TASK 12. Read through the notes given below. Then do the task by uunderlining the correct word.

a/an + fairly

e.g. This is a fairly good CD, but it's not the best they've made.

2. Quite is a little stronger than fairly. If you say that the film is quite good, you are recommending it; though it is not the best film ever made, it is worth seeing. A person who speaks English quite well might even manage a difficult discussion.

quite + a/an (= enough)

e.g. This is quite a good CD, you ought to buy it.

Usually the following adjectives are used in expressions of this kind:

horrible

ridiculous

brilliant

amazing

extraordinary

useless

impossible

exhausted

certain

true

e.g. This machine is quite useless.

I'm quite certain about this.

3. Rather and pretty are stronger than the first two attributes. They mean “more than is usual” or “more than you expected» or even “more than you want”. If you say that the film is rather good, it is better than most. A person who speaks English rather well is a good linguist. If you say that a person is rather nice, you sound a bit surprised – perhaps you didn’t expect that. If you say that it is rather hot, you may feel a bit uncomfortable. Pretty is mostly used in informal style.

a rather + noun or rather a + noun

e.g. She has rather a soft voice. = She has a rather soft voice.

I expected the book to be boring, but it was rather interesting.

rather + comparative form/too

e.g. Ted is rather more experienced than Alec.

She spends rather too much money on clothes.

a/an + pretty (= usually in everyday English)

e.g. He had a pretty nasty accident the other day.

Special notes:

· Only rather can be used with adjectives in comparative and superlative degrees. E.g. David is rather older than his wife.

· Only rather can be used with the particle too. E.g. He is rather too shy for his age.

· Rather is often used in the so-called “parallel constructions”, rather … than