{"id":12008,"date":"2020-03-01T00:24:34","date_gmt":"2020-03-01T05:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transfer.writingcommons.org\/?post_type=section&#038;p=12008"},"modified":"2023-11-23T06:39:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T06:39:45","slug":"vague-language","status":"publish","type":"section","link":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/vague-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Vague Language"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tts_content_wrapper_2\" >\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/vague-language\/#What_is_Vague_Language_Ambiguous_Language\" title=\"What is Vague Language? Ambiguous Language?\">What is Vague Language? Ambiguous Language?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/vague-language\/#Why_Does_Vague_Language_Matter\" title=\"Why Does Vague Language Matter?\">Why Does Vague Language Matter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/vague-language\/#How_Can_I_Avoid_Vague_Language\" title=\"How Can I Avoid Vague Language?\">How Can I Avoid Vague Language?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/vague-language\/#Recommended_Readings\" title=\"Recommended Readings\">Recommended Readings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Vague_Language_Ambiguous_Language\"><\/span>What is Vague Language? Ambiguous Language?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Vague Language<\/em> (aka <em>Ambiguous Language<\/em>) is<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>language that is <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction-word-choice-writing-speech\/abstract-language\/\">abstract<\/a>, undecipherable, underdeveloped, fragmented<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a defining characteristic of weak writing and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/styles-of-writing\/writer-based-prose-style\/\">writer-based prose style<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Examples of <em>vague language<\/em> are<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>generalization, overgeneralizations\u2014a sweeping statement about a group of people, things, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/topic\/\">topic<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>an excessive number of non-specific adjectives like <em>good, bad, okay, pretty, happy, <\/em>and <em>sad<\/em>, which give an <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">audience<\/a> only a superficial and general sense of emotion or description.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>use of <em>empty words<\/em>, such as <em>sort of, kind of, <\/em>and <em>generally <\/em>without further explanation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Vague Language<\/em> may also be called<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ambiguous language.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>underdeveloped language<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/styles-of-writing\/writer-based-prose-style\/\">writer-based <\/a> or developmental language<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Related Concepts: <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/concrete-language-sensory-language\/\">Concrete Language, Sensory Language<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-reasoning\/rhetorical-modes\/description\/\">Description;<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/organization\/organizational-schema\/given-to-new-information\/\">Given to New Contract<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/styles-of-writing\/reader-based-prose-style\/\">Reader-Based Prose Style<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/register\/\">Register<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/styles-of-writing\/writer-based-prose-style\/\">Writer-Based Prose<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Does_Vague_Language_Matter\"><\/span>Why Does <em>Vague Language<\/em> Matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Vagueness<\/em> undermines <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/information-literacy\/interpretation\/\">interpretation<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">Readers, listeners, users . . .<\/a> will not tolerate <em>vagueness<\/em>. Teachers in school settings as well as workers in workplace settings abhor vagueness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\"><em>Vagueness<\/em> is sludge, static, interference. It&#8217;s a waste of time, a waste of one&#8217;s life. To be a successful communicator, you need to eliminate all unnecessary, unintentional vagueness from your communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bottom line is that people don&#8217;t like to be talked at. And language that doesn&#8217;t communicate anything to the reader is nothing more than indiosyntactic clutter <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/writing-studies\/semiotics-sign-signifier-signified\/\">signifying nothing<\/a> other than the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">writer, speaker, knowledge worker&#8217;s<\/a> lack of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/mindset\/professionalism\/\">professionalism<\/a>, at least from a <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/tone\/\">tonal perspective<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">readers, listeners, users . . . <\/a>come across <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/text-composition\/\">texts<\/a> that seem more <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/styles-of-writing\/writer-based-prose-style\/\">writer-based<\/a> than <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/styles-of-writing\/reader-based-prose-style\/\">reader-based language<\/a>, they turn away. The look for something else, something more appealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Can_I_Avoid_Vague_Language\"><\/span>How Can I Avoid Vague Language?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be hard to tell if your writing includes <em>vagueness<\/em>. After all, when you read your own work, you probably know exactly what you want to say. That can lead you to overlook <em>soft spots<\/em> (see <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/collaboration\/critique\/\">Critique<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, the first step in <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/editing\/\">editing<\/a> for <em>vague language<\/em> is to read your <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/text-composition\/\">text<\/a> from your <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/article\/researching-your-audience\/\">audience&#8217;s perspective<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you read through your document on a word-by-word level, question <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have I used any words that need to be \u201cunpacked,\u201d words that mean a lot to me that readers may not understand without additional clarifications?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have I appealed to the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/concrete-language-sensory-language\/\">five senses<\/a> when possible?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have I used the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/point-of-view\/avoid-first-person-point-of-view\/\">first-person voice<\/a> as opposed to the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/voice\/use-the-active-voice\/\">passive voice<\/a>, when appropriate?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have I defined terms and concepts the reader may not understand?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have I provided specific examples to support my <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/genre\/argument\/claim\/\">claims<\/a>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have I provided <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/evidence\/\">evidence<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/citation\/\">cited<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/evidence\/\">evidence<\/a> as required by my readers?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, ask your critics for a read: Ask them to identify spots in your discourse where it seems vague, confusing, and underdeveloped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-recommended-readings\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recommended_Readings\"><\/span>Recommended Readings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Graham, Paul. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.paulgraham.com\/useful.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Write Usefully<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vagueness. <a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/vagueness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38688,"parent":2148,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"chapters":[1981,1922],"class_list":["post-12008","section","type-section","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","chapters-diction","chapters-style"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/12008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/section"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/12008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61009,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/12008\/revisions\/61009"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/2148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12008"},{"taxonomy":"chapters","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapters?post=12008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}