Gradability is a grammar teacher’s word for this fact: some describing words can show more or less of a quality.

Gradabilitygradability is是 a grammar teacher's word文法老師會用的字 for this fact指的是這個事實: some describing words有些形容詞 can show more or less of a quality可以表現出某個特質的多或少.

If an adjective has gradability, you can say very quiet, quite quiet, quieter, the quietest. If it does not, careful English treats the quality as all-or-nothing: dead, pregnant, square.

If an adjective has gradability如果一個形容詞有gradability（可分級性）, you can say你就可以說 very quiet很安靜, quite quiet相當安靜, quieter更安靜, the quietest最安靜. If it does not如果沒有, careful English treats the quality as all-or-nothing講究一點的英文就會把那個特質當成「非有即無」: dead死了, pregnant懷孕, square正方形這些字.

You meet the noun in language classrooms and linguistics, not in the street — nobody at the market says “I love the gradability of this word.” Though actually, real speech is messier than the tidy classroom split.

You meet the noun你會 in language classrooms and linguistics在語言課堂和語言學裡遇到這個名詞, not in the street不會在街上聽到 — nobody at the market says “I love the gradability of this word.”沒有人會在市場裡說「我好愛這個字的gradability」。 Though actually不過, real speech is messier than the tidy classroom split真實的講話比教室裡那種整整齊齊的分法亂多了.

People say very unique all the time, and some adjectives sit in the middle, so gradability is the usual pattern, not a police rule. The idea is still useful: it explains why very tall sounds natural and very married sounds like a joke.

People say很多人整天都在說 very unique all the time很獨特（very unique）, and some adjectives sit in the middle而且有些形容詞就是卡在中間, so gradability is the usual pattern所以gradability是常見的模式, not a police rule而不是一條警察在抓的規定. The idea is still useful這個概念還是很有用: it explains why它可以解釋為什麼 very tall sounds natural很高（very tall）聽起來很自然 and very married sounds like a joke而很已婚（very married）聽起來像個笑話.