Using Hedging Language

USING HEDGING
LANGUAGE
FSPE0032 | ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING SKILLS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction Reasons to Use

What does hedging
language mean?
01 02 Why is hedging
language important in
academic writing?
Examples of Phrases Practice

Language used in
hedging
03 04 Let’s practise using
hedging language :)
01
Introduction
What does hedging language
mean?
HEDGING LANGUAGE
Hedging is a type of language use which
'protects' your claims. It is also known as
cautious/vague language.
Using language with a suitable amount of

caution can protect your claims from being
easily dismissed. It also helps to indicate the
level of certainty we have in relation to the
evidence or support.
In order to distinguish between facts and claims,
writers often use tentative language such as ‘it
seems likely that...’ or ‘arguably....’
This technique is called hedging or vague

language. Hedging is crucial in academic
discourse, and hedge words account for
approximately 1 word in every 100 in scientific
articles.
Example
“Our results seem to suggest that in less industrialised

countries, the extensive use of land to grow exportation
products tends to impoverish these countries'
populations even more”.
Compare the following short texts.
A B
Extensive reading helps Research appears to
students to improve their indicate that, for a
vocabulary. significant proportion of
students, extensive
reading may contribute to
an improvement in their
active vocabulary.
Compare the following short texts.
A B
Extensive reading helps Research appears to
students to improve their indicate that, for a
vocabulary. significant proportion of
students, extensive
reading may contribute to
an improvement in their
active vocabulary.
• It is often believed that academic writing,
particularly scientific writing, is factual.
• However, an important feature of academic

writing is the concept of cautious language,
or "hedging".
• It is necessary to make decisions about your

stance on a particular subject, or the strength
of the claims you are making.
02
Reasons to Use
Why is hedging language
important in academic writing?
USING HEDGING LANGUAGE
To be more To make writing
precise in sound more
reporting results professional, polite
and modest
REASONS
To avoid expressing To reduce the

statements as strength of the
absolute facts statements – easier
to justify & reduce
risk of opposition
“Crime is linked to poor education”
Not completely true! You have to consider other possibilities,

and show them in your writing – how? By using
hedging/caution!
Modal
Crime may be linked to poor education.
Verb
Adverb Crime is frequently linked to poor education.
Verb Crime tends to be linked to poor education.

03
Examples of Phrases
Language used in hedging
LANGUAGE USED IN HEDGING
Modal may, might, can, could, would, should ‘Such a measure might be
auxiliary more sensitive to changes in
verbs health after specialist
treatment.’
‘In spite of its limitations, the
Modal to seem, to appear to believe, to assume, to
study appears to have a
lexical suggest, to estimate, to tend, to think, to
number of important
verbs argue, to indicate, to propose, to speculate
strengths.’
Probability
possible, probable, un/likely ‘It is likely to result in failure.’
adjectives
assumption, claim, possibility, estimate, ‘We estimate that one in five

Nouns
suggestion marriages end in divorce.’
Adverbs perhaps, possibly, probably, ‘There is, perhaps, a good
practically, likely, presumably, reason why she chose to write
virtually, apparently in the first person.’
Approximators
of degree, approximately, roughly, about, often,
‘‘Fever is present in about a
quantity, occasionally, generally, usually,
third of cases.’
frequency and somewhat, somehow, a lot of
time
Introductory believe, to our knowledge, it is our ‘We believe that there is no

phrases view that, we feel that simple explanation.’
‘If true, our study contradicts

“If” clauses if true, if anything the myth that men make
better managers than women.’
Quantifiers some For a significant proportion of students,
a fraction extensive reading contribute to an
a minority/majority of improvement in their active vocabulary.
a proportion of
to some extent
Compound seems reasonable, looks Such compound hedges can be double hedges
hedges probable (it may suggest that; it seems likely that; it
would indicate that; this probably indicates);
treble hedges (it seems reasonable to assume
that); quadruple hedges (it would seem
somewhat unlikely that, it may appear
somewhat speculative that) and so on.
04
Practice
Let’s practise using hedging
language :)
Rewrite statements 1 - 4 using hedging words / phrases in brackets.
Example : Desertification will be a major environmental problem in the future (it /

thought)
It is thought that desertification will be a major environmental problem in the
future.
1. The universe began to exist about 15 billion years ago. (it /

probable)
2. Many dinasours had feathers, according to a recent discovery.
(suggests)
3. By the end of the century, many homes will produce their own
electricity. (it/ likely)
4. The Japanese giant spider crab lives for up to 100 years. (thought
/ live)
Rewrite statements 1 - 4 using hedging words / phrases in brackets.
1. It is probable that the universe began to exist about 15 billion

years ago. (it / probable)
2. A recent discovery suggests that many dinasours had feathers.
(suggests)
3. It is likely that by the end of the century, many homes will
produce their own electricity. (it/ likely)
4. The Japanese giant spider crab is thought to live for up to 100
years. (thought / live)
THANKS!
Do you have any questions?
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USING HEDGING

Introduction Reasons to Use

Examples of Phrases Practice

Using language with a suitable amount of

This technique is called hedging or vague

“Our results seem to suggest that in less industrialised

• However, an important feature of academic

• It is necessary to make decisions about your

To avoid expressing To reduce the

Not completely true! You have to consider other possibilities,

Adverb Crime is frequently linked to poor education.

Verb Crime tends to be linked to poor education.

assumption, claim, possibility, estimate, ‘We estimate that one in five

Introductory believe, to our knowledge, it is our ‘We believe that there is no

‘If true, our study contradicts

Example : Desertification will be a major environmental problem in the future (it /

1. The universe began to exist about 15 billion years ago. (it /

1. It is probable that the universe began to exist about 15 billion

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by

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