OK, what's the missing word? Have a look at the four sentences below from Mike's weekend to Liverpool
I went to Liverpool and it poured down(heavy rain) for the whole two days. I got ________ I had to change my clothes 3 times
I went to see the Cavan – where The Beatles first played – and it was _______ so many people were there. I couldn't move.
I went to the pub in the evening for a few beers. Everybody in there was ______ so it was impossible to have a sensible conversation
I walked back to my hotel and stopped off at a kebab shop because I was _______ I hadn't eaten all day.
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Did you say very wet / very busy / very drunk / very hungry? Well, you're not wrong, but you could have used just one word to describe exactly those words. These words are known as extreme adjectives. These adjectives already carry the meaning of very, so instead of saying it's very cold, we can simply say, it's freezing! Below you can see some more commonly used extreme adjectives which you can use to replace those verys...
Very wet – Soaked Example: I've been working in the rain for 2 hours. I am soaked I need to get changed
Very small – Tiny Example: The room was tiny. It looked much bigger in the pictures
Very ugly – Hideous / Revolting* Example: That t-shirt looks hideous what are you wearing!
Very busy – Packed Example: Let's go to another pub. It's packed in there
Very drunk – Smashed Example: You need to get your dad a taxi home. He's smashed
Very hungry – Starving Example: I didn't have any breakfast, so I'm starving
Very bad – Disgusting* / Awful Example: I tried fish and chips, and it was disgusting
Very confusing – Baffling Example: The teacher was speaking so quickly. It was baffling!
Very funny – Hilarious Example: That joke about the dog is hilarious
Very good – Fantastic / Amazing / Brilliant Example: You need to watch that film. It was fantastic
Very interesting – Fascinating Example: The tour was fascinating I learnt so much
Very beautiful – Gorgeous Example: Your wife is looking gorgeous tonight
Very tasty – Delicious* Example: The food was delicious. The best paella I have ever had
Very painful - Excruciating Example: I remember when I broke my leg. It was excruciating
Very tired – Exhausted/Knackered Example: I have been awake since 4am. I am exhausted
Very clean – Spotless Example: His house was spotless. I couldn't believe how clean it was.
Very angry – Furious/Livid Example: When he told me, I was furious. I thought it was someone else
Very boring – Mind-numbing Example: The lesson was mind-numbing I was so bored
Very happy – Ecstatic / Delighted – Example: She was delighted with her birthday present
Very scared – Terrified Example: I am terrified of dogs. I cross the road when I see one
Very big – Massive / Huge / Enormous Example: The portion size was massive I couldn't eat it all
*often used to talk about taste
You can also make those adjectives 'stronger' by using the world absolutely before them, but remember you can't use very.
Practise
a) I didn't know what to say. He bought me a ________ dress for my birthday. I just smiled and said thank you.
b) I'm going straight to bed when I get home, I'm absolutely ________
c) I had to walk home alone at 3am through all the dangerous areas. I was _______
d) He won some money on the lottery and might buy a _______ house in the countryside
e) I've seen that film 5 times already. It's _________
f) Oh, god, I've got maths class next. The classes are _______ I don't know how I stay awake
g) I bet £10 on Manchester Utd to win 3-0. I was about to win £10,000 and then they scored in the 95th money. I was ________ I nearly punched my friend.
h) There were no signs in English and I when spoke English they were ________ and didn't know what language I was speaking
Answers
a) hideous/revolting b) exhausted/knackered c) terrified d) massive/huge/enormous/ e) amazing/excellent/fantastic f) mind-numbing g) furious/ livid h) baffled
Speaking
What is a mind-numbing topic for you?
When was the last time you were delighted with something?
Do you like quiet pubs or places that are packed?
Are you terrified of anything?
What kind of food do you find disgusting?
Cheers
www.luke.lv - English native speaker in Lviv
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