Unit 108

Quite and rather

(a) Quite = меньше чем `very', но больше чем

`a little':

- I'm surprised you haven't heard of him. He's quite famous. (= less than

very famous but more than a little famous)

- It's quite cold. You'd better wear your coat.

- Tom lives quite near me, so we see each other quite often.

Quite стоит перед a/an:

quite a nice day quite an old house quite a long way

Мы также употребляем quite с некоторыми глаголами,

в частности: like и enjoy:

- I quite like tennis but it's not my favourite sport.

О другом значении quite см. раздел c.

(b) Значение слова rather - такое же, как и у quite,

однако мы, в основном, употребляем rather с

отрицательными словами и в негативных ситуациях:

- It's rather cold, so you'd better wear your coat.

- `What was the examination like?' `Rather difficult, I'm afraid'.

- Let's get a taxi. It's rather a long way to walk.

Употребление quite также возможно в этих примерах.

Мы часто употребляем quite в позитивных ситуациях,

а rather в негативных:

- She is quite intelligent but rather lazy.

Когда мы употребляем rather с позитивными словами

(nice/interesting и т.д.), то подразумевается

'необычность' или 'неожиданность'.

Например: rather nice = unusually nice/

surprisingly nice/nicer than expected:

- These oranges are rather nice. Where did you get them?

- Ann didn't like the book but I thought it was rather interesting.

(= more interesting than expected).

Rather может стоять либо перед, либо после a/an:

a rather interesting book или rather an interesting book

(c) Quite может также означать `полностью'.

Например:

`Are you sure?' `Yes, quite sure.' (= completely sure)

Quite означает 'полностью' с рядом прилагательных,

в том числе:

sure right true unnecessary different

amazing certain wrong safe extraordinary

impossible amazed

- She was quite different from what I expected. (= completely different)

- Everything they said was quite true. (= completely true)

Мы также употребляем quite (=`полностью') с

некоторыми глаголами:

- I quite agree with you. (= I completely agree)

- They haven't quite finished their dinner yet.

- I don't quite understand what you mean.