Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: rather, quite

"Rather" o "quite" nel senso di "piuttosto"? Che differenze?
Mi sa che io uso piů "quite" pezrché mi ricorda "quasi".
Fran.

 Fran.
"Rather" always carries the idea of a comparison, even if the other term
of comparison is missing.
So, if may say "This house is quite nice," there is no comparison or
doubt. But if you say "This house is rather nice," the meaning is that
there is a possible doubt, or there is a possibility it's not nice. 
"They are poor but their house is rather nice."
Mike
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 Mi sa che io uso più "quite" pezrché mi ricorda "quasi".
Infatti, direi che 'rather' significa 'quasi' o 'un po'' (nel senso di
'somewhat') e 'quite' significa 'proprio' (nel senso di 'truly').

 Mi sa che io uso più "quite" pezrché mi ricorda "quasi".
Form Thomson and Martinet :
The meaning and use of certain adverbs
    fairly and rather
A         Both can mean `moderately', but fairly is chiefiy used with
`favourable' adjectives and adverbs (e.g. good, bravely, well, vice etc.),
while rather is chiefiy used in this sense before `unfavour­able' adjectives
and adverbs (e.g. bad, stupidly, ugly etc.): John is fairly clever, but
Peter is rather stupid.
He is fairly rich, but she is rather poor. You did fairly well in your exam,
but Ann did rather badly. This case is rather heavy, but that one is fairly
light. Note that quite could replace fairly above. It would normally have
more force than fairly. The indefinite article can be placed before or after
rather: This is rather a silly book or a rather silly book. With fairly the
article must come first: a fairly interesting lecture With
adjectives/adverbs such as fast, slow, thin, thick, hot, cold etc., which
are not in themselves either `favourable' or `unfavour­able', the speaker
can express approval by using fairly and disapproval by using rather: This
soup is fairly hot implies that the speaker likes hot soup, while This soup
is rather hot implies that it is a little too hot for him.
B         rather can be used before alike, like, similar, different etc. and
            before comparatives. It then means `a little' or `slightly':
            Siamese cats are rather like dogs in some ways.
            The weather was rather worse than 1 had expected.
            fairly cannot be used in this way.
C
rather can be used before certain `favourable' adjectives/adverbs such as
good, well, pretty, clever, amusing but its meaning then changes; it becomes
nearly equivalent to very, and the idea of disapproval vanishes: She is
rather clever is nearly the same as She is very clever. rather used in this
way is obviously much more complimentary than fairly. For example the
expression It is a fairly good play would, if anything, discourage others
from going to see it. But It is rather a good play is definitely a
recommendation. Occasionally rather used in this way conveys the idea of
surprise: Ann: 1 suppose the house was filthy. TOM: No, as a matter of fact
it was rather clean.
D         rather can also be used before enjoy, like and sometimes before
            dislike, object and some similar verbs:
            1 rather like the smell of petrol.
            Most people dislike driving on icy roads, but he rather enjoys
it.
            When he finally persuaded me to try oysters 1 found that 1
rather
            liked them.
            rather here is chiefiy used to express a liking which is a
surprise to
            others or to the speaker himself.
It can also be used as in C above, to strengthen the verb:
1 rather like Tom would normally imply greater interest than 1 like Tom.
But rather in this sense should be used sparingly. For would rather see 230,
288, 243.
74        quite
This is a confusing word because it has two meanings.
A         It means `completely' when it is used with a word or phrase which
can express the idea of completeness: e.g. full, empty, finished, wrong,
right, all right, sure, certain, determined, ready etc. , and when it is
used with a very strong adjective/adverb such as perfect, amazing, horrible,
extraordinary:
The bottle was quite empty. You're quite wrong. It's quite extraordinary; 1
can't understand it at all.
B         When used with other adjectives/adverbs, quite has a slightly
weakening effect, so that quite good is normally less complimen­tary than
good. quite used in this way has approximately the same meaning as fairly
but its strength can vary very much according to the way it is stressed:
quite Igood (weak quite, strong good) is very little less than `good'.
iquite 'good (equal stress) means `moderately good'.
'quite good (strong quite, weak good) is much less than `good'.
The less quite is stressed the stronger the following adjective/ adverb
becomes. The more quite is stressed the weaker its adjective/adverb becomes.
Note the position of a/an: quite a long walk quite an old castle
Yours
Sal

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Scusate per la formattazione
Yours
Sal

 Scusate per la formattazione
Hai copiato a mano o hai anche un'edizione elettronica? 
Ciao, FB


  Scanner
 Yours
Sal

   Scanner
Non ci sono più gli amanuensi di una volta ;))
-- 
Nuovo indirizzo nel Reply-to

 Non ci sono più gli amanuensi di una volta ;))
< Luckily enough, mate .
Yours
Sal

 Non ci sono più gli amanuensi di una volta ;))
Alas that there is still one...
Bye, FB the scannerless


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 you copy it :)
You also introduce all manner of copying errors, which will later cause
much argument and, with luck, a few Really Serious Religious Wars.
Meglio lo scanner.
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 Meglio lo scanner.
He eh! I know. I was trying to cheer FB up! :)
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