Which term describes lexical chunks that include slots for inserting different words or phrases, as in 'Could you please pass the salt?'

• A. Fixed Expression
• B. Semi-Fixed Expression
• C. Collocation
• D. Word

Answer: (B)

Templates with fillable slots describe how language can be a stable frame with flexible parts you swap in. In a polite request like “Could you please pass the salt?”, the frame stays the same: you’re asking someone to do something in a courteous way. But the object being passed can change to other items (pass the pepper, pass the sugar, etc.). That ability to keep the core structure while inserting different words or phrases is what makes this a semi-fixed expression. Fixed expressions would be rigid phrases with little to no variation, which isn’t what this example shows. Collocations are about common word pairings that tend to occur together, not about using a reusable template with slots for different elements. So this example fits the idea of a semi-fixed expression best.