| This thesis is an analysis of the vagueness in the American newsheadlines from the perspective of the Adaptation Theory, and focuses onthe adaptation of pragmatic vagueness to contexts and its communicativefunctions in news headlines.Due to its wide readership and great social influence, news plays animportant role in our daily life. In recent years, some scholars have studiedvagueness from different perspectives. Based on the previous studies, thethesis attempts to make a detailed analysis of pragmatic vagueness in thenews headlines by applying Verschueren's Adaptation Theory, theCooperative Principle, the Politeness Principle and Critical DiscourseAnalysis methods. The 37 headlines are collected from three mainstreamAmerican media from July 27 th of 2007 to March 24 th of 2008. The authorpoints out that in order to adapt to communicative needs, the appropriate useof pragmatic vagueness in news headlines can not only enhance theefficiency and flexibility of the expressions, thus improving the objectivityand reliability of the news, but also protect the reporters and the peopleconcerned. The pragmatic vagueness in news headlines can reveal thereporters'implicit attitudes towards an event, and help readers find out theimplied meanings of news reports.This research can help improve the writing and comprehension of newsheadlines. The appropriate use of pragmatic vagueness can enhance thecredibility of news, and help reporters reach expected goals and achieve communicative effects. This research may be used for reference in Englishteaching and learning. Teachers and students should pay attention to themastery of linguistic knowledge as well as the cultivation of communicativecompetence, especially the flexible use of pragmatic vagueness in contexts.The research can also help study cultural diversity, because pragmaticvagueness reflects cultural differences.
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