What practical purpose do familiar phrases serve?
Sports commentary has its own conventions. Football commentators tend to use the present tense and short sentences so that they can keep pace with the action, while cricket commentators, who have long pauses to fill, are known for anecdotes and digressions. Both rely on a stock of familiar phrases that listeners recognise at once. Linguists note that the phrases serve a practical purpose: they allow the speaker to think ahead while still talking. The risk is that overuse produces clichés, and a commentator who calls every goal "a moment of magic" soon loses credibility. The most admired broadcasters are those who combine the reliability of the formula with a flash of the unexpected.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. They let the commentator plan ahead while speaking
- Step 1: Linguists say they allow thinking ahead.
Answer
They let the commentator plan ahead while speaking.
Why not the others: Entertainment, rules and preparation time are not the stated purposes.
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