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• Qualifiers and intensifiers are words or phrases that are added to another word to modify its meaning, either by limiting it (He was somewhat busy) or by enhancing it (The dog was very cute). Qualifiers can play an important role in your writing, giving your reader clues about how confident you feel about the information you’re presenting.

• "Traditional grammarians usually classified qualifiers as adverbs of degree, and at first glance, judging on the basis of meaning and function, this seems reasonable. Degree adverbs—like completely, absolutely, extremely, and excessively—can fit into the same position as the prototype, and they have similar meanings.

• But excessive use of qualifiers can make you sound unsure of your facts; it can also make your writing too informal. Qualifiers are often necessary, such as when your evidence or your claim is open to doubt.

A qualifier is a type of modifier that clarifies the full meaning of the verb or phrase. Let’s look at this example, with the second sentence featuring the qualifier: Greg arrives to work by nine. Greg sometimes arrives to work by nine.

Like qualifiers, modifiers modify the meaning of a sentence. They change its meaning, depending on the intention of the speaker. Modifiers are the broadest category of words that help you describe meaning.

This handout will explain what qualifiers are and how you can use them wisely. Qualifiers and intensifiers are words or phrases that are added to another word to modify its meaning, either by limiting it (He was somewhat busy) or by enhancing it (The dog was very cute).

"Traditional grammarians usually classified qualifiers as adverbs of degree, and at first glance, judging on the basis of meaning and function, this seems reasonable. Degree adverbs—like completely, absolutely, extremely, and excessively—can fit into the same position as the prototype, and they have similar meanings.