【正文】 t they have expected, they will feel being cheated. And this result is totally beyond advertisers? expectation. For example, we are familiar with a Chinese ad “買一送一 ”(buy one item with another similar item presented free). Customers will often think that they can get another same one for free if they buy one. But, in fact, it?s the case that we may get a pair of socks for free if we buy a dress, or we may get a pair of shoepads if we buy a pair of shoes. The problem lies in that the former “一 ”(one) and the latter “一 ”(one) in ads is too vague to determine for customers. And the other reason is simply the advertisers? fake and exaggerating advertisement. Let39。s born with it. Maybe it39。s not abandoned at all. Sometimes, the use of pronouns will give us a sense of neatness. For instance, You are loving it.(McDonald) From the perspective of cognitive linguistics, the demonstrative pronouns, like it, that, this, here, there, are fuzzy in themselves. Here, the word 39。s mon to use numerals in advertising language, because it can increase the credibility of the products. However, the numerals in ads are often used in a vague sense. When a numeral doesn39。t need exact figures to present its diameter, the length of the watch strap and its service life. The use of vague language in ads would manifest the good quality and perfect shape of the watch. 13 There is another reason for the activeness of adjectives in ads. For they have parative and superlative forms. There is a wellknown Chinese ad , “沒有最好，只有更好 ”(No best, only better). This kind of vague expression helps extend the content of ads, and leave a space of imagination for the consumers. For example： You are more beautiful with Kodak． (Kodak film) Let39。s. It can also be further divided into two types, plausibility(直接緩和語 ) and attribution(間接緩和語 ). The former refers to the speaker39。 b. it is‘purposely and unabashedly vague’。s habits of language were indeterminate。s eyes. This part is to present some definitions proposed by several famous scholars. Definition of vague language Pierce is considered as the originator of the notion of vagueness in language. He defines it as follows: A proposition is vague where there are possible states of things concerning which it is intrinsically uncertain whether, had they been contemplated the speaker, he would have regarded them as excluded or allowed by the proposition. By intrinsically uncertain we mean not uncertain in consequence of any ignorance of the interpreter, but because the speaker39。s not knowing is not due to ignorance of the facts. (H. P. Grice, 1 975) Grice?s definition is a relatively broader one: it applies to what we call pragmatic vagueness as well as semantic vagueness. Not knowing ?whether to apply the expression? can mean not knowing whether applying a statement would be true, or not knowing whether it would be appropriate in the circumstances to make such a statement. After listing some historical views on the definition of vagueness, let?s see Channell?s definition: An expression or word is vague if a. it can be contrasted with another word or expression which appears to render the same proposition。s or a third person39。s ideas, thoughts or meanings. Consequently, we have to tailor our language to satisfy the demand, and the use of vague language may be one of the approaches. Human beings are born with the fuzzilythinking ability In contemporary language, fuzzy words can be seen everywhere. Vague language is necessary or even indispensable on many occasions, because language is the tool of human munication, which is not perfect. It cannot express ideas with absolute accuracy, and people don?t need this absolute accuracy in munication. For instance, in casual conversation, you ask someone, “How many people were at the meeting?” and he replies, “about 1000”. Under this circumstance, the degree of accuracy of the answer is well enough to you. But if he replies,1128, you will be surprised at his accuracy. Take another example, “A： what did you buy?” “B: Oh, apples, bananas, cabbages and so on.” In this situation, the information A needs is enough to him, and he won?t continue ask B, “What do you mean by ?and so on??” From the above, we know that people use vague language is by no means from carelessness, laziness or lacking of understanding, but because of the fuzzy property of the thinking course of human brain. In daily life, we do 10 not put our ideas into words as accurately as possible all the time. Otherwise, we?ll be tormented by the boring statistics. Advertisement demands of vagueness The aim of advertisement is to publicize its products, to encourage, to persuade, and to induce the consumers to buy them. Hence the advertising language usually includes information about the goods, but it is also full of strong persuasiveness and induction. So the advertising language is required to contain truth in it, but not so accurate as language used in science and law. The employment of vague language in ads meets these special requirements. Vagueness exists objectively in advertising language, this is, in the first place, determined by the readability and persuasiveness that an ad must possess. For example, there is a sentence in the ad of Platinum MasterCard, “ There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else there’s MasterCard.” Here, the advertiser uses several vague words, “some, things, everything, else”, it fully expresses the function of Platinum MasterCard with only several vague words. Secondly, vague language is necessary in ads to make products lifelike. Because only precise words cannot achieve vividness effect. For instance, Take the unusual way. (Meters/bonwe) Anything is possible. (Li Ning) Impossible is nothing, (Adidas) We can see tha