I got very wet, absolutely drenched

    Read these two short texts. How are they different?

    TEXT ONE:
    A few days ago I went out for a walk and it suddenly started to rain. I didn't have an umbrella and there was nowhere to take shelter, so by the time I got back home I was very wet.

    TEXT TWO:
    A few days ago I went out for a walk and, suddenly, the heavens opened and it started pouring with rain. I didn't have an umbrella and there was nowhere to take shelter, so by the time I got back home I was absolutely drenched.

COMMENT

    You probably noticed that TEXT TWO contains more dramatic language than TEXT ONE. Some examples are:

    • it started to rain / the heavens opened and it started pouring with rain.
    • I was very wet / I was absolutely drenched.

    The difference between I was very wet and I was absolutely drenched is similar to the difference between ぬれました and ずぶぬれになった or びっしょりになった in Japanese. If you are telling a friend about a time when you got caught in the rain, expressions like:
    I got absolutely drenched, I was soaked to the skin, I was like a drowned rat will make your story more vivid and interesting.

'EXTREME' ADJECTIVES - MORE EXAMPLES

    Words like drenched are sometimes called 'extreme' adjectives. Drenched doesn't mean simply wet, it means something like very, very, very wet.They can help to add more drama and emotion to the things we say. One of their special features is that they don't usually collocate with very, but with stronger adverbs like absolutely. Here are some more examples:

    • very angry - (absolutely) furious.
    • very sad and upset - (absolutely) devastated.
    • very hungry - (absolutely) famished.
    • very thirsty - (absolutely) parched.
    • very frightened - (absolutely) terrified.
    • very cold - (absolutely) freezing.
    • very hot - (absolutely) scorching.
    • very dirty - (absolutely) filthy.
    • very big - (absolutely) enormous.

    Exercise
    Fill in the blanks with examples of the extreme adjectives listed above.

    1. A: Was your father angry when you crashed the car?
      B: Angry? He was absolutely ____________.

    2. Switch the heating on, will you? It's ____________ in this room.

    3. Is there anything to drink in the fridge. I'm ____________.

    4. (Parent speaking to a child):
      Go and wash your hands. They're absolutely ____________.

    5. Will lunch be ready soon? I'm really ____________.

    6. A: Were you disappointed about failing your driving test again?
      B: ____________. Just ____________.

    7. There's an ____________ gap between rich and poor in most Third World countries.

    8. A: I hear you're doing a bungee jump next weekend. Are you looking forward to it?
      B: No, I'm certainly not. I'm absolutely ____________.

    9. A: It's hot today, isn't it?
      B: Yes, ____________, isn't it?

      Click here to (1) check your answers, (2) see a longer list of extreme adjectives and (3) get a study tip.

    Click here if you want to try some of my other one-point lessons.

    © Robert E. Jones, 2003