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Grammar Guide

Rules, patterns and examples grouped by level — from A1 basics to advanced structures.

A1 Beginner English Grammar

Basic Intensifiers

What is it?

Intensifiers are words that change the strength of an adjective or adverb.

They can make a description stronger or weaker.

Common basic intensifiers include:

  • very
  • really
  • so
  • too
  • quite
  • a little
  • a bit

Examples:

  • The room is very cold.
  • She speaks really slowly.
  • This bag is too heavy.
  • I am a little tired.

When to use

Use intensifiers before adjectives or adverbs.

Use very, really, and so to make a description stronger.

  • very hot
  • really interesting
  • so quickly

Use too when something is more than necessary or causes a problem.

  • too expensive
  • too slowly

Use quite for a medium or fairly strong degree.

  • quite busy
  • quite carefully

Use a little or a bit to make a description weaker.

  • a little nervous
  • a bit slowly

Structure

The basic structure is:

subject + verb + intensifier + adjective

Intensifier Example
very The test is very easy.
really The film is really good.
so The water is so cold.
too The box is too heavy.
quite The hotel is quite expensive.
a little I am a little tired.
a bit The room is a bit small.

With adverbs, use:

subject + verb + intensifier + adverb

  • She speaks very quietly.
  • He drives too quickly.
  • They work quite slowly.

Use too + adjective/adverb + to + verb to explain a result.

  • The coffee is too hot to drink.
  • He speaks too quickly to understand.

Use so + adjective/adverb + that to explain a result.

  • The music was so loud that we left.
  • She spoke so quietly that I could not hear her.

Examples

  1. This soup is very hot.
  2. She is really friendly.
  3. The weather is so nice today.
  4. This suitcase is too heavy.
  5. The restaurant is quite busy.
  6. I am a little nervous.
  7. The room is a bit cold.
  8. He speaks very clearly.
  9. She drives too fast.
  10. The film was so interesting that I watched it twice.

Exceptions

Very is not normally used with adjectives that already have an extreme meaning.

Instead of very excellent, say excellent or really excellent.

Instead of very impossible, say impossible or completely impossible.

In informal English, really is often used with both normal and extreme adjectives.

  • really tired
  • really amazing

Common mistakes

  1. Incorrect: The room is very much cold. Correct: The room is very cold. Explanation: Use very directly before an adjective.

  2. Incorrect: This bag is very heavy for me carry. Correct: This bag is too heavy for me to carry. Explanation: Use too + adjective + to + verb when something causes a problem.

  3. Incorrect: She speaks very slow. Correct: She speaks very slowly. Explanation: Use an adverb to describe how someone speaks.

  4. Incorrect: I am bit tired. Correct: I am a bit tired. Explanation: Use a bit, not only bit.

  5. Incorrect: The coffee is too very hot. Correct: The coffee is too hot. Explanation: Do not normally use too and very together.

  6. Incorrect: He is so a friendly person. Correct: He is such a friendly person. Explanation: Use such before a noun phrase.

  7. Incorrect: The film was very amazing. Correct: The film was really amazing. Explanation: Really is more natural with an extreme adjective such as amazing.