Which sentence should I use?
Your work is great.
Your work is very good.
Your cloth is great.
Your cloth is very good.
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2Structurally and grammatically, there's not much difference. I would say that "great" is generally considered to be better than "very good", but that's not a fixed scale, and both words express favorable opinions.– J.R. ♦Feb 27, 2013 at 13:55
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2 Answers
Great can be informally used to mean "very good or pleasant," as in the following sentences:
It's great to see you again.
What a great goal!
You have been a great help, I must say.
Great can also be used to mean "important and impressive."
The wedding was a great occasion.
The great thing is to get it done quickly.
One great advantage of this metal is that it doesn't rust.
In your examples, great could simply mean "very good" or impressive. You can use great instead of "very good."
answered Feb 27, 2013 at 14:21
Great can be used in at least two ways. It can describe something that is truly outstanding when it is applied, for example, to a work of art or literature. Equally, you can say it when you want to say something flattering about someone’s clothes, taste in interior decoration, or cookery skills.
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Curiously, although the second usage seems a synonym of terrific, I have yet to find a suitable synonym for the first usage.– tchristFeb 27, 2013 at 13:56
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