Phrase of the day

Discover a new phrase each day to use in your English! These are special phrases and sayings that English speakers use all the time, but you don't often see these phrases in English course books or other study material. Visit daily to learn some popular English phrases on a regular basis.
13th July 2024

Sort of

We use this expression to give a weak description of something or to agree in a weak way with another person's description.
IH Bristol Phrase of the Day: Sort of
Usage
Written: 
Yes
Spoken: 
Yes
Formal: 
No
Informal: 
Yes
Example 1
I can’t find my wallet anywhere! Have you seen it?
What does it look like?
It’s a sort of orange-brown colour and made of leather.
Example 2
What’s wrong with this computer?
It looks like there’s some sort of technical problem. We’ll have to ring the technician.

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