Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in

English Forums

Use our English forums to learn English. The message boards are great for English questions and English answers. The more you contribute, the more all members can practice English!

:  

English Talk

quite and rather

Sirico

Hungary

Here I go again.
I learned that we use quite with a positive idea and rather with a negative idea.
For example:
She’s quite intelligent but rather lazy.
Would it be proper if I used quite instead of rather?

Thanks in advance.

08:05 AM Oct 16 2001 |

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions! Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

john

johnSuper Member!

United States

That might be a good general way to think about those two words, but I don’t think there are any specific rules like that.

In the example you gave, it sounds best to use “quite” then “rather.” This pattern works well when you are contrasting something.

Hope this helps!

John

11:07 PM Oct 17 2001 |