It's good and it's absolutely brilliant are two different answers. So are no and not really. These eight words are the volume control on every sentence you say.
1. No Doubt at All
Rae: Should I take the job?
Ola: Absolutely.
Rae: No hesitation?
Ola: None. Better pay, shorter journey.
Rae: You're absolutely sure?
Ola: I'm sure.
2. Completely Agree
Sami: The meeting could have been an email.
Wren: Totally.
Sami: Ninety minutes.
Wren: I totally lost the thread after twenty.
Sami: You weren't alone.
3. Pretty Good, Actually
Nadia: How was the film?
Jorge: Pretty good.
Nadia: Only pretty good?
Jorge: The first hour was pretty slow. It picked up.
Nadia: So, worth going?
Jorge: Worth going.
4. Quite a Long Way
Bram: Is the station close?
Suki: It's quite far, actually.
Bram: Walkable?
Suki: Twenty-five minutes. Quite a walk with bags.
Bram: Bus, then.
5. Sort of Strange
Leo: What did you make of him?
Tia: Kind of strange.
Leo: Strange bad?
Tia: Strange quiet. He kind of watched everyone.
Leo: I noticed that too.
Tia: Then it isn't just me.
6. A Little Off
Gus: Try the sauce.
Mina: It's slightly sweet.
Gus: Too sweet?
Mina: Slightly. A squeeze of lemon would fix it.
Gus: Lemon it is.
7. Far Too Expensive
Elif: Four hundred for the chair.
Paul: That's way too much.
Elif: It's solid oak.
Paul: Still way too much for a chair.
Elif: There's a second-hand one for ninety.
Paul: Now you're talking.
8. Not Really My Thing
Hana: Do you follow football?
Tomas: Not really.
Hana: Not at all?
Tomas: I'll watch a final. Not really more than that.
Hana: Fair.
Words to know
| absolutely | completely — a strong yes Should I take the job? Absolutely. |
| totally | completely (informal), often used to agree The meeting could have been an email. Totally. |
| pretty | quite; more than a little (informal) How was the film? Pretty good. |
| quite | fairly, to a noticeable degree It's quite far, actually. |
| kind of | a little; in a way you can't describe exactly Kind of strange. |
| slightly | a very small amount It's slightly sweet. |
| way too | far more than is acceptable That's way too much. |
| not really | a soft no Do you follow football? Not really. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: Should I take the job?
B: ________. Better pay, shorter journey.
2. A: The meeting could have been an email.
B: ________. Ninety minutes.
3. A: How was the film?
B: ________ good.
4. A: Is the station close?
B: It's ________ far, actually.
5. A: Try the sauce.
B: It's ________ sweet.
6. A: Do you follow football?
B: ________.
Show the answers
1. Absolutely 2. Totally 3. Pretty 4. quite 5. slightly 6. Not really
Common mistakes
Not: The station is a bit far, so take the bus.
Say: The station is quite far, so take the bus.
A bit makes something sound like a small problem. If it really is far, quite is the honest word.
Not: I'm pretty much tired today.
Say: I'm pretty tired today.
Before an adjective, pretty stands alone. Pretty much means almost: pretty much finished.
Not: He was kind of a strange.
Say: He was kind of strange.
Kind of goes straight before an adjective with no a. Keep the a only before a noun: kind of a problem.
Your turn
Answer these five out loud, choosing your strength carefully. Notice how different each one feels.
- Agree strongly with something a friend said this week, using absolutely.
- Say how good your last meal out was, using pretty or quite.
- Describe someone you find hard to explain, using kind of.
- Name one thing in your city that is way too expensive.
- Turn down an invitation politely, using not really.
Quick review
Put the words on a line from soft to strong: slightly, kind of, quite, pretty, totally, absolutely. Then answer the same question — Was it good? — six times, once at each level. The words are easy. Choosing the right strength is the real skill.