Ch 30 · Lesson 18English · Chapter 30 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
Eightish, or so, and stuff: being vague
See you at eightish, an hour or so, about twenty people, thirty-odd: how to make a number vague. And stuff and things, for what you don't need to name.
The short version
About goes before the number, or so after it
.
Why?Hide
To make a number less exact, put about or around before it, or or so after it: about twenty people, an hour or so. The ending -ish works on times and ages: see you at eightish. After a round number, -odd means a few more: thirty-odd people.
-ish: about, more or less
Add -ish to a word and it means , or :
| Word with -ish | It means |
|---|---|
eightish | o' |
fiftyish | |
greenish | |
smallish |
It is informal and spoken. People make new -ish words all the time, and everyone understands them.
It can even be a whole answer: ? - Ish.
That means: a little, not really.
Vague numbers: about, or so, -odd
English often makes numbers less exact. and go before the number; goes after it:
| Where | Example |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| |
| |
- |
Thirty-odd means thirty, or a few more. It usually goes after round numbers: twenty-odd, forty-odd. Or so goes with amounts: time, money, people. Not it's blue or so.
The vague number is often the honest one: you are guessing, and you say so.
Stuff and things
and stand for whatever does not need a name.
..
Stuff is uncountable: my stuff is in the car, never my stuffs. Things is the plural of thing.
or ends a list early. The listener fills in the rest:
.In speech this is normal. In a report, name what you mean.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| my stuffs | my stuff | uncountable. |
| an hour or such | an hour or so | phrase . |
| a bit a problem | a bit of a problem | noun: . |
| sort of in an essay | somewhat | Hedges . |
Going further: Sort of and kind of and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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