a quite satisfactory

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a quite satisfactory" is not correct in standard English usage.
The correct form would be "quite satisfactory" without the article "a." Example: "The results of the experiment were quite satisfactory, meeting all the expected outcomes."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

"I thought it was a quite satisfactory turnout".

The New York Times

Add to this the Colline of John Relyea, looking like a Daumier caricature as he exercised his increasingly limber, impressive voice, and Earle Patriarco as a solid Schaunard, and the result was a quite satisfactory "Bohème".

The New York Times - Arts

A bit of doubt was thrown into what the Blix report would say after a spokesman for Mr. ElBaradei said in Vienna that Mr. Hussein would get a "quite satisfactory" grade for cooperating with nuclear inspectors.

The New York Times

A quite satisfactory blackened salmon ($16) was accompanied by bland, sticky clumps of supposedly "sweet corn" grits, while a delicate catfish fillet in the fish and chips ($15) was overwhelmed by its hefty cornmeal crust.

The New York Times

Analysts predict 1998 share earnings of $1.50, representing a quite satisfactory 15.3% return on shareholders' equity.

Forbes

As a matter of fact, a quite satisfactory performance using very low feature dimension is achieved.

Brain Informatics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

The spokesman, Mark Gwozdecky, told The Associated Press that "their report card will be a 'B' -- quite satisfactory".

The New York Times

Three paragraphs later, he was quoted as saying, "We believe this study generally reveals a positive and quite satisfactory picture of the treatment of lawyers and parties and witnesses".

The New York Times

Using hydrogen peroxide in a scrubbing tower gave quite satisfactory results for hydrogen sulphide, and encouraging ones for methylmercaptan.

Chemical Engineering Science

The Brusselator oscillator is employed as a case study to show that the synthesized controllers, though optimizing a lower bound, provide quite satisfactory control performance.

Automatica

While significant, such a gain is not quite satisfactory.

Algorithms for Molecular Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for grammatically sound writing, omit the article "a" before "quite satisfactory". The correct usage is simply "quite satisfactory".

Common error

Writers sometimes mistakenly include the article "a" before "quite satisfactory", potentially due to a misunderstanding of adverb-adjective combinations. Always remember that "quite" modifies "satisfactory" directly, without needing an article.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a quite satisfactory" functions as a modifier, aiming to describe something as being at an acceptable or sufficient level. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the inclusion of the article "a" is grammatically questionable.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a quite satisfactory" is used to express a level of contentment or approval; however, its grammatical correctness is questionable, with the article "a" being generally omitted in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests that the correct form is quite satisfactory. While the phrase appears in various contexts, including news and scientific sources, it's important to be mindful of grammatical conventions and opt for the standard form to ensure clarity and accuracy in writing. Alternatives such as "very satisfactory" or "fairly satisfactory" can also be used depending on the intended degree of satisfaction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite satisfactory

Omits the article "a", adhering to standard English grammar for adverbs modifying adjectives.

a very satisfactory

Replaces "quite" with "very", altering the degree of satisfaction while maintaining grammatical correctness.

a reasonably satisfactory

Substitutes "quite" with "reasonably", indicating a more moderate level of satisfaction.

a fairly satisfactory

Uses "fairly" instead of "quite", suggesting a slightly lower degree of satisfaction.

an entirely satisfactory

Replaces "quite" with "entirely", emphasizing complete satisfaction.

a perfectly satisfactory

Employs "perfectly" instead of "quite", conveying an ideal level of satisfaction.

a completely satisfactory

Utilizes "completely" to replace "quite", stressing a full sense of satisfaction.

a mostly satisfactory

Changes "quite" to "mostly", implying that satisfaction is present for the majority of aspects.

a largely satisfactory

Replaces "quite" with "largely", denoting a substantial amount of satisfaction.

a generally satisfactory

Substitutes "quite" with "generally", pointing towards satisfaction being prevalent in most cases.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "a quite satisfactory"?

No, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The standard English usage is to omit the article "a" and simply say "quite satisfactory".

What are some alternatives to "a quite satisfactory"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "very satisfactory", "fairly satisfactory", or "reasonably satisfactory".

Why is "a quite satisfactory" considered incorrect?

The word "quite" functions as an adverb modifying the adjective "satisfactory". In standard English, adverbs do not require an article before them when modifying an adjective. The phrase quite satisfactory directly conveys the intended meaning.

How can I ensure I'm using "quite satisfactory" correctly in my writing?

Always omit the article "a" before "quite satisfactory". For example, instead of saying "The result was a quite satisfactory outcome", say "The result was quite satisfactory".