A friend of mine recently said, "I will meet you on campus." This is clearly an example of a vague sentence. This statement brings up many questions. First off, what campus are we meeting at? My friend and I may have two different campuses in mind. The second question is, where specifically on campus are we meeting? There are so many different areas on campus that we could meet up that we would have a difficult time finding each other if we did not specify a landmark or building to meet at. My friend's statement also does not let me know what time we are going to meet up. If my friend had been more specific, then I would not have been confused as to where we were meeting. After reading about vague sentences in the textbook and being a part of a real life example, I will try to be less vague in my writing and everyday conversation.
I really like the example that you used. I have noticed that most of us assume that when we say something, even if it’s vague, that people would immediately get what we’re talking about. Like what you mentioned in your post, just by simply saying “campus” can mean any campus anywhere in the world, really. You’re also right about how not only the campus was not given in the statement, but also where specifically in the campus also makes it even more of a vague sentence. I personally like how you used an example that many students can relate to, and don’t even notice that we use it. All in all, excellent example! Keep up the great job :)
ReplyDeleteHey there Kenny. I know exactly what you are trying to prove with your example. I like your example, because it offers commonality with others. I have had to face similar situations with my friends too. I do have something to add on top of what you said. I just feel that there are a lot of people who use the "vague" concept to lure people in. Just like how they do marketing. I say this because I was lured in by my friend recently with a vague text. I accepted that offer and later on my friend gives me detail after we get to the place. I completely agree with how people need to give a detailed option for it to make sense. I like your example :).
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