Hedging is a kind of language use which ‘protects’ your claims.
Hedging is a kind of language use which ‘protects’ your claims.
Using language with a suitable quantity of caution can protect your claims from being easily dismissed. It can also help to indicate the standard of certainty we now have in terms of the data or support.
Compare the next two short texts, (A) and (B). You will observe that even though two texts are, in essence, saying the same thing, (B) has a significant quantity of extra language round the claim. A large amount of this language is performing the purpose of ‘hedging’.
Compare the next two short texts, (A) and (B). Exactly how many differences do you see within the text that is second? What is the function/effect/purpose of every difference?
You shall probably realize that (B) is much more ‘academic’, however it is important to know why.
(A) Extensive reading helps students to boost their vocabulary.
(B) Research conducted by Yen (2005) generally seems to indicate that, for a significant proportion of students, extensive reading may donate to an improvement inside their active vocabulary. Yen’s (2005) study learners that are involved 15-16 in the UK, although it might be applicable to many other groups. Read more