much/very much

[navi]

Which are correct:

1) This was much the way things were done back then.
2) This was very much the way things were done back then.

3) What he said was much the opposite of what I expected him to say.
4) What he said was very much the opposite of what I expected him to
say.

Do 'much' and 'very much' mean 'to a great extent' or 'indeed' in those
sentences?

I think they mean 'to a great extent' but I don't think '1' is correct.
But '3' seems fine. I can't tell why I feel that way! Maybe I am wrong.


--
Gratefully,
Navi


Lost in the Twilight Zone of the English language
Obsessed with ambiguity
Interested in strange structures

[LionelEdwards]

Post by navi
1) This was much the way things were done back then.
2) This was very much the way things were done back then.
3) What he said was much the opposite of what I expected him to say.
4) What he said was very much the opposite of what I expected him to
say.

They are all natural conversational English.

Post by navi
Do 'much' and 'very much' mean 'to a great extent' or 'indeed' in those
sentences?

Pretty much the same thing - both implying "a lot"?