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Engelse grammatica

Vage taal: or so, -ish en give or take

Vague language: or so, -ish and give or take

C1 · Vergevorderd Verwijzen naar mensen en dingen Vragen 10

De regel

Precisie is niet altijd natuurlijk. In gesprekken benadert en verzacht men met vage taal: about, roughly, fifty or so, fifty-odd, give or take, sevenish, in her forties, a couple of; en voor categorieën and things like that, or something, sort of, and stuff. -ish verzacht ook bijvoeglijke naamwoorden: greenish. In formele teksten: approximately, some 300 people, in the region of.

Patroon

numbers / time: about · around · roughly · fifty or so · fifty-odd · give or take · sevenish · in her forties · a couple of · categories: and things like that · or something · sort of · kind of · and stuff (informal) · formal: approximately · some + number · in the region of

Voorbeelden

  1. There were fifty or so people at the meeting.

    Er waren een stuk of vijftig mensen op de vergadering.

  2. Let’s meet at sevenish, if that suits you.

    Laten we rond zevenen afspreken, als dat je uitkomt.

  3. It takes an hour, give or take ten minutes.

    Het duurt een uur, tien minuten meer of minder.

  4. Some 200 people were evacuated from the building.

    Zo’n tweehonderd mensen werden uit het gebouw geëvacueerd.

Veelgemaakte fouten

  • Fout: Report: About fifty-ish people attended.

    Goed: Report: Approximately fifty people attended.

    In formeel schrijven: approximately, niet -ish.

  • Fout: There were fifty or something people.

    Goed: There were fifty or so people.

    Bij getallen is het or so.

  • Fout: She is in the forties.

    Goed: She is in her forties.

    Een leeftijdsbereik: in her forties.

Oefenvragen

Probeer elke vraag eerst zelf en open dan „Toon antwoord” voor de oplossing en de reden.

  1. 1Kies de juiste zin.

    Wat betekent sevenish?

    Come round at sevenish.

    1. Before seven at the latest
    2. At about seven o’clock
    3. Seven times
    4. At exactly seven o’clock
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: B At about seven o’clock

    -ish bij een tijd = ongeveer.

  2. 2Kies de juiste zin.

    1. There were thirty or something people at the party.
    2. There were thirty or so people at the party.
    3. There were thirty so or people at the party.
    4. There were thirty or around people at the party.
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: B There were thirty or so people at the party.

    getal + or so = ongeveer.

  3. 3Vul het gat in.

    The journey takes three hours, give or _____.

    1. taking
    2. take
    3. took
    4. get
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: B The journey takes three hours, give or take.

    give or take = min of meer.

  4. 4Verander de zin.

    Schrijf het voor een formeel rapport.

    Fifty-ish people signed the petition.

    1. Fifty or something people signed the petition.
    2. Like fifty people signed the petition.
    3. Fifty-ish people signed the petition, basically.
    4. Approximately fifty people signed the petition.
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: D Approximately fifty people signed the petition.

    Formele benadering: approximately.

  5. 5Kies de juiste zin.

    Wat is natuurlijk in een gesprek?

    Describing someone’s age.

    1. He is thirty-five years of age, approximately.
    2. His age is approximately thirty-five years.
    3. He is aged between thirty-four and thirty-six years.
    4. He’s in his mid-thirties, I think.
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: D He’s in his mid-thirties, I think.

    In gesprekken past het vage bereik.

  6. 6Zet de woorden in de juiste volgorde.

    We talked about work and things like that

    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: We talked about work and things like that.

    and things like that sluit een opsomming vaag af.

  7. 7Deze zin klopt niet. Kies de verbetering.

    She is in the fifties, I think.

    1. She is in her fifties, I think.
    2. She is in fifty, I think.
    3. She is on her fifties, I think.
    4. She is in the her fifties, I think.
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: A She is in her fifties, I think.

    Leeftijdsbereik: in her fifties.

  8. 8Kies de juiste zin.

    Wat betekent a couple of hier?

    I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.

    1. Exactly two
    2. A long time
    3. About two, maybe a few
    4. Two people
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: C About two, maybe a few

    a couple of = een paar, ongeveer twee.

  9. 9Vul het gat in.

    U schrijft een nieuwsbericht.

    _____ 300 homes were left without electricity.

    1. Some
    2. Something
    3. Ish
    4. Or so
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: A Some 300 homes were left without electricity.

    Some + getal = ongeveer (formeel).

  10. 10Kies de juiste zin.

    1. The walls were a sort of greenish grey.
    2. The walls were a greenish sort grey.
    3. The walls were a sort of green-ish greyly.
    4. The walls were sort of a greenish greyish kind.
    Toon antwoord

    Antwoord: A The walls were a sort of greenish grey.

    -ish verzacht een kleur: greenish.

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