1. "It was very much understood among the group that the last person to leave always turned off the lights."

Can you not replace “it was very much understood” with just “it was much understood.”?

2. "The mere idea of speaking in public makes him nervous."

Is "the mere idea" used in everyday conversations? Or are phrases like “Just thinking about...” or “Even the thought of...” more commonly used?

Thank you!

Question

1. "It was very much understood among the group that the last person to leave always turned off the lights."

Can you not replace “it was very much understood” with just “it was much understood.”?

2. "The mere idea of speaking in public makes him nervous."

Is "the mere idea" used in everyday conversations? Or are phrases like “Just thinking about...” or “Even the thought of...” more commonly used?

Thank you!

Answer

1. You certainly can.  You can use both, one, or neither of the adverbs "very" and "much":
It was understood.
It was much understood.
It was very understood.
It was very much understood.
I think that "well" works a little bit better than "much", but "much" is ok.  Other adverbs can also be used to the same end: "greatly", "decidedly", "perfectly", "totally", "absolutely",...

2. All of those are used. Here are some other ways:
"the mere thought of speaking"
"just the thought of speaking"
"just the thought to speak"

You can also use "suggestion"
"Just the suggestion of speaking in public..."