Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997

80 Quite, fairly, pretty, rather So and such

Quick reference

• Quite can also mean completely or absolutely when we use it with certain adjectives. The most common are: alone, amazing, brilliant, certain, different, extraordinary, right, sure, true, unnecessary, useless, wrong. I’m quite sure I’m right. I won S500.000 - it’s quite amazing!

• Rather sometimes gives a negative quality to the following adjective.

Those shoes are rather cheap. (= Too cheap. The quality may not be good.)

Compare: Those shoes are quite cheap. (= That’s good. I might buy them.)

We can also use rather to give an adjective a positive quality if the adjective is surprising.

I thought the exam was rather easy. (= The exam was easy. It was a pleasant surprise.)

We can use rather (not quite, pretty or fairly) before a comparative.

It was rather more expensive than I expected.

• We can use quite, pretty, fairly and rather before an adjective + noun.

There's quite a big spider in the bath. He’s got rather a loud voice, hasn’t he?

It’s a pretty cold day. She’s a fairly lazy person. I’ve got a rather serious problem.

(Note that we can’t say: It’s a quite big spider./It’s pretty a cold day./She’s fairly a lazy person.)

• We can use quite on its own with verbs like: agree, enjoy, finish, forget, like, understand. And rather with these verbs: enjoy, hope, like, think.

I quite enjoyed my holiday. (= moderately) I haven’t quite finished. (= completely)

I rather like this T-shirt. (= more than moderately)

• We use such for emphasis before a noun or an adjective + noun.

He made such a mess. I’ve had such a terrible day. It’s such awful weather

• We use so before an adjective without a following noun, or before an adverb.

I’m so tired. She drives so dangerously.

• Such and so can be followed by a clause when we talk about a result.

It’s such a big steak (that) I can’t eat it all. It was so dark (that) I turned the light on.

1 Toby is talking about the subjects he does at school. Complete what he says, using the correct word.

1 (lairly/quite) I ... like Maths. In fact I find it ... easy.

2 (rather/quite) I ... enjoy History, but my friends think it’s ... boring.

3 (rather/quite) I’m ... good at French, but my teacher says I’m ... lazy.

4 (rather/quite) We’ve got a ... nice Physics teacher, so I ... like Physics.

5 (quite/rather) I ... hope I have the same teacher next year. It’s ... possible.

6 (fairly/quite) I’m ... good at Geography. I got ... a good result in the exam.

7 (rather/pretty) I think I’m ... good at Chemistry, but I got ... a bad result in the summer exams.

8 (pretty/rather/quite) I didn’t do well in last year’s English exam, but I’ve improved ... a lot, so I’m ... sure I’ll do ... better this year.

9 (quite/pretty) I do ... a lot of sport at school, so, physically, I’m ... fit.

10 (fairly/quite) I’m ... looking forward to leaving school next year. I’m ... sure I can find a job.

2 A woman is reporting a robbery she saw in the High Street this morning. She is telling the police about it. Sentences in the second column follow sentences in the first. Match them.

1 It was about 7.45, I think.

2 There weren’t many people around.

3 I couldn’t see him very well.

4 He was about 18 or 19, I think.

5 I’m not sure that he was wearing trainers.

6 He was definitely wearing jeans.

7 One minute he was standing in front of me, the next minute he’d just disappeared.

a) He looked fairly young.

b) I’m quite sure of that.

c) It was quite early.

d) But I’m pretty certain.

e) It was still pretty dark.

f) It was quite extraordinary.

g) It was fairly quiet.

1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7 ...

3 Emily Trent has just come back from her first holiday on Saint Lucia, a Caribbean Island. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first. Use the word(s) given in brackets.

Example: The holiday I had was so good. (such) / had such a good holiday.

1 Saint Lucia is so fabulous, (such) Saint Lucia ... island.

2 The climate it’s got is so wonderful. (such) It’s got ... climate.

3 The Saint Lucians are so friendly. (such) The Saint Lucians ... people.

4 It was such good food. (so) The food ...

5 They had such cheap fruit. (so) The fruit there ...

6 There were so many things to do. (such/а lot) There was ... to do.

7 I went snorkelling on a coral reef. The experience was so amazing. (such) It was ... experience.

8 The time I had was so good I didn’t want to come home. (such) I had ... I didn’t want to come home.

9 The only problem is, the flight is so long. (such) It’s ... flight.

10 It was such an uncomfortable flight that I couldn’t sleep. (so) The flight ... I couldn’t sleep.

11 And it was such an expensive flight I won’t be able to allord to go next year. (so) And the flight was I won’t be able to afford to go next year.

4 a) Write ten sentences describing yourself. Use quite, rather, fairly/pretty.

Examples: I'm quite tall. I've got quite a nice figure. I'm fairly good-looking. But I'm rather overweight and I've got rather a big nose.

b) Think of six things you do not do or did not do and give the reason. Use such and so.

Examples: / don't eat out much, because restaurants are so expensive. I don't buy many CDs because they cost such a lot. I didn't go out last night because I had such a lot of work to do. It was such terrible weather last weekend (that) I didn't go anywhere.

Check your sentences with a teacher.