extent

Everyday

1. How big, long or wide something is; its size or area: the full extent of the forest. tree →
2. How much or how far something is true: To what extent do you agree? tree →
3. «to some extent» = partly; «to a large extent» = mostly. tree →

In the lessons

In exams «to what extent» asks how much you agree or how far something is true; in geography the extent of a desert or ice sheet is its area; in news the extent of damage is how bad it is. Phrases: «to some extent», «to what extent», «the full extent of», «to such an extent that».

Examples

• We could not see the full extent of the lake. tree →
• To what extent was the plan a success? tree →
• I agree with you to some extent. tree →
• The storm's extent was huge: it covered three counties. tree →
• Doctors checked the extent of his injuries. tree →
• The ice's extent shrinks in summer. tree →
• I have abridged and to some extent rewritten. tree →

Note

Trap: «extent» (size, amount) vs «extant» (still existing). Usually «the extent of». Formal, frequent in exam questions; in plain talk «how much» or «how big».