{"id":1924,"date":"2015-04-28T04:59:56","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T04:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eoisabi.org\/?p=1924"},"modified":"2026-04-12T21:52:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T21:52:48","slug":"functional-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/englishroam.com\/?p=1924","title":{"rendered":"Functional language"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n

\"GREETINGS\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022\u2192\u00a0English greetings<\/a>\u00a0\u2190<\/strong>[introducing yourself & other people]<\/p>\n

\"bye\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Farewell\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2190 There are many ways of bidding someone\u00a0farewell\u00a0\u2192<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Some are very<\/em> specific;\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

others<\/em> restricted <\/em><\/strong>to some territories.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a4 \u00a0Vagueness in spoken English\"Vagueness\"<\/a><\/span><\/h6>\n

Vague language is words and phrases that aren’t very exact or precise. You might want to use these phrases if you aren’t sure of all the details of something, to speak informally in a friendly way, or perhaps just to save time in a conversation!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a6 \u00a0Vague nouns<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The word\u00a0thing<\/i><\/b>\u00a0refers to objects which aren’t described – we don’t know what the objects are, only that they exist! So in the sentence ‘There are a few things I’m not happy about’,\u00a0<\/i>we don’t know what the speaker is unhappy about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bit\u00a0<\/i><\/b>often refers to a part or section of something. Both\u00a0bit\u00a0<\/b><\/i>and\u00a0thing<\/i><\/b>\u00a0can be used if we don’t know the English word for something or if we’ve forgotten it – ‘I’ve broken my stapler… I dropped it and the bit which holds the paper in place snapped.’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The word\u00a0stuff\u00a0<\/i><\/b>refers to more than one object. It is a non-count noun.\u00a0‘There’s loads of stuff in the attic – can you have a look and see if any of it’s yours?’\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

It can also be used to talk about ideas or words:\u00a0‘All this stuff in his speech about workers’ rights… do you think he actually meant any of that?’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a6 \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Quantifiers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Most quantifiers are quite vague. In this programme we looked at how the words\u00a0one or two<\/i><\/b>\u00a0can refer to three, four or five things.\u00a0‘I expect the meeting will be quite short. We only have one or two things to discuss.’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Other quantifiers include:\u00a0a\u00a0few<\/b><\/i>,\u00a0a\u00a0couple<\/b>\u00a0of<\/i>,\u00a0a\u00a0lot<\/b>\u00a0of<\/i>,\u00a0plenty<\/i><\/b>\u00a0of<\/i>,\u00a0loads<\/i><\/b>\u00a0of<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a6\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 Vagueness and numbers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Some words allow you to give more detail than a quantifier but are still vague. You can use\u00a0around<\/b><\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0about<\/b><\/i>\u00a0to give a vague idea of a number. They can be used to give an idea of time or age too.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘There’s about two hundred people outside.’
\n‘It must be around three o’clock now.’
\n‘He’s about fifty, fifty-five maybe.’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

You can use the word\u00a0odd<\/i><\/b>\u00a0to give an idea of a number (but not to indicate age or time). This is informal English.\u00a0‘Did you know there are loads of people outside? Must be 200-odd out there.’\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Slightly more formal, you can use\u00a0or so<\/i><\/b>\u00a0in the same way.\u00a0‘There are thirty or so leaflets there. Do you think you could fold them for me?’\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Note that the phrase\u00a0more or less<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is\u00a0not<\/b>\u00a0usually used with numbers. It means ‘almost’, and we often use it to indicate if something is finished. ‘I’m more or less done here… I just need to double-check these sums before I print it off.’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a6<\/strong>\u00a0-ish<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You can add\u00a0-ish\u00a0<\/i><\/b>to give a vague indication of the time:\u00a0‘I usually get home about sixish, maybe half-six, depending on traffic.’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

You can also add\u00a0-ish<\/b><\/i>\u00a0to some adjectives. Used like this, it means ‘a little’ or ‘slightly’.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘She has reddish hair.’
\n‘He’s a tallish guy… maybe 6 foot?’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

-ish\u00a0<\/i><\/b>is informal English and you can use it creatively. It can even be used on its own to mean ‘a little bit’.<\/span><\/p>\n

A: ‘Are you hungry yet?’<\/i><\/span>
\n B: ‘Ish. I could eat, if you’re hungry.’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a6<\/strong>\u00a0 sort of, kind of<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

These are useful phrases for giving a description of someone. They qualify a statement slightly, so if someone says, ‘She has sort of reddish hair,\u00a0<\/i>it is understood that this person’s hair is not completely red – it might be a little bit brown. It is not the description that is vague here, but the colour itself!<\/span><\/p>\n

In some contexts, the phrase means ‘in some ways’: ‘It’s kind of crazy how they advertise jobs you can’t actually apply for.’<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\u03a6\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 and stuff, and everything, and so on<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

These phrases can save you from giving a long list of things. If someone says,\u00a0She’s a typical little girl really – into dolls and pretty dresses and stuff,’\u00a0<\/i>the speaker is saying that the girl is interested in dolls, pretty dresses and things similar to dolls and pretty dresses. The speaker has used two examples of her interests with ‘and stuff’\u00a0<\/i>to give us a vague idea of her personality.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘They sell loads of really cool stuff – all vintage dresses and everything.’\u00a0<\/i>In this example, the shop sells vintage dresses and other related things – possibly, antique jewellery, shoes and hats.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u221e \u00a0Reference:\u2192\u00a0Vague expressions<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u21d0[quiz]<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h5>\n

– One straight-to-the point lesson by Kenneth Beare<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

(\u00a9) \u00a0Language & expressions used when \u2192GUESSING\u2190<\/a>, which we do more often than we think.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2660 \u00a0 \u2192Conversation fillers<\/a> \u21d0\"print\"<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2660 \u00a0\u2192Functional language frequently used in speech<\/a>\u00a0\u2190<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2660 \u00a0\u2192Language used in responses & replies<\/a>\u00a0\u2190
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2660\u00a0\u2192Thanking & responding<\/a>\u00a0\u2190<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2217\u2192\u00a0\u00a0 Asking & Giving directions<\/a>\u00a0\u2190\u00a0. . .<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Directions vocabulary (PDF)<\/a>\u00a0\u21d0
\n<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Giving directions: Showing Places of Interest<\/a>\u00a0\u21d0<\/span><\/div>\n

\"permission\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a4<\/strong>\u00a0Typical phrases used at various levels … (Basic <\/strong>through Advanced<\/strong>)<\/a>\u2190Functional language<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2192www.ihbristol.com\/useful-english-expressions<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2190<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2192englishinbarcelona.wordpress.com\/speaking\/<\/a>\u2190<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h6>\n

\u2022\u2192How to Offer Help<\/a> \u21d0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u221e \u00a0Making invitations: accepting & declining\u21d0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u00a0Suggestions & Advice … <\/strong>\u21d2\u00a0[01]<\/a>\u00a0\u21d4\u00a0[02]<\/a>\u00a0\u21d4\u00a0[03]<\/a>\u00a0\u21d0<\/p>\n

\u2022\u2192Making offers<\/a>\u00a0— <\/strong>\u00abI’ll…\u00bb \/ \u00abShall I…\u00bb \/ \u00abLet me…<\/strong> \u00a0(help you with your luggage)\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2660 \u00a0How to make \u00a0requests<\/strong>\u00a0 \u21d3 (and respond) …\u00a0\u2192[quiz 01]<\/a>\u00a0\u21d4\u00a0[quiz 02]\u2190<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n