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Recently I’ve got stumbled upon the question: What’s the difference between quite a lot, quite a few, and quite a bit?
This is very confusing considering a lot and a few have almost opposite meanings.
As far as I can see in dictionaries quite a <COUNT-WORD> is always many. Is that so, or am I missing some important difference?
Regarding the fact that I agree with you about the same meaning of quite a <COUNT-WORD> and many. I think these there have the exact same meaning but they better be used when they fit in the context of the sentence although they can be replace each other pretty freely. For example, I
So, the only thing that I can emphasize is to use a few with countable word and try to pick the best that fits to the context of the sentence.
A few only with countable nouns. Generally a low quantity. A few people helped me finish.
A bit of only with uncountable nouns. Low quantity. A bit of help goes a long way
A lot of with either countable or uncountable nouns. High quantity. A lot of people know me!
Now by adding quite to these, they reduce the idea of a lot, and they increase the ideas of a few and a bit.
Quite a few people helped me finish. Now it's a good quantity. Quite a bit of help goes a long way. Now also a good quantity. Quite a lot of people know me. Now this is not as emphasized as before, it has become a little softer.
Hope this helps!
Also, I would probably say "There are quite a lot of words on the page", but "There are quite a few words on the page" also sounds correct. However, "quite a bit" doesn't work in the same context.
