Use of "quite"

Question

I would like to know whether the following sentence is correct:When I lived in Rome I couldn't speak Italian quite well.Thank you

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

Quite doesn't sound very good to my ear after couldn't speak even though I couldn't quite understand what he meant is fine with my ear. I would prefer very well in your sentence, I just don't know why! Perhaps someone else can come up with the answer.

CB

BillJ · Answer

Cool BreezeQuite doesn't sound very good to my ear after couldn't speak even though I couldn't quite understand what he meant is fine with my ear. I would prefer very well in your sentence, I just don't know why! Perhaps someone else can come up with the answer.

Generally, when we express the degree that we can't do something to, it implies that we can do it, but to a lesser degree. So when we say 'I can't do something very well', it means that we can do it 'quite well' (i.e. a lesser degree). But there is no lesser degree than 'quite', so that's why it doesn't sound right to say that we 'can't do something quite well' because there is no level below 'quite' that we can do it to.

So, 'When I lived in Rome I couldn't speak Italian quite well', should either be: '....I couldn't speak Italian at all', or ' .....I couldn't speak Italian very well'.

If that makes sense!

BillJ

Use of "quite"

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