Absolutes and Intensifiers

Spot words that overstate a claim and judge whether the evidence supports them.

Absolutes are words that allow no exceptions: always, never, all, none, every, everyone, nobody, completely. Intensifiers boost the force of a statement: clearly, obviously, undeniably, extremely, totally. Both can be used honestly when evidence is overwhelming, but they are often signs of overstatement. An absolute claim can be disproved by a single exception: 'Teenagers never read for fun' collapses the moment one teenager picks up a novel. Intensifiers such as 'obviously' and 'clearly' can pressure readers to accept a point without examining it.

Worked example: 'Everyone knows that the old stadium is completely useless and clearly needs to be torn down. ' Everyone, completely, and clearly do the persuading; no evidence appears. A more defensible version: 'Engineers rated the old stadium unsafe in 2024, and repairs would cost more than replacement. ' On tests, answer choices with absolutes are often wrong because the passage supports a narrower claim. Check whether the evidence justifies the strength of the words.

• 1Absolutes allow no exceptions and are easily disproved.
• 2Intensifiers can pressure readers instead of persuading them.
• 3Check whether evidence justifies the strength of the words.