quite = fairly (gradable) vs completely (non-gradable) — GiU Unit 104
The frame
Section titled “The frame”Anna’s English is quite good. → less than ‘very’ ✓
Two senses of quite — decided by the adjective
Section titled “Two senses of quite — decided by the adjective”| adjective type | meaning of quite | example |
|---|---|---|
| gradable (good, tired, expensive, cold, interesting) | fairly — to some degree, less than very | quite good ≈ 7/10 |
| non-gradable / absolute (impossible, right, sure, finished, dead, unique, exhausted) | completely — totally | quite impossible = absolutely impossible |
Logic: you can’t be moderately impossible — absolutes have no middle. So quite defaults to the strong reading there. With gradable adjectives a middle reading exists, and quite takes it (the weaker one).
Compare
Section titled “Compare”- It’s quite cold = fairly cold (not very) — gradable
- It’s quite freezing = completely freezing — absolute/stylised
- Are you quite sure? = completely sure — absolute
- Her English is quite good but not fluent = fairly good — gradable
Warning for the exam
Section titled “Warning for the exam”If the adjective is gradable and the choice is “less than very” vs “completely” → pick less than very. If the adjective is an absolute (impossible, right, certain, dead, finished, exhausted) → completely.
Related grading adverbs (Unit 104)
Section titled “Related grading adverbs (Unit 104)”| adverb | strength |
|---|---|
| fairly | weak, neutral — fairly good |
| quite | slightly stronger (gradable) / total (non-gradable) |
| pretty | stronger, informal — pretty good |
| rather | stronger, often negative — rather expensive |
| very | strong |
Don’t memorize — test it
Section titled “Don’t memorize — test it”Two checks on the adjective after quite:
- Can it take “very”? very tired ✓ → gradable. very impossible ✗ → absolute.
- Can it take “more / -er”? more tired, colder ✓ → gradable. ✗ more impossible.
Any adjective that accepts very/more/-er has a middle → quite = fairly. Ones that refuse → quite = completely.
The absolute set (small, recognizable — they name a limit/state, not a scale): impossible, right, wrong, sure, certain, true, dead, finished, complete, exhausted, unique, perfect, free, full, empty, identical, ruined
Shortcut: in ~95% of sentences quite = fairly. The “completely” reading needs one of those absolutes.
Position also matters
Section titled “Position also matters”| pattern | meaning |
|---|---|
| quite + adjective | quite good = fairly good |
| quite a + noun | quite a good film = a remarkably good film (stronger, emphatic) |
| quite + verb | I quite like it = BrE “moderately like” |
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use, Unit 104 — quite, pretty, rather, fairly. Ebot lesson 2026-09-05.