These sentences contain some more vague language items used in conversation which are not presented in the vocabulary section. Underline the items that make the meaning less precise. Make a note of the grammar (i.e. is the item used with nouns, adjectives, etc.?).
- Her hair’s a sort of reddish colour, and I’d say she’s, well, forty, forty-fourish.
- The garden was a bit on the big side, but it was very pretty.
- There was a kind of elasticky thing that held the two parts together, and I’ve lost it.
- They’re good shoes. They’re comfortable on long walks and that.
- I’ve been to the doctor’s and had treatments and suchlike, and I’m sure it helps in one way or another.
Possible Answer
- Her hair’s a sort of reddish colour, and I’d say she’s, well, forty, forty-fourish.
Sort of is used here with an adjective, but it can be used with almost any type of word. The -ish suffix is used here with a descriptive adjective and a number denoting age, but it is also often used with clock times, e.g. We arrived around half-past sevenish. Well is often used to make things less direct.
- The garden was a bit on the big side, but it was very pretty.
The expression a bit on the … side is used with adjectives to denote a quality that is not what we want or hope for, e.g. The living room was a bit on the dark side, but we bought some new lamps and then it was OK.
- There was a kind of elasticky thing that held the two parts together, and I’ve lost it. Kind of and sort of can both be used with adjectives and with almost any other word class. Putting the -y suffix on a noun or adjective to make it indirect or less precise occurs in informal conversation, e.g. It was a browny colour with a kind of acidy taste.
- They’re good shoes. They’re comfortable on long walks and that.
And that just means ‘and similar things’. It is very informal. Here it is used with a noun, but people often use it with verbs too, e.g. They were singing and that at the party last night.
- I’ve been to the doctor’s and had treatments and suchlike, and I’m sure it helps in one way or another.
And suchlike normally follows a plural noun, but it could also be used with an uncountable one, e.g. It’ll be useful for your work and suchlike.
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