The modifier quite has been ascribed a multitude of functions in use, degree modifier and emphasiser being the common ones, but it has also been identified as a filler and an idiomatic expression in the literature. Throughout its uses at different levels of language, it is generally taken to signal contextually bound interpersonal meaning. At the same time, it has been noted to pose difficulty of interpretation for native speakers and learners alike because of its indeterminate reading. What role constructional variation plays in this, for example, in negative contexts, is still an under-researched area.

Focusing on the uses of quite in spoken British English, I will analyse and present the functions it adopts when occurring in the contexts of not/-n’t-negation and no-negation (e.g. Tottie, 1991), respectively. The former is exemplified by the first part of the title and by I don’t know quite how to say this. The latter is illustrated by No one could quite understand what was happening. The positioning of quite in the utterance will also be taken into consideration, as will a number of other usage features that are considered to be relevant from the point of view of operationalisation. Multivariate statistical tools will be used to show the patterning of quite with the negation types. The overall aim is to shed light on the “pragmatic sophistication” (Hyland, 1996) of quite in negative contexts within the general framework of usage-based linguistics.

References

Hyland, K. (1996). “I Don’t Quite Follow”: Making Sense of a Modifier. Language Awareness, v 5, pp. 91-109.

Tottie, G. (1991). Negation in English speech and writing. A Study in Variation. San Diego, New York and London: Academic Press.