This document discusses vague language and provides examples of its use. It then provides a short quiz with questions about informal phrases that convey vagueness or approximation. The document concludes with a brief definition and examples of lexical phrases and fillers.

2. We use vague language when we do
not want to be (or cannot be) exact,
accurate and precise.

7. 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

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

9. 2. I need a … to open this can. Have you
got one?
a. thingummy
b. thingammy
c. thingimmy
d. thingommy

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

11. 3. I think the two houses are … the same.
a. rough
b. less or more
c. more or less
d. approximate

12. c. more or less - Correct - an
informal expression which means
'approximately' or 'roughly'
.

13. 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

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

15. 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

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

17. 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

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

19. Lexical phrases
A 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.

21. Fillers

22. Fillers
Linguistic devices used to fill a momentary
hesitation ocassioned by the real demands of
real-time processing pressure.
x