student asking question

Could you tell me the difference in nuance between "something" and "something like that"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Something like that" implies that the speaker assumed an incident similar to what actually happened had occurred. It is used to refer to something or a possibility without giving specific detail. It sounds a little bit more casual and natural than simply using "something." Ex: A: Did you leave work because you weren't feeling well? B: Something like that. With the addition of the word "or" in the beginning of this expression, we can also use it to express a feeling of vagueness or uncertainty towards something. Ex: Are you mad or something like that? Ex: She was a singer or something like that.

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