Upper-Intermediate Unit 6

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

1 Our trip was a bit / a complete dull. The weather was bad and there wasn’t much to see.

• a bit

• a complete

Answer explanation

"A bit" is used to indicate something that is slightly or moderately true. "A bit dull" means the trip was somewhat dull, not extremely so.

Why not "a complete"?: Because "dull" is an adjective, and adjectives cannot be directly modified by "a complete" in this context unless they are part of a noun phrase. For example, you could say "a complete failure" because "failure" is a noun, and "complete" modifies it.

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

2 After walking all day, we were very / really exhausted.

• very

• really

Answer explanation

"Really" is used to emphasize the extent of exhaustion, meaning they were extremely tired after walking all day.

Why not "very"?: While "very" can intensify adjectives, it doesn't do so as strongly as "really" in this case. "Really exhausted" conveys a higher degree of tiredness than "very exhausted."

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

3 I enjoyed the film but it was quite / a bit too long.

• quite

• a bit

Answer explanation

"A bit" means slightly or somewhat. The sentence suggests that while the film was enjoyable, its length was a slight problem.

Why not "quite"?: "Quite" typically suggests a moderate to strong degree of something, but not to the extreme. When used in combination with "too," "quite too" is often seen as awkward or somewhat contradictory. "Quite" generally doesn’t pair naturally with "too" because "too" already expresses excessiveness or something beyond what is acceptable. Therefore, the combination of "quite too" sounds somewhat off.

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

4 The old house seemed very / absolutely strange.

• very

• absolutely

Answer explanation

• "Very" is the correct modifier here because it intensifies the adjective "strange" to a high degree but not to an extreme extent. It is common to say "very strange" to indicate something that is noticeably odd or unusual.

• Why not "absolutely"?: "Absolutely" is too strong in this context. It’s often used with adjectives like "enormous" or "perfect" (things that are extreme or all-encompassing), but with "strange," "very" fits better. "Absolutely strange" might sound a bit odd unless you were emphasizing something completely bizarre, which is not implied here.

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

5 It was quite / a bit sunny so we had a picnic.

• quite

• a bit

Answer explanation

• "Quite" works best here to indicate that the weather was fairly sunny, good enough for a picnic, but not overwhelmingly so.

• Why not "a bit"?: "A bit" would indicate that the weather was only slightly sunny, which is a bit weak if you’re implying that the weather was good enough for a picnic. "Quite sunny" suggests it was sufficiently sunny, without being overly intense.

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

6 The house was very / absolutely enormous so there was plenty of room for everyone.

• very

• absolutely

Answer explanation

• "Absolutely" is the correct choice here because it emphasizes the extreme degree of "enormous." This suggests that the house was extremely large, to the point of being overwhelming.

• Why not "very"?: "Very" would work, but "absolutely" emphasizes an even stronger sense of size. "Absolutely enormous" conveys a larger scale, making it more fitting for describing a house with "plenty of room for everyone."

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

7 I fairly / hardly noticed Sheila. She was so quiet.

• fairly

• hardly

Answer explanation

• "Hardly" means barely or almost not at all. It suggests that because Sheila was so quiet, the speaker didn’t notice her much at all.

• Why not "fairly"?: "Fairly" means somewhat or moderately, which doesn't work here. If you say "I fairly noticed Sheila," it implies that you did notice her to some extent, which contradicts the idea that she was so quiet that she was barely noticed.

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

8 The film was too / really exciting. I loved it!

• too

• really

Answer explanation

• "Really" is used here to intensify the excitement. "Really exciting" conveys that the film was extremely exciting, which fits with the positive sentiment of "I loved it!"

• Why not "too"?: "Too" implies that something is excessive or beyond what is desired. If the film was "too exciting," it would suggest that it was almost overwhelming or unpleasant, which conflicts with the statement that the speaker loved it.

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

1 My car’s ____________ old so I might have to get a new one soon.

• little

• pretty

• completely

Answer explanation

"Pretty" is commonly used as an informal intensifier meaning "fairly" or "somewhat." It fits in this sentence because the speaker is saying the car is pretty old, meaning it is somewhat or moderately old, but not necessarily in extreme condition.

• Why not "a little"? "A little" would work in some contexts, but "pretty" is more natural for informal speech.

• Why not "completely"? "Completely" implies something is entirely in a certain state, and in this case, it's not suggesting that the car is completely old but rather somewhat or fairly old.

Choose the correct modifier to complete the sentences.

2 Everything went wrong. It was a __________ nightmare.

• slight

• fairly

• real

Answer explanation

"Real" emphasizes the extremity or true nature of the nightmare, meaning it was a truly disastrous situation. It intensifies the idea of a nightmare, indicating that it was genuinely awful.

• Why not "a slight"? "Slight" would imply something small or minor, which doesn’t fit with the intensity of a nightmare.

• Why not "fairly"? "Fairly" would be too weak to describe a "nightmare." You’d use "fairly" to indicate a moderate degree of something, but here, the context requires a strong intensity.