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xiaokaoy
definistions of 'pretty'
The definitions of 'pretty' in Longman Dictionary are as follows:
1 fairly or more than a little :
I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes.
She still looks pretty miserable.
2 very :
Dinner at Luigi’s sounds pretty good to me.
However, it is difficult for me to judge which meaning 'pretty' conveys when I read a sentence containing this word. Does it depend on the intonation in speech?
Jul 9, 2012 12:44 AM
Answers · 2
Intonation does make a difference.
"I'm pretty SURE he'll come." - I'm very sure he'll come.
"I'm PRETTY sure he'll come." - I think he'll come, but there might be some doubt. I am less confident that he will come than I would be if I said it as above.
July 9, 2012
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xiaokaoy
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Learning Language
English
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