Degree Adverbs — pretty / rather / quite / fairly
modify adjectives & adverbs
position: before the word they modify
tone & register differences
What do degree adverbs do?
They show how much a quality is true. At B1 level, these four are common, but their strength and style differ.
- pretty informal; strong “quite/very”: pretty cold, pretty quickly
- quite neutral; “to some/large degree” (see BrE note below): quite tall, quite well
- rather slightly formal; often shows surprise/annoyance or emphasis: rather late
- fairly polite/soft; medium degree: fairly easy
Relative strength (typical)
| Weaker | → | Stronger |
|---|---|---|
| fairly | ≈ | quite |
| → | pretty | |
| → | rather (often strong, esp. with negatives or surprise) |
BrE twist: with “extreme/non-gradable” adjectives (perfect, impossible, exhausted), quite can mean completely: quite finished = 100% finished.
Forms & position
| Word | Where it goes | Special patterns | Model examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| pretty | before adjectives/adverbs | informal; not used before nouns by itself | pretty good, pretty fast, pretty sure |
| fairly | before adjectives/adverbs | softens statements | fairly small, fairly well |
| quite | before adjectives/adverbs; before some verbs | quite + adj/adv; quite + V (limited: quite enjoy/like/agree) | quite noisy, quite quickly, I quite like it. |
| rather | before adjectives/adverbs; before nouns with a/an | rather + a/an + adj + noun (BrE): emphasis | rather difficult; rather a long day |
All four normally come before the word they modify. With nouns, only rather and quite work in the pattern quite/rather + a/an + adj + noun: quite a big city, rather a strange idea.
quite: two meanings
- Gradable adjectives = “fairly/pretty”: quite interesting (less than very in BrE).
- Extreme/non-gradable adjectives = “completely/entirely”: quite ready, quite impossible, quite perfect.
- not quite = “not completely”: not quite finished, not quite right.
rather: tone & nuance
- Slightly formal / British Often negative/surprised: rather expensive, rather late.
- Positive possible with praise or emphasis: rather good (= pleasantly better than expected).
- Not the same as would rather or rather than (choice/contrast, not degree).
Common expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quite a/an + noun | strong emphasis (often surprise) | It was quite a journey. |
| quite a few / quite a bit (of) | “a lot (of)” | We have quite a few questions. |
| pretty much / pretty well | “almost/completely” (informal) | That’s pretty much it. |
| fairly/quite sure | cautious confidence | I’m fairly sure / quite sure. |
Choosing the right adverb
| Goal | Good choice | Model sentence | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| soft, polite claim | fairly | It’s fairly difficult. | neutral |
| informal strong-ish | pretty | That’s pretty expensive. | informal |
| neutral emphasis | quite | She’s quite talented. | neutral; BrE varies by adjective type |
| surprise/criticism | rather | It was rather noisy. | slightly formal |
Usage hints & common pitfalls
- No stacking: don’t combine with very (*very quite*, *very rather*). Use one degree word.
- “Quite” after not: not quite = almost but not completely (not quite ready).
- Noun pattern: pretty doesn’t go before a noun alone (*pretty day* for degree). Use quite/rather a + noun: quite a day, rather a mess.
- Dialect note: In AmE, pretty often = “very”; in BrE, quite may be weaker with gradable adjectives.
Exercises:
Degree Adverbs: pretty, rather, quite, fairly
Complete the sentences with pretty, rather, quite, or fairly.
1
It’s
impossible to finish by tonight without help.
2
The tickets are
too expensive for a student event.
3
For a first attempt, your pronunciation is
good!
4
The route is only
straightforward—there are a few tricky turns.
5
Are you
sure this is the right file?
6
It felt
cold for July this morning.
7
We’re
certain the bug is fixed now.
8
The manual is
clear, but a few diagrams would help.
9
The process is
more complicated than the video suggests.
10
It’s
late—let’s get a taxi.
Degree Adverbs: pretty, rather, quite, fairly
Choose the most suitable expressions to complete these sentences.
1
The exam was ____ easy, but a few questions were tricky.
A.
B.
C.
2
It’s ____ cold today—take a jacket.
A.
B.
C.
3
Her presentation was ____ good — not amazing, but clearly above average.
A.
B.
C.
4
The film was ____ boring — I almost fell asleep.
A.
B.
C.
5
That was ____ rude of you — please apologize.
A.
B.
C.
6
I’m ____ sure we’ve met before.
A.
B.
C.
7
The instructions are ____ clear, but you might have a few questions.
A.
B.
C.
8
It was ____ a long walk — about two hours in total.
A.
B.
C.
9
The food was ____ expensive for a café.
A.
B.
C.
10
I’m ____ tired — let’s finish this tomorrow.
A.
B.
C.
Degree Adverbs: pretty, rather, quite, fairly
Fill in each gap with the most suitable option: pretty, rather, quite, or fairly.
1
It was cold for late spring.
2
Are you sure you locked the lab?
3
The plan is impossible without extra funding.
4
That was a rude comment; you should apologise.
5
The café is busy at lunchtime, so book ahead.
6
The setup is straightforward once you follow the steps.
7
We are not ready to publish; two graphs are missing.
8
Their house is old; it was built in the 1800s.
9
The prototype worked well for an early version.
10
By the end, the hike was exhausting.