ほとんど…た => hardly any, almost all N2
Description
確かに => surely, certainly ~ N3
ほど… => About (approximately) N3
Limit, limit
…ほどだ => almost/nearly N3
Explain
ほどだ => Over N2
Degree, Level, Amount
…ほど => To the extent of... N3
Emphasis on degree
ほど => the more… the more ~ N3
ほどなく => No longer... N2
Time
ば~ほど => the more… the more ~ N3
それほど => to that extent N2
Base, base
…ほうがよほど... => very; greatly; much; to a large extent N2
Compare
ほど~ない => is not as… as ~ N3