Degree Modifiers with Comparatives in Technical English
5 exercises — practise intensifying and downtoning comparatives when reporting benchmarks.
0 / 13 completed
1 / 13
Which sentence correctly uses a degree modifier to intensify a comparative describing performance improvement?
"...is far faster than the previous one" is correct: "far" is a standard degree modifier that intensifies a comparative adjective, and "faster" is already the correct one-word comparative form of "fast", so no additional "more" is needed. Option A incorrectly double-marks the comparative with both "more" and the "-er" suffix ("more faster"), which is a common but ungrammatical redundancy. Option C uses the base form "fast" instead of the comparative "faster", which doesn't work with "than". Option D again double-marks the comparative by combining "more" with the adjective instead of using "faster".
2 / 13
Which sentence correctly uses "nowhere near as...as" to express that a comparison falls well short of equality?
"...is nowhere near as reliable as production" is correct: "nowhere near" is a fixed intensifying phrase used before "as + adjective + as" comparisons to emphasize a large gap between the two things being compared. Option B omits the first "as", breaking the required "as...as" frame. Option C incorrectly mixes "as" with "than", which belong to two different comparison structures (equative and comparative) and cannot be combined. Option D scrambles the fixed phrase order to "nowhere as near", which is not standard English.
3 / 13
Which sentence correctly uses a downtoning degree modifier to describe a small, marginal difference in benchmark results?
"Version 2 is slightly faster than version 1" is correct: the adverb "slightly" correctly downtones the comparative adjective "faster", indicating a small difference. Option B incorrectly uses the adjective form "slight" instead of the adverb "slightly", which is needed to modify another adjective. Option C redundantly combines "more" with the already-comparative "fast" form used incorrectly (and "fast" isn't turned into "faster"), producing a double error. Option D uses the base adjective "fast" instead of the comparative "faster", which is required before "than".
4 / 13
Which sentence correctly uses "a lot" and "way" as informal intensifying degree modifiers before a comparative in a casual technical discussion?
"...a lot more maintainable and way easier to test" is correct: "a lot" and "way" are both informal degree modifiers that can intensify comparatives — here "more maintainable" (a multi-syllable adjective needing "more") and "easier" (already the correct one-word comparative of "easy"). Option B drops the comparative "more" before "maintainable", leaving just the base adjective, which doesn't express comparison. Option C incorrectly double-marks "easier" with an added "more" ("way more easier"), which is redundant. Option D misspells "a lot" as one word ("alot"), which is a common but nonstandard spelling error.
5 / 13
Which sentence correctly uses "considerably" and "marginally" as contrasting degree modifiers in the same comparative sentence?
"...considerably faster...but only marginally faster..." is correct: both "considerably" and "marginally" are adverbs correctly modifying the comparative adjective "faster" to show a contrast in degree between two dataset sizes. Option B incorrectly uses the adjective forms "considerable" and "marginal" instead of the required adverbs. Option C uses the base adjective "fast" instead of the comparative "faster" in both clauses, losing the comparison. Option D double-marks the comparative in both clauses by adding "more" before the already-comparative "faster", which is redundant in each case.
6 / 13
Liam from QA just left this comment on your PR: 'The new caching layer is slightly faster than the old one. It's a good start, but we need to see more significant improvements before deploying.' Which of the following revisions would be most helpful for Liam?
Liam's comment indicates he wants to see a *substantial* difference. 'Considerably' and 'much' are stronger comparative degree modifiers than 'slightly,' signaling a more impactful improvement. Using 'a little' or 'somewhat' would diminish the positive feedback he's offering, failing to address his concern about deploying.
7 / 13
Liam from QA just left this comment on your PR: 'The new caching layer is slightly faster than the old one. It's a good start, but we need to see more significant improvements before deploying.' Which of the following revisions would be most helpful for Liam?
Liam's comment indicates he wants to see a *substantial* difference. 'Considerably' and 'much' are stronger comparative degree modifiers than 'slightly,' signaling a more impactful improvement. Using 'a little' or 'somewhat' would diminish the positive feedback he's offering, failing to address his concern about deploying.
8 / 13
Ben is discussing performance with his team during a standup: 'The new feature is a little bit slower than the original. We'll need to investigate further.' Which of the following best describes Ben's use of degree modifiers?
While 'a little bit' functions as a degree modifier here, Ben's phrasing isn't ideal for a standup. Using overly complex language can confuse the team. The key takeaway is to prioritize clear and concise communication during quick updates.
9 / 13
Chloe wrote this code review comment: 'The new caching strategy is considerably faster than the old one in our production environment. This needs immediate attention.' Which of the following best explains Chloe's use of a degree modifier?
'Considerably' in this context accurately reflects a significant difference. It indicates a substantial improvement in caching speed – a key point for a code review focused on performance. Using 'considerably' demonstrates an understanding of how degree modifiers can express relative differences.
10 / 13
During a code review, Sarah says: 'The new API response is much slower than the previous one.' Which option best describes the degree modifier used and its effect?
Sarah uses 'much' as a strong degree modifier to emphasize the significant difference in response times. The key here is recognizing that 'much' conveys a higher level of impact than simply 'more' or 'slightly'. Using 'much' signals that this isn't just a small variation and requires more attention, aligning with typical code review feedback.
11 / 13
As part of a code review for the new authentication service, David commented: 'The response time is nowhere near as slow as it was before. We've made some real progress!' Which option best describes David's use of degree modifiers?
David correctly uses 'nowhere near as slow' to emphasize that the improvement is substantial and doesn't fully meet expectations. This phrase clearly indicates a significant difference without implying complete equality. The other options are either too vague or use informal language unsuitable for professional communication. Understanding phrases like 'nowhere near as…as' helps developers precisely describe comparative performance changes.
12 / 13
During a Slack discussion about optimizing database queries, Alex says: 'The new index is marginally better than the old one. It's an improvement, but not huge.' Which of the following best describes Alex's use of degree modifiers and their impact on the comparison?
Alex uses 'marginally' to indicate a small degree of improvement. The key here is understanding that 'marginal' describes a modest difference—it's 'adequate' because it's not completely useless but doesn't represent a substantial gain. Options A and C imply larger improvements than Alex suggests, while option D suggests the change is wholly negative.
13 / 13
In a PR description for a new feature, Kevin states: 'The processing time is way faster than it was before we implemented the caching layer. It's a massive improvement!' Which of the following best describes Kevin's use of degree modifiers?
'Way' and 'massive' are informal intensifying degree modifiers used to add excitement or emphasis. While technically accurate, they're appropriate in casual technical discussions or PR descriptions when conveying enthusiasm for an improvement. The other options represent more formal or critical tones that wouldn't fit this scenario.
What will I practise in "Degree Modifiers with Comparatives — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise degree modifiers like far, a lot, way, slightly, marginally, considerably, and nowhere near as with comparative adjectives when reporting benchmarks
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 13 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.