There are many tricky words in the English language – words that often change in meaning, depending on the situation or context. “Pretty” is one of these words. Many ESL or EFL speakers incorrectly use this word to emphasize an adjective, substituting the word “very.”
Incorrect example: This $50 hamburger is pretty expensive.
Correct example: This $50 hamburger is very expensive.
To correctly use “pretty,” the phrase needs to be more than normal, but less than very.
Examples:
After working for 8 hours, I am pretty tired.
England is pretty cold in the fall.
I am pretty hungry; I didn’t have a good breakfast.
So, remember, pretty is NOT the same as very, extremely or completely.
