Practice
Very and very much: understand the difference
Sign in to saveI am very tired, but I enjoyed the concert very much. The two phrases both add emphasis, yet they sit in different places in a sentence.
Choose very or very much and place it naturally with an adjective, adverb, verb, comparative, or past participle.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
I like this book very much. /aɪ laɪk ðɪs bʊk ˈveri mʌtʃ/
The short answer
Use very before most adjectives and adverbs. Use very much after the main verb to say that you strongly like, want, miss, or enjoy something; it can also come before comparatives and some past participles.
The soup is very hot, and I like it very much.
Why it works: Very describes hot. Very much adds emphasis to like.
5 more examples
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The classroom is very quiet today.
Quiet is an adjective, so very comes before it.
Not this:The classroom is
much quietertoday. What changes: A comparative such as quieter uses much, not ordinary very. -
Mina explained the rule very clearly.
Clearly is an adverb, so very goes before it.
Not this:Mina explained the rule
very much clearly. What changes: This word order is not natural in standard English. -
We enjoyed the museum very much.
Very much strengthens the action enjoyed and comes after the object.
Not this:We
very much enjoyedthe museum. What changes: This is possible, but it sounds more formal and is less useful for an early learner. -
This route is very much shorter than the old one.
Very much can strengthen a comparative adjective such as shorter.
Not this:This route is
very shorterthan the old one. What changes: Very does not normally go directly before a comparative adjective. -
Your help is very much appreciated.
Very much can come before a past participle when it expresses a feeling or evaluation.
Not this:Your help is
very appreciated. What changes: Very appreciated is unusual; very much appreciated is the familiar phrase.
Read the full guide
First ask what you want to emphasise. If it is a describing word such as useful, late, or quickly, put very before it. If it is the action itself, place very much after the object when there is one. This small position change makes the sentence sound natural.
Use very before an adjective
An adjective describes a noun or a state. Put very immediately before a regular adjective when you want to make that description stronger.
The instructions are very simple.
Simple describes the instructions, so very belongs before simple.
Complete the phrase: a very ___ day.
You can say a very busy day. Busy is an adjective.
Use very before an adverb
Very can also strengthen many adverbs, especially adverbs ending in -ly. It tells the listener how an action happens.
Please read the question very carefully.
Carefully tells us how to read, so very comes before the adverb.
The train arrived very late.
Late describes the arrival, and very makes that timing stronger.
Put very much with an action
When the emphasis belongs to the verb, very much is common. In a simple sentence with an object, it usually comes after that object.
I miss my friends very much.
Very much tells us how strongly the speaker misses their friends; it does not describe friends.
Where does very much go in I enjoyed the film?
Say: I enjoyed the film very much.
Use very much with comparatives
Comparatives compare two things: better, easier, more expensive, and less noisy. Very usually does not go before them. Very much can add strong emphasis to the difference.
The second exercise is very much easier.
Easier is comparative, so very much is a natural intensifier.
Online booking is very much more convenient for me.
More convenient is also comparative, and very much strengthens the comparison.
Notice familiar past-participle phrases
A past participle can work like an adjective. Some common evaluative phrases use very much before the participle, especially appreciated, needed, or missed.
Your quick reply is very much appreciated.
The phrase expresses appreciation, so very much is the familiar choice.
Choose the natural phrase for a thank-you note.
Write: Your support is very much appreciated.
Check the word position before you speak
A useful check is to underline the word you want to strengthen. If it is an adjective or adverb, try very before it. If it is an action, try very much after the action and its object.
The app is very useful, and I use it very much at work.
The first phrase describes useful. The second phrase emphasises the action use.
I am very grateful for your advice.
Grateful is an adjective, so very is the usual choice.
Before you go
Remember this
Put very before a regular adjective or adverb. Put very much after an action and its object, or before a comparative or a suitable past participle. Read the sentence aloud and check what word the phrase is strengthening.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Very and very much: understand the difference"
What is the main difference between very and very much?
Very usually strengthens an adjective or adverb, as in very quiet or very carefully. Very much usually strengthens an action, a comparative, or a familiar past-participle phrase. The grammar around the phrase tells you which one to use.
The classroom is very quiet today.
Can I say very much happy?
In ordinary English, say very happy. Happy is an adjective, and very normally goes directly before an adjective. Use very much in patterns such as I enjoyed the day very much or very much better.
The classroom is much quieter today.
Where does very much go after a verb?
When a verb has an object, very much often comes after the object: I like this book very much. This placement makes it clear that the phrase strengthens the action of liking, not the thing being liked.
Mina explained the rule very clearly.
Why can very much come before better or more useful?
Better and more useful are comparative forms, so they compare one thing with another. Very much is one way to make that difference stronger. Regular very does not normally go directly before a comparative form.
Mina explained the rule very much clearly.
Is I very much appreciate your help correct?
Yes. Very much can appear before a verb in a more formal pattern, especially in thanks or careful writing. In everyday speech, I appreciate your help very much is also natural and may be easier to build.
We enjoyed the museum very much.