Learn English – Which position does “really” and “quite” go

adverb-positionadverbsconundrumword-order

I know really is an adverb, and one that intensifies the verb. I also know that some adverbs go only in the beginning; in the middle or at the end of a sentence, and some can be placed in all three positions.

Take for example the phrase: I don't care

  • I really don't care

  • I don't really care

  • I don't care really

These three sound OK, but maybe I'm wrong? Could someone please describe the differences in meaning?

Ws2 suggested using don't know with quite in the comments below.

  • I quite don't know

  • I don't quite know

  • I don't know quite

Only the second one sounds acceptable. Why is that?

Best Answer

Of your "really" examples:

  1. I really don't care

  2. I don't really care

  3. I don't care really

I would claim that (3) needs a comma and it has the same meaning as (2).

I don't care, really

(2) and (3), therefore, roughly mean, "I am mostly apathetic about this." (1) means, "I very much do not care about this. [Stop bothering me.]"


There isn't anything inherently ungrammatical about your "quite" examples but they aren't typically used in American English. The most common would be (2): "I don't quite care [but I almost do.]" I've never encountered the other two.

If you look at "quite" in other contexts, this pattern plays out:

  1. I quite didn't make the meeting on time.

  2. I didn't quite make the meeting on time.

  3. I didn't make the meeting quite on time.

  4. I didn't make the meeting on time quite.

The only examples that are used in American English are (2) and (3). Contrast this with "really":

  1. I really didn't make the meeting on time.

  2. I didn't really make the meeting on time.

  3. I didn't make the meeting really on time.

  4. I didn't make the meeting on time, really.

(1) and (2) are common, (3) would sound weird but I can imagine someone saying it and (4) only works with the commma.