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HEDGING. ARE YOU ALWAYS A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE?. Sometimes we are not fully sure, especially when we are proposing a solution to a difficult problem. However, when we are speaking, we often act as if we are totally sure. This won’t happen! This never happens! Everyone does this.
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ARE YOU ALWAYS A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE? • Sometimes we are not fully sure, especially when we are proposing a solution to a difficult problem. • However, when we are speaking, we often act as if we are totally sure. This won’t happen! This never happens! Everyone does this
HOWEVER, IN WRITING; • It is important to make claims or talk about sth that you can defend as true and be cautious.
TO DO THIS, YOU NEED HEDGING!!!! • MEANS; • Avoiding generalization • Using a cautious expressions instead of using very certain phrases. • For example; • Instead of saying; • The kids behave in this way. • You can say; • Most of the kids behave in this way.
In your writing it is quite possible that you will want to create a degree of distance between yourself and a claim made by another writer. Distance can be established between the writer and the claim by the effective and appropriate use of language. This use of language has been called "hedging" (Lakoff, 1972). He claims that it tends to take a number of forms. This could be argued to bea feature of academic writing,perhapsbecause writers might tendto want to be cautious in presenting their claim or avoid making inaccurate or false claims. It could be argued that much of what is written in academia is not always presented as certainty. You will probably find through reading in any academic field a heavy use of language structures that allow the writer(s) to do this.
