Fiche à imprimer : Quite, rather, fairly, pretty : nuancer avec les adverbes de degré

Pour éviter de toujours dire very, l'anglais a toute une gamme d'adverbes qui nuancent un adjectif.

Adverbe	Force	Exemple
a bit / a little	un peu (souvent négatif)	It's a bit expensive.
fairly	assez (modéré)	The test was fairly easy.
quite	assez, plutôt	The film was quite good.
pretty	assez, plutôt (familier)	That's pretty cool!
rather	plutôt (souvent une surprise ou une critique)	It's rather cold today.
very / really	très	She's very talented.
extremely / incredibly	extrêmement	It was extremely dangerous.

La place de quite et rather

Avec un nom, quite se place avant l'article : quite a good film. Rather peut se placer avant ou après : rather a long day ou a rather long day. Fairly et pretty se placent après : a fairly easy test.

Attention avec quite

Devant un adjectif « absolu » (perfect, right, impossible, sure, amazing), quite signifie complètement : You're quite right (tu as entièrement raison). Et l'intonation compte : un quite good prononcé sans enthousiasme peut vouloir dire « pas terrible ».

The hotel was rather noisy, but the food was pretty good. / I'm quite sure.

L'hôtel était plutôt bruyant, mais la nourriture était assez bonne. / J'en suis tout à fait sûr.

Mise en situation : le retour d'un séjour

Chloe : How was your trip to Edinburgh?

Comment s'est passé ton voyage à Édimbourg ?

Theo : Pretty good! The city is quite beautiful, but it was rather cold.

Plutôt bien ! La ville est assez belle, mais il faisait plutôt froid.

Chloe : And the hotel?

Et l'hôtel ?

Theo : It was a bit noisy and fairly expensive. But the castle was extremely impressive!

Il était un peu bruyant et assez cher. Mais le château était extrêmement impressionnant !

À retenir

a bit < fairly < quite / pretty < rather < very < extremely.
quite a + nom (quite a good film) ; a fairly / pretty + adjectif + nom.
rather : souvent une critique (rather cold) ; pretty : familier.
quite + adjectif absolu = complètement (quite right).

Exercice 1 : Quite, rather, fairly, pretty : exercice 1 (QCM)

« C'était un assez bon film. »
1. It was quite good a film.
2. It was a quite good film.
3. It was quite a good film.
« Tu as entièrement raison. »
1. You're a bit right.
2. You're fairly right.
3. You're quite right.
« C'est un peu cher. »
1. It's a bit expensive.
2. It's a few expensive.
3. It's a little of expensive.
Lequel est familier ?
1. fairly
2. pretty
3. extremely
« Il fait plutôt froid aujourd'hui. » (critique)
1. It's cold rather today.
2. It's rather of cold today.
3. It's rather cold today.
« un test assez facile »
1. fairly an easy test
2. a fairly easy test
3. an easy fairly test
« extrêmement dangereux »
1. extremely dangerous
2. extremly dangerous
3. extreme dangerous
Quel adverbe est le plus fort ?
1. a bit
2. extremely
3. fairly
« J'en suis tout à fait sûr. »
1. I'm fairly sure of.
2. I'm a bit sure.
3. I'm quite sure.
« C'est plutôt cool ! » (familier)
1. That's pretty cool!
2. That's pretty of cool!
3. That's prettily cool!

Exercice 2 : Quite, rather, fairly, pretty : exercice 2 (à compléter)

The exam was .......................... easy. (assez)
It was .......................... a good party. (assez, avant a)
This jacket is a .......................... too big. (un peu)
It's .......................... cold for June. (plutôt, critique)
You're quite .......................... . (as entièrement raison)
The view was .......................... beautiful. (extrêmement)
That's .......................... cool! (assez, familier)
I'm quite .......................... he'll come. (tout à fait sûr)
She's a .......................... good singer. (assez)
We had .......................... a long journey. (plutôt)

Exercice 3 : Quite, rather, fairly, pretty : mise en situation

Ton ami te demande comment était le film : assez bon, sans plus.
1. It was good quite.
2. It was quite good.
3. It was quite a good.
Tu trouves le jean un peu cher.
1. They're a few expensive.
2. They're a bit expensive.
3. They're a little of expensive.
Tu dis à ton ami qu'il a entièrement raison.
1. You're a bit right.
2. You're quite right.
3. You're fairly right.
Tu racontes que l'hôtel était plutôt bruyant.
1. The hotel was rather noisy.
2. The hotel was noisy rather.
3. The hotel was rather of noisy.
Tu dis que c'était une assez bonne soirée.
1. It was a good quite evening.
2. It was quite a good evening.
3. It was a quite good evening.
Tu dis (familier) que le concert était plutôt génial.
1. The concert was prettily great!
2. The concert was pretty of great!
3. The concert was pretty great!
Tu dis que le test était assez facile.
1. The test was easy fairly.
2. The test was fairly easy.
3. The test was fairly of easy.
Tu dis que l'escalade était extrêmement dangereuse.
1. The climb was extremly dangerous.
2. The climb was extremely dangerous.
3. The climb was extreme dangerous.
Tu es tout à fait sûr de ta réponse.
1. I'm quite sure.
2. I'm a bit sure.
3. I'm pretty of sure.
Tu dis que la journée a été plutôt longue.
1. It's been a day long rather.
2. It's been rather a long day.
3. It's been a long rather day.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. c) It was quite a good film. · 2. c) You're quite right. · 3. a) It's a bit expensive. · 4. b) pretty · 5. c) It's rather cold today. · 6. b) a fairly easy test · 7. a) extremely dangerous · 8. b) extremely · 9. c) I'm quite sure. · 10. a) That's pretty cool!

Exercice 2

1. fairly · 2. quite · 3. bit · 4. rather · 5. right · 6. extremely · 7. pretty · 8. sure · 9. fairly · 10. rather

Exercice 3

1. b) It was quite good. · 2. b) They're a bit expensive. · 3. b) You're quite right. · 4. a) The hotel was rather noisy. · 5. b) It was quite a good evening. · 6. c) The concert was pretty great! · 7. b) The test was fairly easy. · 8. b) The climb was extremely dangerous. · 9. a) I'm quite sure. · 10. b) It's been rather a long day.