‘I don't quite follow’: Making sense of a modifier

The ability to use modal devices appropriately is an area of language learning apparently impervious to naturalistic acquisition by L2 learners (Kasper & Blum‐Kulker, 1993). However, the high frequency of such devices encourages us to believe their meanings are unproblematic and they often remain unanalysed by teachers. One example of this in English is quite. The precise meaning of this word is fuzzy, particularly in British varieties of English, and often creates interpretive difficulties for both native speakers and learners. This paper takes a close look at quite to discover how it is used and understood. To do this it (a) examines published pedagogic materials, (b) investigates reader interpretations of authentic samples, and (c) analyses the practices of experienced writers. The analysis shows that quite is highly context‐sensitive and has an essentially indeterminate epistemic meaning. It can function to express certainty or to convey a tentative and deliberative tone to either a proposition or an audience. By explicitly focusing on these uses in real texts, students can learn to both express meanings with greater subtlety and interpret speaker intentions more clearly. Suggestions for designing consciousness‐raising activities for the classroom are suggested.