a. Intensifiers: We use words like very, really and extremely to make adjectives stronger. (e.g. It’s a very interesting story everyone was very excited.) Other intensifiers are: amazingly, exceptionally, incredibly, remarkably, particularly, unusually, etc.
b. We also use enough to say more about an adjective, but enough comes after its adjective. (e.g. If you are seventeen you are old enough to drive a car.)
c. Intensifiers with strong adjectives
d. Strong adjectives are words like: enormous, huge = very big; tiny = very small; brilliant = very clever; awful, terrible, disgusting, dreadful = very bad; certain = very sure; excellent, perfect, ideal, wonderful, splendid = very good; delicious = very tasty
e. We do not normally use very with these adjectives. We do not say something is ‘very enormous’ or someone is ‘very brilliant’.
f. With strong adjectives, we normally use intensifiers like: absolutely, completely, totally, utterly, really, exceptionally, particularly, quite (e.g. The film was absolutely awful.)
g. Adjectives as intensifiers: absolute, total (complete), utter (perfect, real)
h. We can say: He’s a complete idiot. They were talking utter nonsense. But we do not say: The idiot was complete. The nonsense they were talking was utter.
Idiom 365
Sick as a Dog: very sick with the flu or cold, or vomiting a lot
Example: Tom was very sick as a dog after last night's meal.