it quite was

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it quite was" is not correct and usable in written English.
It may be an attempt to emphasize a statement, but the correct structure would typically be "it was quite." Example: "It was quite surprising to see him at the event."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"We've seen out of Pedro where he's pitched a couple nights in a row, and a lot of times the third night or the day off all of a sudden his fastball isn't what it quite was," Collins said.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Except it's not quite, is it?

BBC

It was quite extreme.

The New York Times - Arts

It was quite explicit.

The Guardian

It was quite terrible".

Independent

It was quite refreshing.

Independent

It was quite advanced".

The New York Times - Magazine

"It was quite embarrassing".

The New York Times

It was quite something.

The New York Times

It was quite exciting".

The New York Times

"It was quite noisy".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to emphasize a statement, use the correct form "it was quite" or stronger alternatives like "it really was".

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "it quite was" as it violates standard English grammar rules. The correct structure is "it was quite."

Linguistic Context

Incorrect phrase. The typical use case would be to add emphasis, but "it quite was" is not grammatically accepted in standard English. Ludwig AI flags this as an incorrect usage. The correct form is "it was quite".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "it quite was" is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English, as highlighted by Ludwig. The correct phrasing is "it was quite". While our analysis identified a single example of its usage in News & Media, this does not legitimize the structure. For emphasis, it's preferable to use structures like ""it really was"" or ""it certainly was"". Avoid using "it quite was" in both formal and informal writing to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it really was

Emphasizes the truth of a previous statement with "really" instead of "quite".

it truly was

Replaces "quite" with "truly" to strengthen the affirmation.

it certainly was

Uses "certainly" to convey confidence in the truth of the statement.

it absolutely was

Substitutes "quite" with "absolutely" for a stronger emphasis.

it definitely was

Uses "definitely" to express certainty about the fact.

it indeed was

Replaces "quite" with "indeed" for a formal affirmation.

it actually was

Emphasizes that something was true, potentially contrary to expectations.

it in fact was

Similar to "actually", indicating something was true as a matter of fact.

it so was

Expresses agreement or confirmation in a simple form.

that was quite it

Indicates the end of something, using a different sentence structure.

FAQs

How to correct the phrase "it quite was"?

The correct phrase is "it was quite". The adverb "quite" should precede the verb "was".

What are some alternatives to "it quite was"?

Alternatives include "it really was", "it truly was", or "it certainly was" depending on the desired emphasis.

Is "it quite was" ever grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "it quite was" does not follow standard English grammar rules. The word order is incorrect.

How can I emphasize a statement without using "it quite was"?

Use phrases like "it was very", "it was extremely", or "it was remarkably" followed by an appropriate adjective to emphasize your statement.