ADJECTIVE: GRADABLE AND UNGRADABLE

Gradable and ungradable As in Spanish, some adjectives (called gradable) allow degrees (and comparison), e.g.: quite big, very big, bigger than (But not: ) Other adjectives (called ungradable) do not allow degrees. We can say, for example: absolutely enormous, really enormous (But not: , , ) Examples of modifying adverbs Examples of gradable adjectives Spanish very big muy grande rather tired bastante cansado/a quite1 nice muy guapo/a extremely angry extremadamente enfadado/a really2 pleased realmente agradecido/a reasonably tasty muy gustoso/a Examples of modifying adverbs Examples of ungradable adjectives Spanish absolutely enormous absolutamente enorme totally exhausted totalmente exhausto/a quite1 delightful completamente encantador/a perfectly furious perfectamente furioso/a really2 ecstatic realmente estático/a positively delicious positivamente delicioso/a 1 With gradable adjectives, quite means ‘fairly’; with ungradable adjectives it means ‘perfectly’. 2 With gradable adjectives, really means ‘very’; with ungradable adjectives it means ‘perfectly’.

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