Google
English-Test.net
Find penpals and make new friends today!
 
intermediate to; common; shared
above
below
between
save
TOEIC exam test: Word games online: Free Game Answer
Dictionaries   TOEIC   TOEFL   GMAT   SAT   GRE   MCAT   PCAT   ASVAB   Interviews
Tests   Grammar   Articles   Stories   Shop   Services   Lesson Plans   Community
Home   Top 100   Start your FREE email English course now!   Audio Lessons
 
Username
Password
 Remember me? 
Search   FAQ   Memberlist   Profile   Private messages   Register   Log in 

Rather good vs. quite good


Goto page Previous  1, 2
 
ESL/EFL Worksheets and Handouts for Students Printable, photocopiable, clearly structured
Designed for teachers and individual learners
For use in a classroom, at home, on your PC
ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Difficult sentences from the book Washington Square | "Significance" vs "Importance"
Message Author
Idiom expressions Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:39 am  Idiom expressions		  
Conchita wrote:
Just this one more episode won't hurt now, will it?

Quote:
Rather you than me.
said by someone who does not want to do the thing that someone else is doing:
"I've got to have two teeth out next week." "Rather you than me."

How's that for encouragement?

Hi Conchita

I’ve found that Rather you than me is an idiom, a general one. In this particular case, 'an expression used when someone has something unpleasant or arduous to do. It is meant in a good natured way of expressing both sympathy and having a bit of a laugh at their expense.'

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/rather+you+than+me.html

As it’s a fixed expression where the meaning of separate words might be not 'pure' (in the sense of 'general rules' Smile ), I’d rather not take this as a true wild worm. But maybe, I’m wrong.

P.S. Anyway, the expression also contains some negative (or contradict or rejecting) shade which (in my today's understanding and practice) accompanies actual use of 'rather' in most cases. Even when rather is used as a strengthening (comparative) adverb with the meaning 'very' or 'to a large degree', 'more accurately', 'more exactly', etc).
Except for Rather='yes' in informal (fashionable Smile) British.

Tamara
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK
Continuing the rather/quite saga... Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:44 am  Continuing the rather/quite saga...		  
I was looking around on the Web trying to figure out how to describe the word "quite" to Chinese speakers (on the China Daily BBS, of all places) when I came across this thread.

Quote:
quite

As I understand, in the same context American and British people tend to interpret the meaning of quite a bit differently. I mean:

quite (AmE) = 'very' or 'extremely'
quite (BrE) = 'reasonably, but not very'

This quote reminded me of how, when I was in second grade, my mother surprised me one day when she appeared as a substitute teacher for my class. At the end of the day, as she drove me home, I settled into the back seat of the car and announced, "You know, you were quite good today."

The meaning—from my American mouth to her American ears—was not lost on either of us. (My mother, to her credit, found it endlessly amusing and told the anecdote for years.)
Californian
New Member


Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 1
Sign up for FREE and explore English! Click to subscribe to email English courseEnglish grammar exercises — improve your English knowledge and vocabulary skillsAre you a native speaker of English? Then you should read this!Do you know how to use the relative pronoun?
High praise :) Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:39 am  High praise :)		  
Smile

Hi Californian!

As I remember, in "My Fair Lady" (American version, 196?4?) the queen calls Eliza quite charming". And the meaning is also quite clear.
High praise. Almost as in your case Smile
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK
Rather good vs. quite good Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:50 am  Rather good vs. quite good		  
Hi all,

I am totally agree with you about the use of "rather" and "quite" that you've mentioned.
I'd like to ask something.
In general:
Quite (positive meaning), rather (negative meaning).
Ex: She's quite intelligent but rather lazy.

Besides:

1/
Quite + a/an +noun or quite +verb.
Ex: It's quite a nice day.
I quite like tennis.

2/
Rather + a/an +noun = rather + noun + a/an
Ex: It was a rather difficult question.
= It was rather a difficult question.
= This question was rather difficult.

