Intensifying adverbs, also called intensifiers, can pre-modify determiners. Examples:
(Modifier has been underlined and modified word is in blue font.)
Adverbs modifying pre-determiners
1. Nearly all the evidence points to the same conclusion.
2. He ate almost half the pizza.
3. I didn’t like practically both the options given to me.
4. The youngest got about twice the ice-cream as the eldest.
5. Inflation has gone up almost three times over the last decade.
6. We spent roughly one-sixth of our budget on education.
Adverbs modifying central determiners
Intensifiers can modify an indefinite article (a or an) where it means one. Note that when an intensifier modifies a central determiner, you won’t see a pre-determiner in the same noun phrase. So, half nearly a week is not possible, where half is a pre-determiner.
7. They plan to stay for nearly a week.
8. I waited for almost an hour before leaving.
9. The store sells most of its products for under a dollar.
Now, under can also function as preposition, and for a moment it may seem to be a preposition – and not adverb – here because it is followed by noun phrase a dollar. But it’s an adverb that is modifying a determiner and is part of the noun phrase under a dollar. This is even more clear when you see that under a dollar is object of preposition for. In examples 11, 13, and 14 however, you’ll see adverbs (over and about) – and not prepositions.
10. The call lasted just a minute.
Adverbs modifying post-determiners
Cardinal numbers
When an intensifier modifies a cardinal number, you won’t see a pre-determiner and/or central determiner in the same noun phrase.
11. Human body contains over 37 trillion cells.
12. A marathon is exactly 26.2 miles, a distance inherited from an ancient Greek soldier’s run from Marathon to Athens.
13. Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are about 3,000 years old and still edible.
14. The heart of a blue whale is approximately five feet across and about 400 pounds in weight.
15. The Anglo-Zanzibar war fought on 27 August 1896 is the shortest war in history: Zanzibar surrendered after just 38 minutes.
Ordinal numbers
When an intensifier modifies an ordinal number, the number will be accompanied by a definite determiner such as the. In other words, you can treat this as modification of central determiner and post-determiner together.
16. Approximately the first hundred will proceed to the next round.
17. Though you didn’t win a medal, you were almost the third best player.
Learn more: Adverbs can modify almost every part of speech – and even some phrases. Learn what else can adverbs modify.
