Question

Select the phrase that is incorrect.

• A. highly educated
• B. highly profitable
• C. highly unusual
• D. highly exhausted

Hint:

Think about which of these adjectives already describes a complete, extreme state on its own.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests how intensifiers like "highly" combine with adjectives, and where that combination breaks down.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Split adjectives into two kinds: gradable adjectives, which allow different levels or degrees, and extreme or non-gradable adjectives, which already describe a complete or maximum state. Words like "highly", "very" and "quite" only belong before gradable adjectives. Extreme adjectives need words like "absolutely", "completely" or "totally" instead.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
"Educated", "profitable" and "unusual" can each apply in varying amounts: a person can be somewhat educated or highly educated, a company mildly profitable or highly profitable, an event a little unusual or highly unusual. These three phrases are all correctly formed.
"Exhausted", on the other hand, is an extreme adjective. It already means as tired as one can possibly be, so there is no smaller or larger degree of "exhausted" to describe. Placing "highly" in front of it duplicates the sense of extremity the word already contains, which is why the phrase sounds wrong.
The correct way to intensify "exhausted" is with "completely exhausted" or "totally exhausted", never "highly exhausted".

Step 4: Final Answer:
The phrase that is incorrect is "highly exhausted", so the answer is option (d).