Rather, Quite and So
2022-01-08
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from a reader.
2I often confuse the meaning of the words "rather," "quite" and "so." Thank you, dear teacher.
3Dear Reader,
4The words you asked about are a special kind of adverb called "intensifiers."
5These words make a statement about something a little stronger.
6Let us look at some examples.
7It was rather hot yesterday - that's why I went for a swim.
8You will look quite attractive in this shirt.
9We are so excited about going to see the movie!
10Note that the words come before an adjective.
11They give more force to the adjective.
12It is difficult to say how much force these words add to an adjective because their use can change from one person to another and from one area to another.
13Speakers of British English use "quite" and "rather" differently than speakers of American English.
14I would like to say a few more words about the adverb "so."
15As an English teacher, it bothered me when I began to hear people using "so" more often to add force to their statements, as in these examples.
16She was so happy.
17This math homework is so hard.
18My traditional grammar guides told me that this kind of statement should include "that" and another expression, as in these examples:
19She was so happy that she jumped up and down.
20This math homework is so hard that I needed to ask for help.
21But last year, my coworker John Russell wrote about "so" in Everyday Grammar.
22He explained that in the past 20 years, its use as an intensifier has increased.
23Grammar experts at Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary still say it is an "informal" use of the word.
24What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
25And that's Ask a Teacher.
26I'm Jill Robbins.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from a reader. 2Question: 3I often confuse the meaning of the words "rather," "quite" and "so." Thank you, dear teacher. 4Answer: 5Dear Reader, 6The words you asked about are a special kind of adverb called "intensifiers." These words make a statement about something a little stronger. Let us look at some examples. 7It was rather hot yesterday - that's why I went for a swim. 8You will look quite attractive in this shirt. 9We are so excited about going to see the movie! 10Note that the words come before an adjective. They give more force to the adjective. It is difficult to say how much force these words add to an adjective because their use can change from one person to another and from one area to another. Speakers of British English use "quite" and "rather" differently than speakers of American English. 11So 12I would like to say a few more words about the adverb "so." As an English teacher, it bothered me when I began to hear people using "so" more often to add force to their statements, as in these examples. 13She was so happy. 14This math homework is so hard. 15My traditional grammar guides told me that this kind of statement should include "that" and another expression, as in these examples: 16She was so happy that she jumped up and down. 17This math homework is so hard that I needed to ask for help. 18But last year, my coworker John Russell wrote about "so" in Everyday Grammar. He explained that in the past 20 years, its use as an intensifier has increased. Grammar experts at Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary still say it is an "informal" use of the word. 19What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 20And that's Ask a Teacher. 21I'm Jill Robbins. 22Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 23________________________________________________________ 24Words in This Story 25confuse - v. to mistakenly think that one person or thing is another person or thing : to mistake (one person or thing) for another 26bother - v. to cause (someone) to feel troubled, worried, or concerned 27Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.