1. Another important source of confusion in real life
Chapter 3; third part of 3.
VAGUENESS!
Another important source of confusion in real life

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YOU: Dr. Teacher, Dr. Teacher! I missed class! What’s the reading assignment?
DR. TEACHER: Read a lot.
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“Read a lot????” That’s pretty vague.
A statement is too VAGUE when it lacks enough detail for our purposes.
A judgment call.
But reasonable people agree that “Read a lot” is too vague for a reading assignment.
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Which is more vague?
Jeremy turned his ankle.
Jeremy turned to religion.
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Which is more vague?
Oswald was dealt a full house.
Oswald is not playing with a full deck.
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Which is more vague?
My car turns on a dime.
These scales turn on a hair.
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In your judgment, is the italicized term too vague given the implied context?
“I’d just like a regular haircut, please.”
There is no “correct” answer, BUT:
Seems pretty vague to this teacher.
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In your judgment, is the italicized term too vague given the implied context?
“If you get ready for bed quickly, Mommy has a surprise for you.”
Seems just right, no?
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9. Too vague given the implied context?
“Let’s have a little less noise, for God’s sake! I’m trying to sleep!!”
Seems just right!
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10. Too vague given the implied context?
“To avoid unsafe levels of carbon monoxide, do not set the wick on your kerosene stove too high.”
Seems pretty darn vague.
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11. Too vague, in your opinion?
“Nothing short of total victory is acceptable in Iraq.”
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12. Too vague given the implied context?
“War on Terrorism”
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13. Anything wrong with any of these?
“Today we face a crisis in higher education.”
“What should be done about immigration?”
“In this company, you need to be creative. You need to think outside the box.”
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If a term is too vague or is ambiguous or is otherwise unclear, what you need is what?
E.g. Define “total victory.” What do you mean by “too high”? What is a “regular haircut”?
A definition.
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The text discusses three types of definition. The main point is to do whatever it takes to make a concept clear.
But one type of definition deserves special attention…
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“What is a conservative? I’ll tell you what a conservative is. A conservative is a hypertensive hypocrite who believes in telling people what kind of sex life they should have.”
This is called a “rhetorical definition.” Its real purpose is not to define, but to influence attitudes.
More later!
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17. Good habit: Always ask questions like:
“What do you mean by _____?”
“I’m not sure I understand what you have in mind when you say _____.”
“Could you clarify a bit ? What is a ______?”
“Could you define _______?”
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18. But… you want to define the appropriate term:
From a Peanuts cartoon:
LINUS: Fat? I’m not fat!
LUCY: Of course you’re fat… Look at that stomach!
LINUS: Define “stomach”!
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19. © 2012 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Review of Chapter 3:
Semantic ambiguity
Syntactical ambiguity
Grouping ambiguity
Vagueness: a matter of degree
Rhetorical definition
I’ve changed “syntax ambiguity” to “syntactical ambiguity” throughout these slides, since that’s what it’s called in the book. Also, when it is first introduced in part (b) of the slide show, I added “sentence structure” to the claim that mentions grammar. I think saying it’s a problem of sentence structure is more descriptive than saying it’s a problem of grammar.
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