Please comment on a sentence for me
How would you comment on the following sentence, assuming it came from someone who is learning academic writing?
Ex. "I am quite bad at writing."
1. "I am good at writing" sounds fine.
2. "Bad" as an adjective with the verb (am) might be the issue.
3. Quite (adverb) + bad (adjective) sounds awkward to me.
4. "Something is not quite right" seems okay.
Where does the awkwardness come from?
Thanks,
Top answer
I think that (3) is the problem. For some reason, although "quite bad" is technically correct, it is rarely said in British English whereas "quite good" is often said. Perhaps the reason for this awkwardness has to do with the other, quite different meaning of "quite", "quite" meaning "completely" as opposed to the other meaning that you used, "quite" meaning "a little or a lot but not completely".
- I think that (3) is the problem.
- For some reason, although "quite bad" is technically correct, it is rarely said in British English whereas "quite good" is often said.
- Perhaps the reason for this awkwardness has to do with the other, quite different meaning of "quite", "quite" meaning "completely" as opposed to the other meaning that you used, "quite" meaning "a little or a lot but not completely".
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I think that (3) is the problem. For some reason, although "quite bad" is technically correct, it is rarely said in British English whereas "quite good" is often said.
Perhaps the reason for this awkwardness has to do with the other, quite different meaning of "quite",
"quite" meaning "completely"
as opposed to the other meaning that you used,
"quite" meaning
0Thank you Lastword.
I just don't like marking "awkward" with no explanation.
I guess I would leave it alone and not mark it, knowing that one day we will BOTH figure it out.
0
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