Assignment 2) Use an example from everyday life: Describe a vague sentence or ambiguous sentence you have heard recently. Where did you hear this sentence? An advertisement? Was it a conversation with a friend? What qualified the sentence as vague or ambiguous?
Description of a vague/ambiguous sentence: A vague or ambiguous sentence is one that holds several different interpretations, often resulting from the use of words that hold several different meanings (ex: round, nothing.) The speaker determines what the true meaning of these sentences are, which causes confusion among listeners often.
Example of a vague/ambiguous sentence: Last night as I was talking to a friend about when he was going to arrive at my house I heard a vague sentence, the friend told me that he would be arriving at my house, "pretty late." This statement was vague because it did not help me decipher when he would be arriving at my house at all, was midnight late, or perhaps three in the morning was late? This statement made me ask another question to figure out exactly when he would be arriving, demonstrating a problem inherent in vague statements. There are some proper ways to use vague sentences though, most importantly when using questions, such as "Do you want all of this?" or "Can I get you anything else?" these types of open-ended questions allow the listener to respond in a precise manner.
Hey James!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to say thank you for commenting on my blog and I figured I would return the favor!
I liked your description of a vague and ambiguous sentence. It was really informative, helpful, and an accurate depiction. Your example was appealing because I think all of us have dealt with the phrase, “I might be there late” or like you said, “pretty late”. Well how late is late? 15 maybe 20 minutes, an hour? I hate when my friends do that! The way you explained how the sentence was vague was a great way of connecting back to why vague sentences are a problem.
"i might be there late" is a good example. I am responsible for my organization being on time when we are asked. For example, every Monday at 5pm there is a council meeting for fraternity and sorority organizations. I have to make sure there is a delegate and taking good notes. If the person says he will be late, i am responsible to find someone or i will have to go. I have other responsibilities to take care of, but sometimes being President of an organization, I have to be there for whatever happens. Basically, I would appreciate if people keep their word. Communication is key. We have to appreciate that people tell us they will be late, I guess.
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