vague language

We use vague language when we do not want to be (or cannot be) exact,

accurate and precise.

For each of the six questions choose the one correct answer.

1. Is rugby … American football?

a. sort of

b. kind of similar

c. kind of

d. sort of like

d. sort of like – Correct – the two sports are similar, but not 100% the same.

2. I need a … to open this can. Have you got one?

a. thingummy

b. thingammy

c. thingimmy

d. thingommy

a. thingummy - Correct – this is the correct spelling.

3. I think the two houses are … the same.

a. rough

b. less or more

c. more or less

d. approximate

c. more or less - Correct - an informal expression which means

'approximately' or 'roughly' .

4. He’s a workaholic. He always works late … .

a. and that all sort of thing

b. and all that sort of thing

c. and of all that sort thing

d. all of that sort and thing

b. and all that sort of thing - Correct – this is the correct word order.

5. I’m ... angry because you left all this … in the sink.

a. sort / stuff

b. roughly / things

c. sort of / thing

d. kind of / stuff

d. kind of / stuff - Correct – ‘kind of’ before adjectives, ‘stuff’ after ‘this’.

6. She’s got … hair and she’s … 1.5m tall.

a. more or less red / ish

b. blondish / sort of

c. reddish / about

d. about blonde / roughly

c. reddish / about - Correct – notice the doubling of the final letter of red.

Lexical phrasesA lexical phrase is a group of words which forms a

grammatical unit of some kind and which exhibits a degree of ‘inflexibility’. As to the last feature, some lexical phrases are totally 'frozen' (unchangeable) while others are rather variable:

Invariable phrases: by and large, as well, let alone, so be it

There are a few small things that I don't like about my job, but by and large it's very enjoyable.

Somewhat variable phrases: Don’t rock the boat, She’s rocking the boat…[rock the boat = ‘disturb the institutional status quo’]

Don't rock the boat until the negotiations are finished.

Fillers

Fillers

Linguistic devices used to fill a momentary hesitation ocassioned by the real demands of

real-time processing pressure.

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