Unit 6: Argumentative Essay Writing
53 Hedging
Good writers should be aware of how their arguments sound. Are they too strong? Not strong enough? Certain words can help control the tone of your argument. This next section will introduce the concept of “hedging” which will be further expanded upon in ESL 118.
What is hedging?
Simply put, “hedging” is the use of cautious language in order to express your claims in a more neutral tone and to acknowledge a degree of uncertainty in your claims. It is especially important when you’re explaining/interpreting evidence you cite and discussing its implications. Consider the two examples below:
| No hedging language | Hedging language |
| The research results clearly show that in order to feel happier and less homesick, international students must spend more time with friends from the host country than their home countries. | The research results indicate that in order to feel happier and less homesick, international students may benefit from spending more time with friends from the host country than their home countries. |
Why is hedging important?
- Hedging is important to appear more credible and not too overconfident. As a writer, you should be more cautious about the language you use and more critical about the claims you make because your points are based on a very limited number of sources you have read on your topic, and therefore, there may be flaws in your argumentation. When you use hedging, you show your readers that you are aware of these flaws, which will reduce the possibility of your arguments being criticized.
- Similarly, using hedges makes it much more difficult for someone with an opposing view to argue with a statement. For example, “People prefer black clothing to red clothing” is an overstatement, and it is easy to find someone who likes red clothes better. Yet if the statement is changed to “In general many people seem to prefer black clothing to red clothing” there will be less disagreement.
- The use of hedging also conforms to the conventions of academic writing.
Hedging Types
| Type | Language | Example using hedging |
| Modal verbs | can could, may, might, should | While it may be true that people have eaten meat for a long time, the number one killer of Americans now is… |
| Verbs of moderation | appear, suggest, indicate, tend to + verb, seem to + verb | The data suggest that the test scores are increasing as programs implement blended learning. |
| Adverbs | somewhat, perhaps, possibly, probably, generally, typically, frequently, often, evidently, relatively | High acceptance rates generally mean that… |
| Adjectives | likely, unlikely, possible, probable, some, many, most | It is possible that the consumption of large amounts of animal fat can cause heart disease. |
Tips for Hedging
1. ADD hedges to the base form of lexical verbs:
- Children living in poverty do poorly in school. ⇒ Children living in poverty tend to do poorly in school.
- The data collected from this study show that… ⇒ The data collected from this study seem to show that…
- The number of students interested in online learning will increase. ⇒ The number of students interested in online learning will probably increase.
2. REPLACE non-hedged language with hedged language; Common non-hedged language to avoid: be (in different forms), will, absolutes:
- Inflation is the cause of… ⇒ Inflation may be the main cause of…
- A blended mode of learning will solve this problem. ⇒ A blended mode of learning is likely to solve this problem.
- Without asynchronous courses, students always have to take classes at midnight. ⇒ Without asynchronous courses, students often have to take classes at midnight.
Watch this introductory video from Engago:
Sources consulted
https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/hedges-softening-claims-in-academic-writing
