Vague Language Expressions - GE 9 – 12

When we cannot or don’t want to be precise about a number, size, distance, time, etc.

We use certain expression to show what we are saying is not an exact number, time, etc.

A. Approximately

Approximately	Examples
Somewhere in the region of	I spend somewhere in the region of $50 a month on train fares.
Roughly	It is roughly 25 km from home to here.
-odd	There were about fifty-odd people at the party.
Give or take	It takes me an hour to get to work, give or take 10 minutes.
Or so	I am going to visit my sister in a week or so.
-ish	After class I get home about 8.30ish.
Around	I go to bed around 11 p.m.

We can use around and about wit age, time, or number.

She is about/around 30.

I will see you about/around 9 p.m.

I have got about/around eight pairs of shoes.

We can use -odd after age or number but not after time.

He is 50-odd.

We need 40-odd chairs.

I will write at ten-odd.

We usually use – odd with number that can be divided by 10.

We can use -ish with age, time, and some adjectives.

She is fiftyish, not fifty twoish.

See you about eightish.

She is tallish.

He has got reddish hair.

We can say loads of or a load of.

I have got loads of / a load of work to this evening.

B. A large amount

A large amount	Examples
Tons of (informal)	I have got tons of work to do.
Loads of (informal)	Loads of my friends have bikes.
The vast majority of	The vast majority of people in my country rent their homes.
A great deal of	A great deal of my time is spent answering emails.
A huge amount of	Some people I know spend a huge amount of money on clothes.