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Learn how “pretty” and “not that” adjust the strength of everyday descriptions in natural American English.
Vanessa teaches two useful intensifiers—“pretty” and “that”—that help speakers adjust how strong a statement sounds. She begins by saying the lesson is “pretty easy,” which demonstrates “pretty” as a way to mean fairly or moderately. She contrasts it with “very,” a familiar intensifier her students use often, and explains that “pretty” can be useful when something is noticeable but not at the strongest possible degree. The lesson also notes a feature of American pronunciation: the middle t sound in “pretty” can sound closer to a d, making it sound like “priddy” in connected speech.
Vanessa gives everyday examples with weather and feelings: “Last weekend was pretty rainy,” “I’m pretty happy that it’s over now,” “I’m pretty happy that it’s not raining now,” “It’s pretty hot today,” and “It’s pretty chilly in the fall.” In these sentences, “pretty” comes before an adjective and softens or calibrates the description. It often means “fairly” or “quite,” depending on the speaker and context, rather than acting as an exact measurement.
The second intensifier is “that.” Vanessa says speakers often use it in negative sentences, as in “It’s not that hot today” or “I’m not that hungry yet.” She compares these with “not very hot” and “not very hungry,” explaining that “not that” is a common alternative in natural speech. The examples show that “that” can point to a degree: the weather or hunger does not reach the level the listener might expect.
Learners can use “pretty” to express a moderate or fairly strong degree, and “not that” to say a quality is less intense than expected. For example, “The room is pretty warm” communicates a noticeable amount of warmth, while “The room isn’t that warm” says it is not very warm. These are flexible, conversational forms, so the exact strength depends on context and intonation. For practice, describe today’s weather with “pretty,” then make a negative sentence with “not that.” The video ends by asking learners to write their own sample sentences with both intensifiers.
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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00
Introducing the lesson with the intensifier “pretty”
Hi, I’m Vanessa from Speak English with Vanessa dot com. I think this lesson isn’t that hard. In fact, it’s . Let’s get started.
Try it: Describe one everyday task that you find pretty easy.
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Introducing the lesson with the intensifier “pretty” · expression
Fairly or moderately easy; “pretty” strengthens the adjective without necessarily making it absolute.
Tone and use: Casual and conversational. Use “pretty” before an adjective to express a noticeable or moderate degree.
May not fit: In formal or technical writing, a more precise term such as “moderately” may be clearer.
Example“The new app is pretty easy to use.”
Replacing repeated uses of “very” with “pretty” · expression
Words that increase or adjust the strength of an adjective or another description, such as “very,” “really,” or “pretty.”
Tone and use: Neutral language-learning term. Use the term when discussing how strongly a description is expressed.
May not fit: In everyday conversation, name the specific word instead of using the technical label if the listener may not know it.
Example““Really” and “extremely” are intensifiers in those sentences.”
Replacing repeated uses of “very” with “pretty” · expression
A degree that is slightly lower than the one just mentioned.
Tone and use: Conversational and explanatory. Use it to compare a level or amount with a stronger one.
May not fit: For exact quantities or measurements, give a specific number.
Example“The soup is warm, but a little bit less than I expected.”
Replacing repeated uses of “very” with “pretty” · expression
An informal intensifier meaning fairly, quite, or to a noticeable degree; its exact strength depends on context.
Tone and use: Casual and common in American English. Use it before an adjective, as in “pretty tired” or “pretty helpful.”
May not fit: Avoid it in formal reports where a precise degree matters.
Example“The walk was pretty long, so we took a break.”
Practising “pretty” with weather and feelings · expression
Fairly rainy or rainy to a noticeable degree.
Tone and use: Casual and descriptive. Use “pretty” before weather adjectives to give an approximate degree.
May not fit: For a forecast or report that needs precision, use a measured description.
Example“It was pretty windy by the lake yesterday.”
Practising “pretty” with weather and feelings · expression
Fairly or quite happy; the phrase gives a stronger feeling than simply “a little happy.”
Tone and use: Natural and conversational. Use it to express a noticeable positive feeling without claiming the strongest possible emotion.
May not fit: If you mean extremely happy, choose a stronger expression such as “thrilled.”
Example“I’m pretty happy with how the project turned out.”
Practising “pretty” with weather and feelings · expression
Fairly cold in a crisp or slightly uncomfortable way.
Tone and use: Casual, especially in weather talk. Use it to describe cool weather that feels colder than mild.
May not fit: For dangerous cold, give a clearer warning or more exact description.
Example“It gets pretty chilly here after sunset.”
Using “not that” to soften a negative description · expression
Not very hot; “that” points to a degree that is lower than expected or previously mentioned.
Tone and use: Conversational and matter-of-fact. Use “not that” before an adjective to say a quality is not as strong as someone might think.
May not fit: In a formal measurement or warning, use a precise temperature or description.
Example“The coffee isn’t that hot anymore.”
Using “not that” to soften a negative description · expression
I do not feel very hungry at this point; “yet” suggests that the feeling may change later.
Tone and use: Casual and neutral. Use it when explaining that your hunger or another feeling is still limited for now.
May not fit: If the feeling will not change, omit “yet” or say “I’m not very hungry.”
Example“I’m not that tired yet, so I’ll keep reading.”
Using “not that” to soften a negative description · expression
Repeatedly, often more times than desired.
Tone and use: Conversational; can sound emphatic or mildly frustrated depending on context. Use it to describe repeated actions, events, or statements.
May not fit: For a formal account, use a precise frequency or “repeatedly.”
Example“She reviewed the instructions again and again before the test.”
Inviting learners to practise the two intensifiers · expression
A friendly way to say that you are pleased or excited about something expected in the future.
Tone and use: Warm and positive. Use “look forward to” before a noun or an -ing verb to express positive anticipation.
May not fit: In very casual speech, “I can’t wait to” may sound more relaxed; after “to,” use a noun or -ing form.
Example“I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas.”
Knowledge check
What it means · “pretty easy”