3/ rather than (not "quite than") = instead of.
Ex: I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee.


Bye
Van Khanh
Van Khanh
I'm here quite often ;-)


Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 324
Location: Ho Chi Minh-City, Viet Nam
Rather good vs. quite good Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:52 am  Rather good vs. quite good		  
Hi all,

I am totally agree with you about the use of "rather" and "quite" that you've mentioned.
I'd like to add something.

In general:
Quite (positive meaning), rather (negative meaning).
Ex: She's quite intelligent but rather lazy.

Besides:

1/ Quite + a/an +noun or quite +verb.
Ex: It's quite a nice day.
I quite like tennis.

2/ Rather + a/an +noun = rather + noun + a/an
Ex: It was a rather difficult question.
= It was rather a difficult question.
= This question was rather difficult.

3/ rather than (not "quite than") = instead of.
Ex: I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee.


Bye
Van Khanh
Van Khanh
I'm here quite often ;-)


Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 324
Location: Ho Chi Minh-City, Viet Nam
Endless saga… Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:34 pm  Endless saga…		  
Just to add…

Van Khanh wrote:
Rather + a/an +noun = rather + noun + a/an
Ex: It was a rather difficult question.
= It was rather a difficult question.
= This question was rather difficult.

rather a
a rather

Quote:
Before an unmodified noun only rather a is used: It was rather a disaster. When the noun is preceded by an adjective, however, both rather a and a rather ( Shocked) are found: It was rather a boring party. It was a rather boring party. When a rather is used in this construction, rather qualifies only the adjective, whereas with rather a it qualifies either the adjective or the entire noun phrase. Thus a rather long ordeal can mean only “an ordeal that is rather long,” whereas rather a long ordeal can also mean roughly “a long process that is something of an ordeal.” Rather a is the only possible choice when the adjective itself does not permit modification. Thus we say The horse was rather a long shot but not The horse was a rather long shot.

to be continued…
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…
Tamara
I'm a Communicator ;-)


Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1577
Location: UK
Quite Thu Jul 27, 2006 15:19 pm  Quite		  
To complicate matters a bit more, stress can alter the meaning of 'quite':

I found the novel quite captivating => I found the novel captivating, but not too captivating.

I found the novel quite captivating => I found the novel really very captivating.
Conchita
Language Coach


Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 2702
Location: Madrid, Spain
Display posts from previous:   
Difficult sentences from the book Washington Square | "Significance" vs "Importance"
ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms Rather good vs. quite good All times are GMT + 2 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2
Latest topics on ESL EFL Forums
Meaning of "take my breath away" • Difference between imply and infer • "If ever I was..." vs "If ever was I..." • Slang! (He smokes while playing the piano...) • 'If they were me': many-to-one map? :) • Meaning of 'by any chance, by all mean, come undone' • Meaning of 'to put a finger on the harvest figure' • Meaning of "To forge in the sanity of" • How do I lay stress on affirmative responses? • Where can I use gerund? • "Honorable" vs "Honored" • The most Popular Idioms • Formula of rejection • Resume as Certified Loan Processor and Underwriter • PROBABLY versus LIKELY versus MAYBE • Can I use the word ain't instead of the 'has not'/'have not' • Changing negative? • Phrase: I always used to have the e-mail program check... • Rather good vs. quite good • Rather good vs. quite good

Discover English-test.net
RECONCILED vs. MATCHED • Are old people getting younger in your country? • My English • 'and' vs 'or' • PCAT test: Vocabulary Words: English Noun Preffix Verb • PCAT test: Word games: Free Online Noun Verb Game • Meaning of side, bio-, autopsy, sigma bond, anus, alveolus, cellular respiration • Japanese Learning Audio Tapes: Pimsleur MP3 • Free EFL Quiz Online: Synonyms for beat • This Town audiobook download

 
 You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Provided by phpBB ©2001-2008 phpBB Group
Subscribe to FREE email English course written by Alan Townend
First name E-mail