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Ask for help > Need confirmation. the textbook showed an error
Need confirmation. the textbook showed an error
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roneydirt
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Need confirmation. the textbook showed an error
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Extreme Adjectives and modifiers
Whish ones are correct and which ones are wrong
1) really small 2) very small 3) absolutely small
4) really tiny 5) very tiny 6) absolutely tiny
7) really hot 8) very hot 9) absolutely hot
10) really boiling 11) very boiling 12) absolutely boiling
I have an idea which ones are correct but there was 2 that I disagree with in the textbook. |
18 Jan 2011
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Redbull
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Hi Rooney!
I do believe the two in question is.............. (1) Very Boiling (2) Absolutely Tiny � � but number one more so � � REDBULL GIVES YOU WINGS YOU KNOW  . |
18 Jan 2011
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PhilipR
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1) really small 2) very small 3) absolutely small 4) really tiny 5) very tiny 6) absolutely tiny 7) really hot 8) very hot 9) absolutely hot 10) really boiling 11) very boiling 12) absolutely boiling
According to me, the ones in black are correct, the ones in red not. Although very tiny is considered incorrect (tiny = very small), common usage seems to contradict this. Absolutely tiny, on the other hand, would probably be considered correct by many although it �s not frequently used (I used the not-so-scientific Googlefight instead of a corpus).
Boiling is similar to pregnant and dead. You are or aren �t... (Edit: this is when using boiling in the physical sense - reaching 100C e.g. the water is boiling; if it�s synonymous to hot, 10 and 12 are possible).
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18 Jan 2011
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Aline37
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I would have to say numbers 3, 5, 9, 11 and 12.
However I am not so sure about number 12 as I think that I would say �It �s absolutely boiling hot today! �
Please don �t forget to post your answers !!!! as I will be wondering all day what is correct now!
Have a nice day.
Aline |
18 Jan 2011
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eng789
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I think the confusion comes with the use in slang.
I would say: It �s really boiling today meaning.
It was an absolutely boiling day.
I have a problem with absolutely with small and tiny.
It was absolutely the smallest..... I ever saw. sounds much better
I see no problem with very tiny.
Have I been living abroad too long? |
18 Jan 2011
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sulekra
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Really can be used as an intensifier with both gradable and non-gradable adjectives, perhaps that �s where the error is.
If your can use more/-er with the adjective then it �s gradable and can used very, while absolutely is for non-gradable adjectives.
Boiling is not absolute in the way dead or pregnant is, because we aren �t just talking about something reaching it �s boiling point, such as water or oil, but just to mean very very hot, such as the piece of metal was really boiling and I burnt myself - this doesn �t mean it had reached it �s absolute boiling point though. Same with an absolutely boiling day, it just means it was very very hot, but hopefully I didn �t literally cook!
I think 3, 5, 9, 12 are incorrect - absolutely small, very tiny, absolutely hot, very boiling, but possibly the book had some issues with the use of really with the gradable adjectives?
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18 Jan 2011
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Apodo
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1) really small 2) very small 3) absolutely small
4) really tiny 5) very tiny 6) absolutely tiny
7) really hot 8) very hot 9) absolutely hot
10) really boiling 11) very boiling 12) absolutely boiling.
6) absolutely minute sounds better than absolutely tiny to me.
...And I feel absolutely boiling right now. I hope there�s a storm to cool things down. 8-) |
18 Jan 2011
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kaz76
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1) really small 2) very small 3) absolutely small
4) really tiny 5) very tiny 6) absolutely tiny
7) really hot 8) very hot 9) absolutely hot
10) really boiling 11) very boiling 12) absolutely boiling
Absolutely is used with extreme adjectives, very with gradable adjectves and really can be used with both. |
18 Jan 2011
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margovitz
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Very is used with gradable adj, absolutely only with extreme and really with both, so the incorrect ones are: absolutely small, very tiny, absolutely hot, very boiling. |
18 Jan 2011
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Apodo
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What �s wrong with very tiny?
Lots of insects can be seen with the naked eye, but if they are very tiny you will need a magnifying glass, or even a microscope, to make out the details.
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18 Jan 2011
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