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.