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Adverbs of degree This is probably the first time you’ve heard the term “adverbs of degree”. It refers to adverbs that tell us “to which degree” something is as it is, and comes in four degrees:

fairly, quite, rather, pretty ranging from weaker to stronger.

fairly “Fairly” is used to modify adjectives and adverbs and expresses a very weak degree. If you describe something as being “fairly good”, for example, it would not necessarily be understood as a compliment.

• “So how’s your new English teacher?” • “Well, fairly good, I guess. I’ve had better English teachers before.” • “How well do you speak French?” • “Fairly well. Enough to order a meal in a restaurant or to ask for directions.” • “So tell me – how was breakfast at your hotel?” • “Fairly good. A full Irish breakfast is a bit heavy and greasy, but at least it fills you up.”

quite “Quite” is stronger than “fairly”. It is also used to modify adjectives and adverbs, and saying that something is “quite good”, for example, is definitely understood as a positive statement.

• “So how’s your new English teacher?” • “Well, quite good, actually. He has a clear accent, has lots of little anecdotes to tell, and tries to integrate every student, particularly the weaker ones.”

• “How well do you speak French?” • “Quite well. I can hold a conversation, I can read a newspaper or watch a movie – enough to get by.” • “So tell me – how was breakfast at your hotel?” • “Quite good, actually! Baguette with butter and jam, croissant, and as much café au lait as you wanted!”

rather “Rather” is stronger than “quite”. It is used when you want to express that something is “better”, “worse”, “nicer”, “more interesting”, etc. than expected, or than usual.

• “So how’s your new English teacher?” • “Rather good, actually. He’s the best English teacher I’ve had so far. Much better than I expected!” • “How well does your new boyfriend speak French?” • “Rather well. I was surprised – considering he didn’t have French at school ...” • “So tell me – how was breakfast at your hotel?” • “Rather good! They had a huge Turkish and German breakfast buffet with everything the heart desires!”

pretty “Pretty” is used more or less in the same way as “rather”. It is, however, considered to be more colloquial and shouldn’t be used in factual written text.

• “So how’s your new English teacher?” • “Pretty good, actually. He’s the best English teacher I’ve had so far. Much better than I expected!” • “How well does your new boyfriend speak French?” • “Pretty well. I was surprised – considering he didn’t have French at school ...”