Some words in the Portuguese language are widely used in our communication. The Brazilian people are usually expressive, both in speech and in body expression, and use various adverbs, in addition to gestures, which even seem like an extension of our vocabulary, helping us to convey our ideas and thoughts.
Therefore, it is common to use the word quite when we want to intensify or refer to an idea of fraction. Therefore, the word quite it can be a fractional numeral and also an adverb of intensity. See just the examples:
Marcelo didn't sleep well, so it seemed quite tired out. (intensity)
I was quite bored, so I decided to take a walk. (intensity)
drank quite glass of water before starting the race. (fractional numeral)
The student's writing occupied only half leaf. (fractional numeral)
Catarina stayed half sad about the cancellation of the vacation trip. (intensity)
Oops, looks like we have a problem. If you are an attentive reader and are concerned about speaking and writing, you probably noticed an error in the last example given. After all, Catarina was half sad or quite sad? Should the adverb of intensity agree with the feminine noun Catarina?
Well, stay tuned for the answer: Quite, as an adverb of intensity, will always be linked to an adjective and will not suffer gender inflection, that is, if the adjective linked to the adverb is in the feminine gender, it should not suffer change. Half it will only apply when using the noun or to indicate a fractional numeral. You can say you ate half a pizza, you turned around the track, but there is no half tired, half sad, half distracted etc., except if you're referring to the noun sock, the one we wear on our feet, but we have to agree that we've never seen a sad or tired sock, have we?
To put an end to the doubt, just think of the word much. if the word much does not vary, the same should happen with the word quite:
Catarina stayed much sad about the cancellation of the vacation trip.
Catarina stayed quite sad about the cancellation of the vacation trip.
She stayed quite sad, but then, when the trip was rescheduled, it was much happy.
Now we know the correct use of the intensity adverb quite and you can already say, without fear of being happy, that you were quite in doubt, and not half in doubt.
By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters
