is not very talkative

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is not very talkative" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone who tends to speak little or is reserved in conversation. Example: "During the meeting, she is not very talkative, preferring to listen instead." Alternative expressions include "is not very chatty" and "is somewhat reserved."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

He is not very talkative, but possesses a brilliant mind for warfare, and this is reflected in the Master Chief's abilities.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

She was not very talkative, he said, and he believed that she had dropped out of school a few years ago.

The New York Times

Patients often indicated the lack of information regarding their disease: "I have no information*", "As with a lot of treatments, in medicine, they are not very talkative about why you have to take a treatment, what it does, the inconveniences, you don't know any of these*".

BMC Health Services Research

"This incredibly unlucky fellow wasn't very talkative as he was in a great deal of pain when we arrived at the hospital," on Sunday, the statement said.

The Guardian

I wasn't very talkative like the others but I was listening intently at the conversations they were having, paying attention to all the faces, and most of them fit the prison mold.

Vice

He's not very talkative".

The New Yorker

For years, Monley was not very talkative and had very disruptive behavior in school.

Huffington Post

But he wasn't really talkative.

Vice

I also tend to talk a lot if you are not a very talkative person so apologies in advance.

Cornell University

Word of the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G first broke around the time Team TechCrunch was roaming the cavernous halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES, but at the time T-Mobile wasn't feeling very talkative about release dates.

TechCrunch

But those who did agree to the survey were often very talkative.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "is not very talkative" when you want to describe a person's character in a neutral or slightly polite way. It is less blunt than calling someone "silent" or "antisocial".

Common error

Writers sometimes mistakenly place the adverb after the adjective, such as saying "is not talkative very", which is grammatically incorrect in English. Always keep "very" immediately before the adjective it modifies.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is not very talkative" functions as a descriptive predicate. It consists of the linking verb "is", the negative particle "not", the intensifying adverb "very" and the adjective "talkative". According to Ludwig, it is used to qualify a subject's social behavior by indicating a low frequency of speech without implying a total absence of it.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "is not very talkative" is a highly effective and grammatically correct way to describe individuals who are reserved or quiet. Ludwig analysis shows that the phrase is common in high-quality journalism and descriptive writing because it provides a nuanced view of personality; it suggests a person doesn't speak much without assigning a negative value to that trait. Ludwig AI confirms that the structure is standard and widely accepted. When writing, remember that this phrase is often used as a setup for a 'but' clause—for instance, noting that someone "is not very talkative" but is nevertheless observant or intelligent. For more formal contexts, consider alternatives like "reserved" or "taciturn", but for general descriptive purposes, this phrase remains a versatile staple of English prose.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is quite reserved

Suggests a more formal or intentional social restraint

doesn't say much

More informal and common in everyday conversation

speaks very little

Focuses on the action of speaking rather than a personality trait

tends to be quiet

Softer and describes a general inclination rather than a fixed state

is a person of few words

An idiomatic expression that often implies wisdom or directness

has a quiet demeanor

Describes the person's overall presence or outward behavior

is somewhat taciturn

A more academic or literary alternative

is not particularly communicative

Slightly more clinical or professional in tone

is less than chatty

Uses understatement for a slightly more descriptive tone

keeps to themselves

Implies a lack of social interaction beyond just speaking

FAQs

How to use "is not very talkative" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a person's behavior in social settings, for example: "My brother <a href="/s/is+not+very+talkative" target="_blank" rel="alternative">is not very talkative at parties, but he is a great listener."

What can I say instead of "is not very talkative"?

Depending on your context, you might use phrases like "<a href="/s/is+quite+reserved" target="_blank" rel="alternative">is quite reserved", "<a href="/s/is+a+quiet+person" target="_blank" rel="alternative">is a quiet person", or "<a href="/s/speaks+sparingly" target="_blank" rel="alternative">speaks sparingly".

Is "is not very talkative" considered polite?

Yes, it is generally considered a polite and neutral way to describe someone. If you want to sound even more professional, you could say the person "<a href="/s/is+somewhat+taciturn" target="_blank" rel="alternative">is somewhat taciturn" or "<a href="/s/is+of+a+reserved+nature" target="_blank" rel="alternative">is of a reserved nature".

What is the difference between "is not very talkative" and "is quiet"?

While similar, "<a href="/s/is+quiet" target="_blank" rel="alternative">is quiet" is more general and can refer to a person's voice or physical presence, whereas "is not very talkative" specifically refers to the frequency of their verbal communication.