Very / quite

Very / quite
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Very / quite
Message from mohammad51 posted on 19-12-2018 at 22:43:54 (D | E | F)
Hello
Please help with this ?
We moved because the hotel was not very good. Said correct
(We moved because the hotel was not quite good.) Said wrong ? Please give me a reason why ?

I don't know the reason "why" ?
At least I noticed many books and sites accept to use quite before the adj ( good).
He had been quite good at drawing when he was at school. (OK, moderately good but not outstanding)
Cambridge Link

Oxford :
British English) (not used with a negative) to some degree synonym fairly, pretty quite big/good/cold/warm/interesting
I know what means ( not used with a negative ) for example, quite short \ quite small = wrong use

Oxford : Link

On the other hand I noticed some sites ( use not quite good ) here a link :
That's not quite good enough
Link

So what is the problem that lead them not to agree with the sentence which I mentioned first( the question) ?

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Edited by lucile83 on 20-12-2018 08:55

Re: Very / quite from gerondif, posted on 19-12-2018 at 23:11:38 (D | E)
Hello
It is a question of meaning.
a hotel can be (in a progressive order) good, quite good, very good, extremely good, and then, you stay there.
If the hotel is "not very good", it is a euphemism to say it is average, or below average, disappointing, or bad, or very bad, and then you don't stay there.

When you say that your hotel was not quite good, you are not in the right section, you want to say that it is rather bad but quite good is a positive appreciation, it could only be used with "not" in the meaning : You must be joking, that hotel is not "quite" good, it is VERY good.
In other words, not very good means not as good as I hoped, whereas not quite good means almost good.

When you say, not quite, it means that you haven't reached the level of the adjective behind quite but that you are close to it.

Is he 18 yet? No, he is not quite 18.
Have you finished ? Not quite but I will have finished in a few minutes.
Is the paint dry ?Not quite ! (but you want it to be dry, this is what you aim at)
Is your cake good ? Not quite, but the next one will be perfect.

Quite means almost completely, almost entirely or rather in an appreciative way. She is quite beautiful.
She is not very beautiful means that she is plain, common.
She is not quite beautiful but she has a lot of charm.

With not very, you mean the opposite of the adjective used.
She is not very beautiful means that she is plain, common.

With not quite, you mean that you are not there yet, that you haven't achieved your aim yet.
Is your cake perfect ? Not, it is not quite perfect but I am working on it.

Do you feel the difference ?

I don't agree with Cambridge, for me quite , fairly, rather mean a significant amount of, not "not very much " as they say.
I agree more with Oxford and they do say (not used with a negative)
good enough means sufficient, and can bear not quite.

Re: Very / quite from mohammad51, posted on 31-12-2018 at 05:41:33 (D | E)
Hello
Thank you very much gerondif
I am always eager to read your notices.

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