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    Learn English > English lessons and exercises > English test #106116: Quite or Quiet
    > Other English exercises on the same topic: Frequent mistakes [Change theme]
    > Similar tests: - Placement test beginners: Check your spelling - Past simple or present perfect - Although / in spite of / despite - Differences between Like and As - Again/ back - FOR and its use - Do or Make? - Do-don't-does-doesn't
    > Double-click on words you don't understand


    Quite or Quiet


                         ‘QUITE  ? or QUIET ? ’

     

    These two words are often confused by students, or used one for the other ! 

    1) QUIET :  (2 syllables) ['kwai/0t] : It may be either -  an adjective which means ‘not very active’, ‘calm’.

                            - a noun = ‘calm', ‘silence’.

    ex : After lunch, it’s pleasant to enjoy a moment of quiet rest, (= adjective), reading or playing cardgames, especially in Summer.

    ex : We enjoyed the quiet of a walk in the mountains … (= noun)

                   It's also    - a verb, used when requiring calm and silence !  ex : The teacher quieted the students so that the lesson could start. 

    2) QUITE : (only one syllable) ['kwait] =  adverb. In the United Kingdom, it has 2 meanings : 

           a) = rather.  ex : This film is quite good.

    When it means ‘rather’, quite is often followed by  a/an + + adj. + noun :  ex :  This is quite an interesting story 

    This usage isn't frequent at all in the US where it is often replaced by ‘pretty’ or 'fairly'.( also used in informal British English)

          b) = totally, completely, considerably, positively : This meaning is very frequent in American English. 

    In the US, the speaker’s stress and intonation will show you which is meant : ex : Your essay is quite good (= fairly good — it could be better); Your essay is quite good (= very good, especially when this is unexpected). In the UK, quite ( = totally) precedes adjectives that describe an extreme state ('non-gradable' adjectives).

    ex : August was quite cold and rainy (fairly cold and rainy), not quite a perfect Summer  month..

    ex : Yesterday, he was quite tired (fairly tired), but today, he’s really quite exhausted !

          c)  Quite can also be used in front of  a verb : ex : I quite appreciate your choice …= I totally like the choice you've made ! 

     

    There are some expressions : Quite right = totally right ;  quite a sight (used to stress) = a sight which is really exceptional ; quite a few = a fair number of  ; quite a while = during  a fairly long moment  ; I quite agree = I totally agree !

    QUIET :

     

     

                                                     

     

     

    QUITE :

     

     

                                 

     





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    1) This is to spell ! I'll have to check in a dictionary ...
    2) Would you, please, while your Mom is speaking ? You're disturbing her ...
    3) The house they live in is ! They'll have room to put us up ! ...
    4) It's for him to for more than ten minutes ... I'll have to watch him closely !
    5) I'm sorry I kept you waiting, but I have to make !
    6) Are you the result ? I think I have lost much less than what you're saying ...
    7) Yes, I know he's at the moment, but he can be very unruly sometimes ...
    8) The judge said : ' ! If not, I'll have the courthouse evacuated ! '
    9) I know he's , but he's not famous yet !
    10) She was playing dolls when I arrived home to take her to school ...
    11) I that he doesn't want to contradict you, but is stupid in these circumstances !









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