless.

Completely very extremely awfully
The painting he bought was absolutely ______.
Expensive priceless valuable pricey
Priceless

Your children are ____ noisy! I wish they'd be quiet!

Utterly totally completely incredibly
Incredibly

The meal Sarah cooked for us was absolutely _____.

Delicious tasty nice good
Delicious

Frank's girlfriend was wearing ____ short skirt.

an utterly an awfully a quite a totally
An awfully

Don't ask Simon to help - he's _____ useless.

Completely very extremely awfully
The painting he bought was absolutely ______.
Expensive priceless valuable pricey
Priceless

Your children are ____ noisy! I wish they'd be quiet!

Utterly totally completely incredibly
Incredibly

The meal Sarah cooked for us was absolutely _____.

Delicious tasty nice good
Delicious

Frank's girlfriend was wearing ____ short skirt.

an utterly an awfully a quite a totally
An awfully

Don't ask Simon to help - he's _____ useless.

Completely very extremely awfully
Completely
I was a bit ____ when I went to be after watching the horror film.
Terrified petrified scared horrified

It's extremely ____ that we try to solve this problem quickly.

Crucial essential vital important

It's going to be ________ impossible to get this finished in time.

Virtually highly deeply severely

She was_________ tempted to resign immediately.

Sorely fatally perfectly highly

Your car _______ needs servicing it sounds terrible!

Severely desperately sorely deeply
I was a bit ____ when I went to be after watching the horror film.
Terrified petrified scared horrified
Scared

It's extremely ____ that we try to solve this problem quickly.

Crucial essential vital important

It's going to be ________ impossible to get this finished in time.

Virtually highly deeply severely

She was_________ tempted to resign immediately.

Sorely fatally perfectly highly

Your car _______ needs servicing it sounds terrible!

Severely desperately sorely deeply
I was a bit ____ when I went to be after watching the horror film.
Terrified petrified scared horrified
Scared

It's extremely ____ that we try to solve this problem quickly.

Crucial essential vital important
Important

It's going to be ________ impossible to get this finished in time.

Virtually highly deeply severely

She was_________ tempted to resign immediately.

Sorely fatally perfectly highly

Your car _______ needs servicing it sounds terrible!

Severely desperately sorely deeply
I was a bit ____ when I went to be after watching the horror film.
Terrified petrified scared horrified
Scared

It's extremely ____ that we try to solve this problem quickly.

Crucial essential vital important
Important

It's going to be ________ impossible to get this finished in time.

Virtually highly deeply severely
Virtually

She was_________ tempted to resign immediately.

Sorely fatally perfectly highly

Your car _______ needs servicing it sounds terrible!

Severely desperately sorely deeply
I was a bit ____ when I went to be after watching the horror film.
Terrified petrified scared horrified
Scared

It's extremely ____ that we try to solve this problem quickly.

Crucial essential vital important
Important

It's going to be ________ impossible to get this finished in time.

Virtually highly deeply severely
Virtually

She was_________ tempted to resign immediately.

Sorely fatally perfectly highly
Sorely

Your car _______ needs servicing it sounds terrible!

Severely desperately sorely deeply
I was a bit ____ when I went to be after watching the horror film.
Terrified petrified scared horrified
Scared

It's extremely ____ that we try to solve this problem quickly.

Crucial essential vital important
Important

It's going to be ________ impossible to get this finished in time.

Virtually highly deeply severely
Virtually

She was_________ tempted to resign immediately.

Sorely fatally perfectly highly
Sorely

Your car _______ needs servicing it sounds terrible!

Severely desperately sorely deeply
Desperately