Gradable and ungradable adjectives- discuss and agree

Gradable and ungradable adjectives discuss and agree

with useful language for giving opinions

Make an opinion with an adjective such as one of the phrases in the table below and see if your partner agrees or disagrees. 

Useful phrases for agreeing I totally agree. That’s quite right. I have completely the same opinion.

Useful phrases for disagreeing I don’t really agree. Do you think so? I think… I know why you would say that, but…

Ask about anything in the table that you couldn’t understand or couldn’t use.

 

Extreme adjectives grammar presentation

Without looking at the lists for now, write pairs of extreme adjectives (ungradable adjectives) and gradable adjectives in the bottom two squares of the table below. Pairs of words not in the list are also okay as long as the one on the left means “very” plus the one on the right. Don’t put anything in the top boxes yet.

Use the following pages to help with the task above.

Add adverbs which each kind of adjective to the top boxes of the table. One word can go in both places.

Use the mixed words at the bottom below to help with the previous task.

After you check your answers, test each other in pairs on gradable and extreme adjectives. See if your partner can:

• Identify which one is which in a pair of gradable and extreme adjectives
• Identify if what you say is a gradable adjective and an extreme adjective
• Identify gradable and ungradable adjectives and make the other one of the pair
• Make ten pairs of gradable and extreme adjectives as possible (with you helping if they get stuck)

I think I really think In my opinion To be frank Frankly I’d say that	B&Bs Bangkok black coffee business meetings durian exams German gin horror movies Italy jogging learning Chinese London maths murder mysteries roller coasters Skype snails teleconferences thatched cottages The Mona Lisa …	is are	absolutely completely really totally utterly	awful/ dreadful/ terrible crucial/ essential/ vital delicious/ mouth-watering delightful/ lovely disgusting/ revolting ear-splitting enormous/ huge/ massive exhausting exorbitant fabulous/ wonderful fascinating filthy gorgeous/ stunning gripping/ thrilling hilarious horrible impossible mind-boggling mind-numbing terrifying unforgettable unique …
			(a little) extremely fairly incredibly not very really (slightly) very	amusing/ funny attractive/ pretty bad big/ large boring confusing difficult/ tricky dirty exciting expensive/ pricey frightening/ scary good important interesting loud memorable nasty nice original tasty tiring yucky …

Extreme adjectives grammar presentation

adverbs before extreme adjectives		adverbs before gradable adjectives
+		+
extreme adjective (= ungradable)	= very +	gradable adjective

 

Mixed gradable and extreme adjectives

Use this to help with the brainstorming task above.

• amusing/ funny
• attractive/ pretty
• awful/ dreadful/ terrible
• bad
• big/ large
• boring
• confusing
• crucial/ essential/ vital
• delicious/ mouth-watering
• delightful/ lovely
• difficult/ tricky
• dirty
• disgusting/ revolting
• ear-splitting
• enormous/ huge/ massive
• exciting
• exhausting
• exorbitant
• expensive/ pricey
• fabulous/ wonderful
• fascinating
• filthy
• frightening/ scary
• good
• gorgeous/ stunning
• gripping/ thrilling
• hilarious
• horrible
• important
• impossible
• interesting
• loud
• memorable
• mind-boggling
• mind-numbing
• nasty
• nice
• original
• tasty
• terrifying
• tiring
• unforgettable
• unique
• yucky

Make sure that you have these words in the left-hand column above, and then match the other words above to them. 

• awful/ dreadful/ terrible
• crucial/ essential/ vital
• delicious/ mouth-watering
• delightful/ lovely
• disgusting/ revolting
• ear-splitting
• enormous/ huge/ massive
• exhausting
• exorbitant
• fabulous/ wonderful
• fascinating
• filthy
• gorgeous/ stunning
• gripping/ thrilling
• hilarious
• horrible
• impossible
• mind-boggling
• mind-numbing
• terrifying
• unforgettable
• unique

 

Mixed adverbs to go with gradable and extreme adjectives

Use this to help with the brainstorming task above. One can be used twice.

• a little
• absolutely
• completely
• extremely
• fairly
• incredibly
• not very
• really
• slightly
• totally
• utterly
• very